Derrick Henry
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Derrick Lamar Henry Jr. (born January 4, 1994) is an
American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...
for the
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
of the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL). His imposing rushing game and larger stature than the average running back earned him the nickname "King Henry". Born and raised in
Yulee, Florida Yulee is a Census county division (CCD) in Nassau County, Florida, United States. The population is currently 28,798 as of April 2018. Yulee is part of the Jacksonville metropolitan area, which was home to 1,504,980 people in 2017. Today, t ...
, Henry set the national
high school football High school football (french: football au lycée) is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both countries, but its popularity is declining, part ...
record for career rushing yards with the Yulee Hornets. He played
college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...
at
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
, where during his junior season, he broke Herschel Walker's single-season college rushing yards record in the
Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is an American college athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central and Southeastern United States. Its fourteen members include the flagship public universities of ...
(SEC), won the 2015
Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...
, the
Doak Walker Award Since 1990 the Doak Walker Award honors the top running back in college football in the United States. It is named in honor of Doak Walker, a former running back who played for the SMU Mustangs from 1945 to 1949 and in the National Football Le ...
, the
Maxwell Award The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the college football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best all ...
, and the
Walter Camp Award The Walter Camp Player of the Year Award is given annually to the collegiate American football player of the year, as decided by a group of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I FBS head coaches and sports information directo ...
, and was a key part of the 2015 Alabama Crimson Tide football team that won the
2016 College Football Playoff National Championship The 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship was a bowl game that determined a national champion of NCAA Division I FBS college football for the 2015 season. It was played at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on Ja ...
. Henry was drafted in the second round of the
2016 NFL draft The 2016 NFL Draft was the 81st annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. As in 2015, the draft took place at the Auditorium Theatre and Grant Park in Chicago. The draft beg ...
by the Titans. He led the NFL in rushing yards for the 2019 season, as well as rushing touchdowns (tied with
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
running back Aaron Jones). In 2020, Henry would again lead the league in rushing yards and touchdowns and became the eighth player in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season, and the second Tennessee Titan to do so. Henry won the 2020
Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award The Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award (OPOY) is given annually by the Associated Press (AP) to the offensive player in the National Football League (NFL) deemed to have had the most outstanding season. The winner is chosen ...
.


Early life

Derrick Lamar Henry Jr. was born in
Yulee, Florida Yulee is a Census county division (CCD) in Nassau County, Florida, United States. The population is currently 28,798 as of April 2018. Yulee is part of the Jacksonville metropolitan area, which was home to 1,504,980 people in 2017. Today, t ...
, a suburb of
Jacksonville Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...
, to Stacy Veal and Derrick Henry Sr., aged 15 and 16 respectively. Henry's father, known as "Big D", was absent for much of his childhood, having been arrested 20 times for various crimes including drug and prostitution-related offenses, and was consequently in and out of prison and had trouble maintaining employment. His mother became a hemodialysis technician. Henry was raised primarily by his grandmother, Gladys, who nicknamed him "Shocka", as his birth shocked the whole family, given his parents' young ages. He developed a close relationship to his grandmother, whom he cites as very influential in his upbringing.


