Derrick Henry is a running back for the Tennessee Titans of the NFL.
He set the national high school football record for career rushing yards with the Yulee Hornets and played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, where he dominated his junior season. Henry broke Herschel Walker's single-season college rushing yards record in the SEC and won the 2015 Heisman Trophy, the Doak Walker Award, the Maxwell Award, and the Walter Camp Award.
He was drafted in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft by the Titans. He led the NFL in rushing yards for the 2019 season, as well as rushing touchdowns (tied with Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones). He is known for his physically imposing body and beast quake runs that go the full length of the field.
Henry arguably became the most important running back in the league. Tennessee’s offense thrived off play action and being able to have success in the pass game because opposing defenses were geared up to stop Henry and the Titans’ rushing attack. Henry and the Titans made three straight playoff appearances, including a trip to the AFC Championship Game in the 2020 season.
Henry won back-to-back rushing titles in 2019 and 2020, going over the 2,000-yard mark for his second crown. Henry might’ve been on his way to a third straight title had a broken foot not cut his 2021 season short.
In 2022, Henry made his third Pro Bowl appearance in four years. The veteran went over the 1,500-yard mark, yet again. With 8,335 rushing yards on 4.8 yards per carry in his first seven seasons, Henry could be in the midst of a Hall of Fame career.
Derrick Henry attended Yulee High School, where he was a three-sport star in football, basketball, and track. He set the Florida high school record with a 510-yard performance against Jacksonville Jackson and averaged 9.2 yards per carry and 327.8 yards per game as a senior, finishing the season with a state-record 4,261 yards and 55 touchdowns.
He finished his high school football career with a monstrous 12,124 career rushing yards, which broke Ken Hall's career record. He also rushed for 153 career touchdowns. His career touchdown totals rank fifth all-time. In his Yulee career, he averaged more than 250 yards a game and never rushed for fewer than 100 yards in a game. Considered a five-star recruit by ESPN.com, Henry was listed as the No. 1 athlete (player with no designated position) in the nation in 2013.
In Henry's sophomore year, he rushed for 990 yards on 172 carries with 11 touchdowns.
Henry took over as the starting running back as a junior in 2015. In the season opener against Wisconsin, he had 147 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. In the next game, against Middle Tennessee State, he had 96 rushing yards and another game with three rushing touchdowns.
He rushed for 2,219 yards and 28 touchdowns on 395 carries, both SEC records. To cap off a phenomenal season, Henry won the Heisman Trophy, and shortly after that declared for the 2016 NFL Draft.
Henry was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the second round (45th overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft. After beginning his career as DeMarco Murray’s backup, Henry has established himself as the most physically dominant and gritty runner in the league. He’s extremely difficult to tackle as well, thanks to his patented stiff arm.
His breakout season came in 2019, when he finished the regular season setting career-highs in carries with 303, rushing yards with 1,540, and rushing touchdowns with 16. He also set career-highs in receptions with 16, receiving yards with 206, and receiving touchdowns with two. He was selected to his first Pro Bowl and named to the second-team All-Pro at both the running back and flex position.
Henry followed up his career-year with one of the great running back seasons of all time in 2020. The Titans’ star led all players with 378 carries, 2,027 yards, 17 touchdowns and a whopping 126.7 yards per game. Henry totaled 2,141 yards from scrimmage and was named the Offensive Player of the Year. In three of his last 12 games, Henry ran for over 210 yards.
With 937 yards through eight games, Henry broke his foot and saw his 2021 season come to an end. The running back had 1,538 rushing yards in 2022, leading the league in carries for the third time in four years.
Henry has a net worth of $5.4 million. He has endorsement deals with Nike and Old Spice, where he featured in his first commercial.
Henry signed a 4 year, $50 million deal with the Tennessee Titans in 2020, making him one of the highest paid running backs in the league.
In 2018, Henry fulfilled a promise to his grandmother Gladys and graduated from Alabama in May 2018 with a bachelor's degree in communications. He has a portrait tattoo of her on his chest.
Henry’s hometown of Yulee, Florida celebrated him with a welcome sign in his honor during the 2019 season.
Henry also has a dog named Nino.
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