Derrick Henry facts for kids
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Henry with the Tennessee Titans in 2022
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| No. 22 – Baltimore Ravens | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | January 4, 1994 Yulee, Florida, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 247 lb (112 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Yulee | ||||||||||||
| College: | Alabama (2013–2015) | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2016 / Round: 2 / Pick: 45 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of Week 18, 2024 | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Derrick Lamar Henry Jr. (born January 4, 1994) is an American professional football running back for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). People often call him "King Henry" because of his powerful way of playing. He is much bigger than most running backs.
Derrick grew up in Yulee, Florida. In high school, he set a national record for career rushing yards. He broke a record that had stood for almost 60 years! He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide. In his junior year, he broke another record for rushing yards in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). He won the 2015 Heisman Trophy, which is a huge award in college football. He also helped his team win the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship.
The Tennessee Titans picked Henry in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft. He was chosen for the Pro Bowl four times while with the Titans. After being a backup for two seasons, Henry became the main running back for the Titans in 2018. In 2019, he led the NFL in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. In 2020, he led the league again and became only the eighth player in NFL history to run for over 2,000 yards in one season! He won the 2020 Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award. After eight seasons, Henry joined the Baltimore Ravens in 2024. In his first year with the Ravens, he set several team records.
Contents
- Derrick Henry's Early Life and High School Days
- College Football Career at Alabama
- Derrick Henry's NFL Career
- Derrick Henry's Playing Style
- NFL Career Statistics
- Derrick Henry's Football Records
- Awards and Honors
- Derrick Henry's Personal Life
- See also
Derrick Henry's Early Life and High School Days
Derrick Lamar Henry Jr. was born on January 4, 1994, in Yulee, Florida. He was mostly raised by his grandmother, Gladys, who called him "Shocka." Derrick had a very close bond with his grandmother. She was a big influence on him.
Henry went to Yulee High School. He was a star in three sports: football, basketball, and track. He played as a running back for the Yulee Hornets football team. As a freshman in 2009, he ran for 2,465 yards and 26 touchdowns. He kept getting better each year. In 2012, his senior year, he set a state record with 4,261 rushing yards and 55 touchdowns. He also set a Florida high school record by running for 510 yards in one game!
He finished his high school football career with an amazing 12,124 rushing yards. This broke the national career record held by Ken Hall. During this time, fans started calling him "King Henry." He also scored 153 career touchdowns. He never ran for less than 100 yards in any high school game.
Henry also competed in track & field in high school. He ran in the 100-meter dash.
Many top colleges wanted Henry to play for them. ESPN.com called him the No. 1 athlete in the nation in 2013. He chose to play for the University of Alabama. His high school, Yulee, even retired his jersey number.
High School Football Stats
| Year | Team | GP | Rushing | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Att | Yds | Avg | Yds/G | Lng | TD | |||
| 2009 | Yulee | 11 | 313 | 2,465 | 7.9 | 224.1 | – | 26 |
| 2010 | Yulee | 12 | 313 | 2,788 | 8.9 | 232.3 | 75 | 38 |
| 2011 | Yulee | 12 | 309 | 2,610 | 8.5 | 217.5 | 90 | 34 |
| 2012 | Yulee | 13 | 462 | 4,261 | 9.2 | 327.8 | 80 | 55 |
| Career | 48 | 1,397 | 12,124 | 8.7 | 252.6 | 90 | 153 | |
College Football Career at Alabama
Henry played college football for the University of Alabama from 2013 to 2015. His coach was Nick Saban. He studied communication and earned his degree in 2018. He wrote an article thanking his grandmother for inspiring him to finish his studies.
2013 and 2014 Seasons
As a freshman in 2013, Henry ran for 382 yards and three touchdowns. In the 2014 Sugar Bowl, he ran for 100 yards and scored a touchdown. A Spanish announcer nicknamed him "El Tractorcito" (The Little Tractor) because of his powerful running style.
In 2014, his sophomore year, Henry shared playing time with another running back. He had several games with over 100 rushing yards. He scored touchdowns against teams like West Virginia and Florida. In the 2014 SEC Championship Game, he ran for 141 yards and two touchdowns. Alabama made it to the College Football Playoff. Henry finished the season with 990 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns.
2015: National Championship and Heisman Trophy
In 2015, Henry became the main running back for Alabama. He started the season strong with three touchdowns in the first two games. He had many impressive performances, including 236 rushing yards against Texas A&M. In a big game against Leonard Fournette of LSU, Henry ran for 210 yards and three touchdowns.
He also had 271 rushing yards in the "Iron Bowl" rivalry game against Auburn. In the 2015 SEC Championship Game, he ran for 189 yards and a touchdown. Alabama made it to the College Football Playoff National Championship. In the championship game against Clemson, Henry ran for 158 yards and three touchdowns. Alabama won the national title!
Henry broke Shaun Alexander's record for most career rushing yards at Alabama. He led the NCAA in rushing attempts, yards, and touchdowns. He won the Heisman Trophy, beating out other top players. He also won the Doak Walker Award, Walter Camp Award, and Maxwell Award. After this amazing junior season, Henry decided to enter the NFL Draft.