High school career

Henry attended
Yulee High School Yulee High School is a comprehensive four-year school located in Yulee, Florida. The original school closed in 1965 when Florida desegregated public schools. Following desegregation, students were allowed to choose between attending West Nassau ...
, where he was a three-sport star in football, basketball, and track. He played as a running back for the Yulee Hornets
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
team. He ran for 2,465 yards and 26 touchdowns as a freshman in 2009. He was named a first-team All-Coast selection at running back in 2010 after rushing for 2,788 yards and 38 touchdowns while averaging 8.9 yards per attempt. He rushed for 2,610 yards and 34 scores as a junior in 2011 to earn first-team All-Coast honors from the ''
Florida Times-Union ''The Florida Times-Union'' is a daily newspaper in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. Widely known as the oldest newspaper in the state, it began publication as the ''Florida Union'' in 1864. Its current incarnation started in 1883, when th ...
''. He set the Florida high school record with a 510-yard performance against Jacksonville Jackson (a record he held until 2021) 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 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 four years at Yulee he averaged more than 250 yards a game and never rushed for fewer than 100 yards in a game. He played for the East squad in the 2013 U.S. Army All-American Bowl, where he rushed for 53 yards with a touchdown and a two-point conversion. As a
track & field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...
athlete, Henry competed as a sprinter at Yulee from 2010 to 2011. He posted a personal-best time of 11.11 seconds in the 100-meter dash at the 2011 FHSAA 2A District 3 Championships, where he placed seventh. He was also a member of the 4×100 and 4×400 squads. Considered a five-star recruit by
ESPN.com ESPN.com is the official website of ESPN. It is owned by ESPN Internet Ventures, a division of ESPN Inc. History Since launching in April 1995 as ESPNET.SportsZone.com (ESPNET SportsZone), the website has developed numerous sections including ...
, Henry was listed as the No. 1 athlete (player with no designated position) in the nation in 2013. After originally committing to the
University of Georgia , mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things." , establ ...
, Henry committed to the University of Alabama on September 28, 2012. He held offers from many of the top college football programs in the country, including USC, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Florida, and Clemson. His number was eventually retired by Yulee.


High school statistics


College career

Henry attended and played college football for the University of Alabama from 2013 to 2015 under head coach
Nick Saban Nicholas Lou Saban Jr. (; born October 31, 1951) is an American football coach who has been the head football coach at the University of Alabama since 2007. Saban previously served as head coach of the National Football League's Miami Dolphins ...
. He majored in communication. He graduated on May 4, 2018. That same day, he published an article in ''
The Players' Tribune ''The Players' Tribune'' is a new media platform that produces daily sports conversation and publishes first-person stories from professional athletes. The platform was founded by former professional Major League Baseball player Derek Jeter in ...
'' thanking his late grandmother for the inspiration to continue pursuing his degree.


2013 season

As a
true freshman Redshirt, in United States college athletics, is a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen their period of eligibility. Typically, a student's athletic eligibility in a given sport is four seasons, aligning with the ...
in 2013, Henry rushed for 382 yards on 36 carries with three touchdowns in a backfield largely dominated by
T. J. Yeldon Timothy Antonio "T. J." Yeldon Jr. (born October 2, 1993) is an American football running back who is a free agent. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He played college football at Alabama. Ear ...
and
Kenyan Drake Kenyan Drake (born January 26, 1994) is an American football running back and kick returner for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Alabama. Drake was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the th ...
. On October 19, against
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...
, he had 111 rushing yards and his first collegiate rushing touchdown in the 52–0 victory. During the 2014 Sugar Bowl, he rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown on eight carries and had a 61-yard touchdown reception in the 45–31 loss to the
Oklahoma Sooners The Oklahoma Sooners are the athletic teams that represent the University of Oklahoma, located in Norman. The 19 men's and women's varsity teams are called the "Sooners", a reference to a nickname given to the early participants in the Land Run ...
. In that game, Spanish-language broadcaster Pablo Viruega on ESPN Deportes nicknamed him "El Tractorcito" (The Little Tractor) due to his long stride and powerful gait. The nickname became a popular internet meme.


2014 season

In the 2014 season, Henry and Yeldon split a majority of the work in the backfield. In the season opener against
West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...
, he had 113 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the 33–23 victory in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game. On September 20, against
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
, he had 111 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the 42–21 victory. On October 18 against
Texas A&M Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...
, he had 70 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, and a 41-yard receiving touchdown in the 59–0 victory. On November 22, against
Western Carolina Western Carolina University (WCU) is a public university in Cullowhee, North Carolina. It is part of the University of North Carolina system. The fifth oldest institution of the sixteen four-year universities in the UNC system, WCU was founded t ...
, he had 92 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, and a nine-yard receiving touchdown in the 48–14 victory. In the annual rivalry game against Auburn, he had 72 rushing yards and a touchdown in the high-scoring 55–44 installment of the rivalry. In the
SEC Championship The SEC Championship Game is an annual American football game that has determined the Southeastern Conference's season champion since 1992. The championship game pits the SEC East Division regular season champion against the West Division regula ...
against
Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
, he had 141 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in the 42–13 victory. Alabama qualified for the
College Football Playoff The College Football Playoff (CFP) is an annual postseason knockout invitational tournament to determine a national champion for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), the highest level ...
and faced off against
Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
in the National Semifinals in the
Sugar Bowl The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in New Orleans, Louisiana. Played annually since January 1, 1935, it is tied with the Orange Bowl and Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in the country, surpassed onl ...
. Henry had 95 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, and two receptions for 54 yards as Alabama fell 42–35 to the Buckeyes. In his sophomore year, Henry rushed for 990 yards on 172 carries with 11 touchdowns.


2015 season: National Championship and Heisman season

After Yeldon left for the NFL, Henry took over as the starting running back as a junior in 2015. In the season opener against
Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
, he had 147 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns in the 35–17 victory. In the next game, against
Middle Tennessee State Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU or MT) is a public university in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Founded in 1911 as a normal school, the university consists of eight undergraduate colleges as well as a college of graduate studies, together of ...
, he had 96 rushing yards and another game with three rushing touchdowns in the 37–10 victory. In the next game against Ole Miss, he had 127 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, and five receptions for 39 yards in Alabama's only loss of the season, a 43–37 decision. After rushing for 52 yards against Louisiana–Monroe, he had 148 rushing yards and a touchdown in a 38–10 victory over previously undefeated
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
. On October 10, he rushed for 95 yards and a touchdown against
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...
in a 27–14 victory. After the victory over the Razorbacks, he went on an impressive stretch of performances. On October 17, against
Texas A&M Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...
, he had 236 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, and an 18-yard reception in a 41–23 victory. In the next game, a narrow 19–14 victory over
Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
, he had 143 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. In the following game, a much-anticipated matchup with fellow Heisman contender
Leonard Fournette Leonard Joseph Fournette III (born January 18, 1995) is an American football running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the LSU Tigers, and was drafted by the Jacksonville Ja ...
of
LSU Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 near ...
, he had 210 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns in the 30–16 victory over the previously undefeated team. In the next game, against
Mississippi State Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university adjacent to Starkville, Mississippi. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Univer ...
, he had 204 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in the 31–6 victory. In the next game, against
Charleston Southern Charleston Southern University (CSU) is a private Baptist university in North Charleston, South Carolina. It is affiliated with the South Carolina Baptist Convention ( Southern Baptist Convention). History Charleston Southern University was ch ...
, he had 68 rushing yards and two more rushing touchdowns in a limited role in the 56–6 victory. In the Iron Bowl against Auburn, he had 271 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown on 46 carries in the 29–13 victory. In the
SEC Championship The SEC Championship Game is an annual American football game that has determined the Southeastern Conference's season champion since 1992. The championship game pits the SEC East Division regular season champion against the West Division regula ...
against
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
, he had 44 carries for 189 yards and a touchdown in the 29–15 victory. Alabama qualified for the College Football Playoff and faced off against
Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
in the National Semifinals. In the 38–0 victory over the Spartans in the Cotton Bowl, he had 75 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. During Alabama's 45–40 victory over Clemson in the
2016 College Football Playoff National Championship The 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship was a bowl game that determined a national champion of NCAA Division I FBS college football for the 2015 season. It was played at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on Ja ...
, he rushed for 158 yards on 36 carries with three touchdowns. During the game, he also broke
Shaun Alexander Shaun Edward Alexander (born August 30, 1977) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the ...
's record for most career rushing yards in Alabama history. Playing in all 15 games, he rushed for SEC records 2,219 yards and 28 touchdowns on 395 carries. In addition, he scored at least one touchdown in each game. He led the NCAA in rushing attempts, rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, and points scored. Henry won the Heisman Trophy, beating out finalists
Christian McCaffrey Christian Jackson McCaffrey (born June 7, 1996) is an American football running back for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Stanford and was drafted by the Carolina Panthers eighth overa ...
and
Deshaun Watson Derrick Deshaun Watson (born September 14, 1995) is an American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players ...
. He won numerous other awards including the Doak Walker Award, Walter Camp Award, and Maxwell Award. Henry declared for the 2016 NFL Draft after his junior season.