College Football Stats
| Season | Team | GP | Rushing | Receiving | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | |||
| 2013 | Alabama | 10 | 35 | 382 | 10.6 | 80T | 3 | 1 | 61 | 61.0 | 61T | 1 |
| 2014 | Alabama | 14 | 172 | 990 | 5.8 | 49 | 11 | 5 | 133 | 26.6 | 49 | 2 |
| 2015 | Alabama | 15 | 395 | 2,219 | 5.6 | 74T | 28 | 11 | 91 | 8.3 | 28 | 0 |
| Career | 39 | 602 | 3,591 | 6.0 | 80T | 42 | 17 | 285 | 16.8 | 61T | 3 | |
Derrick Henry's NFL Career
Before the NFL Draft, experts thought Henry would be picked in the first or second round. They liked his large size, strong running, and ability to break tackles. Some concerns were his slower acceleration and average catching skills.
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand size | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 2+5⁄8 in (1.90 m) |
247 lb (112 kg) |
33 in (0.84 m) |
8+3⁄4 in (0.22 m) |
4.54 s | 1.56 s | 2.67 s | 4.38 s | 7.20 s | 37 in (0.94 m) |
10 ft 10 in (3.30 m) |
22 reps | |
| All values from NFL Combine | ||||||||||||
Tennessee Titans (2016–2023)
The Tennessee Titans drafted Henry in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft. He signed a four-year contract.
2016–2017: Starting as a Backup
Henry started his rookie season as a backup running back. In Week 8, he scored his first NFL touchdown. He finished his first season with 490 rushing yards and five touchdowns.
In 2017, Henry continued to share carries with other players. He had a great game against the Indianapolis Colts, running for 131 yards and a 72-yard touchdown. In the regular season finale, he caught his first receiving touchdown. The Titans made the playoffs. In the Wild Card Round, Henry had a career-best 156 rushing yards and a touchdown. He set a franchise record for total yards from scrimmage in that game. He finished the regular season with 744 rushing yards and five touchdowns.
2018: Becoming the Main Runner
In 2018, Henry started to get more playing time. In Week 14 against the Jaguars, he had an incredible 99-yard touchdown run! This run tied for the longest in NFL history. He finished that game with four rushing touchdowns and 238 rushing yards, breaking a Titans franchise record. He was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week. He continued his strong play, leading the NFL in rushing for two straight weeks. Henry finished the 2018 season with 1,059 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns.
2019: First Rushing Title
In 2019, Henry had a fantastic season. He started strong with a 75-yard receiving touchdown in Week 1. He had many games with over 100 rushing yards. In Week 10, he ran for 188 yards and two touchdowns against the Chiefs. In Week 12, he had a 74-yard rushing touchdown against the Jaguars.
In the final game of the regular season, Henry ran for 211 yards and three touchdowns. He won the 2019 rushing title, leading the league in rushing yards (1,540) and touchdowns (16). He was selected for his first Pro Bowl and named to the second-team All-Pro.
The Titans made the playoffs. In the Wild Card Round, Henry ran for 182 yards against the Patriots. This was the most rushing yards ever against a team led by coach Bill Belichick. In the Divisional Round against the Baltimore Ravens, Henry ran for 195 yards and even threw a three-yard touchdown pass! He became the second player in NFL history with three playoff games of at least 150 rushing yards. The Titans lost in the AFC Championship game.
2020: Second Rushing Title and Offensive Player of the Year
The Titans signed Henry to a new four-year, $50 million contract in 2020. He continued his dominant play. In Week 6, he ran for 212 yards and had 52 receiving yards, scoring two touchdowns, including a 94-yard run. He won AFC Offensive Player of the Week and Month awards.
In Week 17 against the Houston Texans, Henry ran for a career-high 250 rushing yards and two touchdowns. In this game, he became the eighth running back in NFL history to run for over 2,000 yards in a single season (2,027 yards). This also made him the only player to have 2,000-yard rushing seasons in high school, college, and the NFL! He led the league in rushing yards and touchdowns again. Henry was named the 2020 Offensive Player of the Year.
2021: Injury-Shortened Season
Henry started the 2021 season strong. In Week 2, he had 182 rushing yards, 55 receiving yards, and three rushing touchdowns. In Week 6, he ran for 143 yards and three touchdowns. However, in Week 8, Henry suffered a foot injury that ended his regular season. Before his injury, he was leading the league in rushing yards and touchdowns. He returned for the playoffs, running for 62 yards and a touchdown in the Divisional Round loss.
2022: Return from Injury
Henry received a raise from the Titans before the 2022 season. He continued to be a strong runner. In Week 8, he had 219 rushing yards and two touchdowns against the Texans, earning AFC Offensive Player of the Week. He was also named AFC Offensive Player of the Month for October.
He had several other games with over 100 rushing yards. Henry finished the 2022 season with 1,538 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns. He led the league in rushing attempts and was second in rushing yards and touchdowns. He was named to the Pro Bowl again.
2023: Final Season in Tennessee
In his final season with the Titans, Henry continued to be a key player. He had 122 rushing yards and a touchdown in Week 4. He scored two rushing touchdowns in three straight games from Weeks 12-14. He finished the 2023 season with 1,167 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns.