College statistics


Professional career

Coming out of Alabama, Henry was projected by the majority of analysts to be either drafted in the late first or second round. Scouts regarded his main assets to be his large frame, violent running, ability to break tackles with ease, speed, long strides, superior conditioning, and consistent play. The main concerns were about the wear and tear his body took as a workhorse at Alabama, his slow acceleration, average foot quickness, below-average catching ability, narrow based running style, sluggish cutbacks, and running tall. Henry was drafted by the
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
in the second round (45th overall) of the
2016 NFL Draft The 2016 NFL Draft was the 81st annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. As in 2015, the draft took place at the Auditorium Theatre and Grant Park in Chicago. The draft beg ...
. He was the second running back taken that year, after #4
Ezekiel Elliott Ezekiel Elijah Elliott (born July 22, 1995) is an American football running back for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State, where he earned second-team All-America honors in 2015. Ell ...
. He was reunited with his former fullback at Alabama Jalston Fowler.


2016–2017: Backup years

On May 9, 2016, the Tennessee Titans signed Henry to a four-year, $5.40 million contract with $3.30 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $2.13 million. Henry began his rookie season as the backup running back to veteran
DeMarco Murray DeMarco Murray (born February 12, 1988) is an American football coach and former running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. A three-time Pro Bowl selection and one-time first-team All-Pro, he was the NFL Off ...
. He wore the No. 2 jersey throughout training camp and preseason and donned the No. 22 once running back
Dexter McCluster Dexter Marquise McCluster (born August 25, 1988) is a former American football running back. He played college football for the University of Mississippi. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft and also ...
was cut on September 2, 2016. Henry made his NFL debut and earned his first NFL start in the Titans' season-opening loss to the
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
. He finished the game with five carries for three yards and two receptions for 41 yards. During Week 8, Henry scored his first NFL touchdown on a 6-yard rush in a 36–22 victory over the
Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
. He finished the game with 16 carries for a then career-high 60 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown and four catches for 37 yards. On December 18, 2016, he had nine rushing attempts for 58 rushing yards and a season-high two rushing touchdowns in a 19–17 road victory over the
Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...
. During the season finale against the
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
, he ran for a then-career-high 65 rushing yards on 15 carries and scored a touchdown in the 24–17 victory. Henry finished his rookie season with 110 carries for 490 yards (both sixth among NFL rookies in 2016) and five touchdowns in 15 games and two starts. He also caught 13 passes for 137 yards. For most of the 2017 season, Henry split carries with DeMarco Murray and run-oriented quarterback
Marcus Mariota Marcus Ardel Taulauniu Mariota (born October 30, 1993) is an American football quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted second overall by the Tennessee Titans in the 2015 NFL Draft. Mariota pl ...
. During Week 2, Henry ran for 92 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries in a 37–16 road victory against the
Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
. On October 16, 2017, on ''
Monday Night Football ''ESPN Monday Night Football'' (abbreviated as ''MNF'' and also known as ''ESPN Monday Night Football on ABC'' for simulcasts) is an American live television broadcast of weekly National Football League (NFL) games currently airing on ESPN, AB ...
'', Henry ran for a then career-best 131 yards on 19 carries, including a 72-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter of the 36–22 victory over the
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
. In addition, he had a 14-yard reception in the victory. During Week 13, Henry ran for 109 yards on 11 carries and beat his longest rush of the year with a 75-yard rushing touchdown late in the fourth quarter of the 24–13 victory over the
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
. In the regular season finale against the Jaguars, Henry caught his first receiving touchdown on a 66-yard reception from
Marcus Mariota Marcus Ardel Taulauniu Mariota (born October 30, 1993) is an American football quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted second overall by the Tennessee Titans in the 2015 NFL Draft. Mariota pl ...
in the 15–10 victory. The Titans finished second in the
AFC South The American Football Conference – Southern Division or AFC South is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It was created before the 2002 NFL season, 2002 s ...
with a 9–7 record and made the playoffs as a Wild Card team. In the Wild Card Round, the Titans played the
Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...
. Because DeMarco Murray was out with a knee injury, Henry got the start. In a 22–21 road victory, Henry had the best performance of his career up to that point, rushing for 156 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries and catching two passes for 35 yards. His 191 yards-from-scrimmage was a franchise record. In the Divisional Round against the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
, Henry had 28 rushing yards and 21 receiving yards in the 35–14 road loss. Henry finished the regular season with 176 carries for 744 rushing yards and five touchdowns in 15 games and two starts. He also caught 11 passes for 136 yards and a touchdown. In the postseason, Henry ran for 184 yards and a touchdown on 35 carries and caught five passes for 56 yards.


2018: Transition to starter

During the 2018 offseason,
Matt LaFleur Matthew Patrick LaFleur ( ; born November 3, 1979) is an American football coach who is the head coach for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He has served as the quarterback coach of the Washington Redskins, Notre Dame ...
was hired as the Titans' new offensive coordinator and the team also acquired running back
Dion Lewis Dion John Lewis (born September 27, 1990) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons. He played college football at the University of Pittsburgh and was drafted by the Philadelphia ...
. Lewis' pass-catching ability was seen as a fit for LaFleur's offensive scheme, which often employed running backs to catch passes out of the backfield, and leading to success with
Todd Gurley Todd Jerome Gurley II (born August 3, 1994) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons, primarily with the Los Angeles Rams. He played college football at Georgia, where he recei ...
in the previous season as offensive coordinator with the Rams. This led to speculation that LaFleur would favor Lewis over Henry. Henry ended up splitting carries with Lewis and run-oriented quarterback Marcus Mariota for most of the 2018 season. During Week 2, Henry recorded an eight-yard pass completion, the first of his career, to wide receiver Taywan Taylor in the Titans' 20–17 victory over the
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
. He also had 18 carries in that game and the next against the
Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
, but was used much less frequently through the middle of the season. From Weeks 4–13, Henry averaged nine carries for only 37 yards per game, and never rushed for over 60 yards. This all changed in Week 14 against the Jaguars. In the second quarter, Henry had a 99-yard touchdown run, fending off three tacklers, tying him with
Tony Dorsett Anthony Drew Dorsett Sr. (born April 7, 1954) is a former American football running back who played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos. From Western Pennsylvania, Dorsett attended the ...
for the longest NFL touchdown run. He finished the game with four rushing touchdowns and 238 rushing yards on 17 carries, breaking Chris Johnson's franchise record of 228 yards in
2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
. He also became the ninth player in NFL history to record a 200+ yard and 4+ touchdown game, and the first to do so on fewer than 22 carries. His 238 rushing yards were the most by any player for a single game for the 2018 season. Henry was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week due to his spectacular performance. During Week 15, the Titans went on the road to face the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
. In a cold and rainy game, Henry led the NFL in rushing for the second consecutive week with 170 yards and two touchdowns on a career-high 33 carries, along with a one-yard reception and six-yard pass completion in the 17–0 shutout. In Weeks 16 and 17, he combined for 177 rushing yards and a touchdown in the two games against the
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
and
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
. He was later named the AFC Offensive Player of the Month for December. Henry finished the 2018 season with 1,059 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns along with 15 receptions for 99 yards. After the season, he was ranked 99th on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2019 The NFL Top 100 Players of 2019 was the ninth season in the series. It premiered on July 22, 2019 and the final episode aired on July 31, 2019. It started later in the year, and the show was shown in 10 consecutive days instead. Los Angeles Rams ...
.


2019: First Rushing title, Pro Bowl selection

In the 2019 season opener against the
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
, Henry rushed 19 times for 84 yards and a touchdown. He also caught one pass for a 75-yard touchdown as the Titans won on the road 43–13. During Week 2 against the
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
, he rushed 15 times for 81 yards and a touchdown as the Titans narrowly lost 19–17. Two weeks later against the
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
, Henry had his first 100-yard game of the season when he rushed for 100 yards on 27 carries in a 24–10 road victory. In the next game against the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
, he rushed for 78 yards and a touchdown as the Titans lost by a score of 14–7. After a season-low 28 yards in a Week 6 shutout loss to
Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
, Henry sank to 12th in the league in rushing, over 200 yards behind the league leaders he would eventually catch. Henry responded with 90 rushing yards and a touchdown in a 23–20 victory against the
Los Angeles Chargers The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division, and ...
in Week 7. During Week 9 against the
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
, Henry rushed 13 times for 63 yards and a touchdown and caught three passes for 36 yards and a touchdown in the 30–20 road loss. In the next game against the
Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...
, he finished with 188 rushing yards and two touchdowns as the Titans narrowly won 35–32. Henry won the FedEx Ground Player of the Week for his efforts. During a Jaguars rematch in Week 12 after a Week 11 bye, Henry had a 74-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter. Overall, he finished the 42–20 victory with 159 rushing yards and two touchdowns along with one reception for 16 yards. In the next game, a rematch against the Colts, he rushed 26 times for 149 yards and a touchdown in the 31–17 road victory. During Week 14 against the
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
, Henry ran for 103 yards and two touchdowns in the 42–21 road victory. During the regular-season finale against the
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
, Henry finished with 211 rushing yards and three touchdowns as the Titans won 35–14 and made it to the playoffs as a Wild Card team. During the game, Henry narrowly won the 2019 rushing title over
Nick Chubb Nicholas Jamaal Chubb (born December 27, 1995) is an American football running back for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Georgia and was drafted by the Browns in the second round of the ...
of the Cleveland Browns, with the winning rush being a 53-yard touchdown run. This was Henry's first career rushing crown and the first Titan to win it since Chris Johnson in 2009. Henry finished the regular season setting career-highs in carries with 303, rushing yards with 1,540, and rushing touchdowns with 16, which all led the league, despite only playing in 15 games, missing the Week 16 game against the
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
due to a hamstring injury. He also set career-highs in receptions with 16, receiving yards with 206, and receiving touchdowns with two. On December 17, 2019, he was selected to his first
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...
. On January 3, 2020, he was named to the second-team
All-Pro All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list th ...
at both the running back and flex position, both behind
Christian McCaffrey Christian Jackson McCaffrey (born June 7, 1996) is an American football running back for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Stanford and was drafted by the Carolina Panthers eighth overa ...
. He was ranked 10th by this fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2020. With the Titans finishing the season 9–7, the team narrowly clinched a wild card spot for the #6 seed. In the 2019–20 NFL playoffs#AFC: Tennessee Titans 20, New England Patriots 13, Wild Card Round against the defending Super Bowl champion 2019 New England Patriots season, New England Patriots, which was played on his 26th birthday, Henry rushed for over 100 yards and a touchdown in the first half, finishing with 182 yards (the most ever against a Bill Belichick-led team, and the third most ever in a postseason road game) and a 22-yard reception in the 20–13 road victory. Henry became the first rushing champion with a 100-yard playoff game since Terrell Davis in 1998, the first to win a playoff game since LaDainian Tomlinson in 2007, and the second Titan with multiple post-season 100+ rushing games. He also broke his own franchise record for most yards-from-scrimmage with 204. During the 2019–20 NFL playoffs#AFC: Tennessee Titans 28, Baltimore Ravens 12, Divisional Round against the 2019 Baltimore Ravens season, Baltimore Ravens, Henry rushed 30 times for 195 yards and threw a three-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Corey Davis (wide receiver), Corey Davis in the 28–12 road victory. He became the second player in NFL history with three postseason games with at least 150 rushing yards, joining Terrell Davis, who had four. In addition, he became the only player with at least 175 rushing yards in consecutive games. Davis is the only other with two such games in a career. In the 2019–20 NFL playoffs#AFC: Kansas City Chiefs 35, Tennessee Titans 24, AFC Championship against the Chiefs, Henry was mostly held in check. During the game, he rushed 19 times for 69 yards and a touchdown in the 35–24 road loss. On March 16, 2020, the Titans placed the franchise tag on Henry. He signed the tag on April 2, 2020. Henry signed a new four-year $50 million contract with the team on July 15, 2020.


2020: Offensive Player of the Year

Despite leading the league in rushing yards for most of the first four weeks of the 2020 season, Henry was limited to no more than 3.7 yards per carry for all but one of them. These struggles ended in the week 6 game against the 2020 Houston Texans season, Houston Texans, Henry finished with 212 rushing yards, 52 receiving yards, and two touchdowns (including a 94-yard rushing touchdown). In overtime, he finished the game with a five-yard touchdown to end the game as the Titans won 42–36. Henry was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in Week 6. He was also named AFC Offensive Player of the Month for October after racking up 399 scrimmage yards with 344 yards rushing and five touchdowns. During a Week 8 31–20 road loss to the 2020 Cincinnati Bengals season, Cincinnati Bengals, he ran for 112 yards and a touchdown. In Week 11 against the 2020 Baltimore Ravens season, Baltimore Ravens, Henry had 133 rushing yards and the game-winning touchdown in overtime to defeat the Ravens on the road 30–24. In a 45–26 road victory against the 2020 Indianapolis Colts season, Indianapolis Colts in Week 12, Henry had 27 carries for 178 rushing yards and three touchdowns. In Week 14 against the 2020 Jacksonville Jaguars season, Jacksonville Jaguars, Henry rushed 26 times for 215 yards and two touchdowns during the 31–10 victory. In Week 15 against the 2020 Detroit Lions season, Detroit Lions, Henry rushed for 147 yards and a touchdown during the 46–25 win. In Week 17 against the Houston Texans, Henry rushed for a career-high 250 rushing yards and two touchdowns during the 41–38 road victory. Henry was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance. During the game, Henry became the eighth running back in NFL history to surpass 2,000 rushing yards. This also made him the only player to have 2,000 yard rushing seasons in high school, college, and the NFL. In addition to his 2,027 rushing yards, Henry established career highs in carries (378), yards-per-carry (5.4) and rushing touchdowns (17). He was named the 2020 Offensive Player of the Year at the 10th Annual NFL Honors. He was ranked fourth by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2021. In the 2020–21 NFL playoffs#AFC: Baltimore Ravens 20, Tennessee Titans 13, Wild Card Round of the playoffs against the Ravens, Henry was held without a single first down. He was limited to 40 yards on 18 carries (2.2 yards-per-carry) and three receptions for 11 yards during the 20–13 loss.


2021: Injury-shortened season

Henry began the season slow, held to only 58 rushing yards as the Titans lost to the 2021 Arizona Cardinals season, Arizona Cardinals 38–13. During Week 2 against the 2021 Seattle Seahawks season, Seattle Seahawks, Henry finished with 182 rushing yards, 55 receiving yards, and three rushing touchdowns as the Titans won 33–30 in overtime. He earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week for Week 2. In Week 6, Henry ran for 143 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-31 win over the Bills, earning his second AFC Offensive Player of the Week honor of the year. During a Week 8 win against the Indianapolis Colts, Henry suffered a Jones fracture that would end up sidelining him for the remainder of the regular season. He was placed on injured reserve on November 1. Prior to his injury, Henry was leading the league in carries, rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, and was on pace to break the NFL rushing record. Henry was named the Titans' nominee for the 2021 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. Henry was activated off injured reserve on January 21, 2022, for the team's 2021–22 NFL playoffs#AFC: Cincinnati Bengals 19, Tennessee Titans 16, Divisonal Round game against the 2021 Cincinnati Bengals season, Cincinnati Bengals. In his return, Henry had 20 carries for 62 yards along with a rushing touchdown in the Titans' 19–16 loss.


2022

In Week 3, against the 2022 Las Vegas Raiders season, Las Vegas Raiders, Henry had 143 scrimmage yards and a rushing touchdown in the 24–22 victory. In the following game, against the 2022 Indianapolis Colts season, Indianapolis Colts, Henry had 22 carries for 114 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the 24–17 victory. One week later, he had 28 carries for 102 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in a 21–17 victory over the 2022 Washington Commanders season, Washington Commanders. In Week 7, Henry had 30 carries for 128 rushing yards in a 19–10 victory over the Colts. In Week 8, Henry had 32 carries for 219 yards and two touchdowns in a 17–10 win over the 2022 Houston Texans season, Houston Texans, earning AFC Offensive Player of the Week. In Week 9, against the 2022 Kansas City Chiefs season, Kansas City Chiefs, Henry had 17 carries for 115 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in the 20–17 overtime loss. In Week 11, against the 2022 Green Bay Packers season, Green Bay Packers, Henry had 132 scrimmage yards and one rushing touchdown. In addition, he threw a three-yard touchdown pass to Austin Hooper in the 27–17 victory. In Week 14, against the 2022 Jacksonville Jaguars, Jacksonville Jaguars, he had 155 scrimmage yards in the 36–22 loss.


Playing style

At 6'3 and 247 lb, Henry is much larger than most running backs and has a frame comparable to that of a linebacker. Henry is a "power back", using his large size and strength to overpower defenders and break tackles. In 2020, he accumulated 1,073 yards after contact, over 300 yards more than any running back in the league, and led the league in broken tackles with 34. He couples that strength and size with surprising speed relative to his size. Henry is adept at using the Stiff-arm fend, stiff-arm to get away from defenders. As a power back, Henry's playing style contrasts with those of smaller, so-called "scat backs", who have greater elusiveness due to their faster ability to change directions. Henry has never caught more than 20 passes a season, but he makes up for his lack of productiveness as a pass-catcher using his dominance as a pure runner. Observers have also noted Henry has a tendency to get better, particularly in yards per carry, in the later stages of a game, as his strength and toughness wears down opponents. Henry's successful running game has also permitted the offense success with Play-action pass, play-action.


NFL career statistics


Regular season


Postseason


NFL records

* First player to record a 200+-yard and 4+-touchdown game on fewer than 22 carries * Tied for longest run in NFL history at 99 yards (
Tony Dorsett Anthony Drew Dorsett Sr. (born April 7, 1954) is a former American football running back who played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos. From Western Pennsylvania, Dorsett attended the ...
– 1982) * First player in NFL history with 180+ rushing yards in three consecutive games * Most rushing yards in first 4 playoff games: 561 * First player to have 180+ rushing yards in consecutive playoff games


Titans franchise records

* Most rushing yards in a game: 250 (January 3, 2021, against the Houston Texans) * Most rushing yards in back-to-back games: 408 * Most rushing yards in a postseason game: 195 (January 11, 2020, at the Baltimore Ravens) * Most rushing touchdowns in a game: 4 (December 6, 2018, against the Jacksonville Jaguars, tied with Earl Campbell 1978 and Lorenzo White 1990) * Most scrimmage yards in a postseason game: 204 (January 11, 2020, at the Baltimore Ravens) * Most 100+ rushing yard postseason games: 3 * Most games with at least two touchdowns in a season: 6 (2019, 2020; tied with Bill Groman and Chris Johnson) * Longest rushing play: 99 yards * Most rushing yards in a season: 2,027 yards


Personal life

Henry is a Christianity, Christian. Henry has said, "I pray all the time. I'm always thankful for all my blessings that God has given to me, to me and my family. My grandmother always told me, 'Always keep God first. Always thank Him for everything in your life, good or bad.'" 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. In November 2019, Henry's hometown of Yulee, Florida, celebrated him with a welcome sign in his honor. Fundraising for the sign came from local residents and businesses who wanted to recognize the accomplishments of the rising football star. Henry has been dating Adrianna Rivas since 2016. On May 18, 2020, Rivas gave birth to their daughter, Valentina Allure Henry. Henry is the founder of the Two All Foundation. The organization "exists to level the playing field for today's youth so that their future success is not limited by the circumstances of their upbringing, background, disability, or influence."


References


External links

*
Tennessee Titans bio

Alabama Crimson Tide bio
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Henry, Derrick 1994 births Living people People from Yulee, Florida African-American players of American football Players of American football from Florida American football running backs Alabama Crimson Tide football players All-American college football players Heisman Trophy winners Tennessee Titans players 21st-century African-American sportspeople National Football League Offensive Player of the Year Award winners American Conference Pro Bowl players