Baltimore Ravens (2024–Present)
2024: Debut with the Ravens
On March 12, 2024, Henry signed a two-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens. In Week 3, he ran for 151 yards and two touchdowns. In Week 4, he had an amazing 199 rushing yards and a touchdown, including an 87-yard run that was the longest in Ravens history! He also caught a receiving touchdown in that game. He earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week twice in his first six weeks with the Ravens.
In Week 5, Henry scored his 100th career touchdown and reached 10,000 career rushing yards. He is only the fifth player in NFL history to do this. He finished the season with 1,921 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns, leading all running backs with 5.9 yards per rush attempt. He also led the league in broken tackles. He became the first running back in NFL history with 1,500+ rushing yards and 15+ rushing touchdowns in three different seasons. He was named to his fifth Pro Bowl.
In his first playoff game with the Ravens, Henry set a team record by rushing for 186 yards and two touchdowns.
Derrick Henry's Playing Style
Derrick Henry is very tall for a running back, standing at 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) and weighing 247 pounds (112 kg). He is known as a "power back." This means he uses his large size and strength to run through defenders and break tackles. In 2020, he gained over 1,000 yards after contact, which was much more than any other running back. He also led the league in broken tackles.
Even though he's big, Henry is surprisingly fast. He is also very good at using his stiff-arm to push defenders away. Unlike smaller, quicker running backs, Henry is not often used to catch passes. However, his amazing running skills make up for it.
People have noticed that Henry often runs even better later in games. His strength and toughness wear down his opponents. His strong running game also helps his team use "play-action" passes, which can trick the defense.
NFL Career Statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year | |
| NFL Record | |
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
Regular season
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Passing | Fumbles | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Rtg | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2016 | TEN | 15 | 2 | 110 | 490 | 4.5 | 22 | 5 | 13 | 137 | 10.5 | 29 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | TEN | 16 | 2 | 176 | 744 | 4.2 | 75T | 5 | 11 | 136 | 12.4 | 66T | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 |
| 2018 | TEN | 16 | 12 | 215 | 1,059 | 4.9 | 99T | 12 | 15 | 99 | 6.6 | 21 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 66.7 | 14 | 4.7 | 0 | 0 | 77.1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2019 | TEN | 15 | 15 | 303 | 1,540 | 5.1 | 74T | 16 | 18 | 206 | 11.4 | 75T | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 3 |
| 2020 | TEN | 16 | 16 | 378 | 2,027 | 5.4 | 94T | 17 | 19 | 114 | 6.0 | 53 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 2 |
| 2021 | TEN | 8 | 8 | 219 | 937 | 4.3 | 76T | 10 | 18 | 154 | 8.6 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 100.0 | 5 | 5.0 | 1 | 0 | 127.1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2022 | TEN | 16 | 16 | 349 | 1,538 | 4.4 | 56 | 33 | 398 | 12.1 | 69 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 100.0 | 4 | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 118.8 | 6 | 3 | |
| 2023 | TEN | 17 | 17 | 280 | 1,167 | 4.2 | 69 | 12 | 28 | 214 | 7.6 | 46 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 66.7 | 14 | 4.7 | 2 | 0 | 116.7 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | BAL | 17 | 17 | 325 | 1,921 | 5.9 | 87T | 16 | 19 | 193 | 10.2 | 27 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 |
| Career | 136 | 105 | 2,355 | 11,423 | 4.9 | 99T | 106 | 174 | 1,651 | 9.5 | 75 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 77.8 | 37 | 4.1 | 4 | 0 | 123.4 | 20 | 10 | |
Postseason
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Passing | Fumbles | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Rtg | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2017 | TEN | 2 | 2 | 35 | 184 | 5.3 | 35 | 1 | 5 | 56 | 11.2 | 29 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 |
| 2019 | TEN | 3 | 3 | 83 | 446 | 5.4 | 66 | 2 | 5 | 21 | 4.2 | 22 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 100.0 | 3 | 3.0 | 1 | 0 | 118.8 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | TEN | 1 | 1 | 18 | 40 | 2.2 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 3.7 | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | TEN | 1 | 1 | 20 | 62 | 3.1 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | BAL | 2 | 2 | 42 | 270 | 6.4 | 44 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 9 | 9 | 198 | 1,002 | 5.1 | 66 | 7 | 13 | 88 | 6.8 | 29 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 100.0 | 3 | 3.0 | 1 | 0 | 118.8 | 1 | 0 | |
Derrick Henry's Football Records
High School Records
- Career rushing yards: 12,124
SEC Records (College)
- Rushing yards in a season: 2,219
- Rushing touchdowns in a season: 28
- Consecutive games with at least 1 rushing touchdown: 20
NFL Records
- Tied with Jim Brown for most games with 150+ rushing yards and 2 touchdowns: 13
- Most postseason games with 180+ rushing yards: 3
- Tied with Terrell Davis for most postseason games with 150+ rushing yards: 4
- Rushing yards in a season by a player aged 30+: 1,921
- Most seasons with at least 1,500+ rushing yards and 15+ rushing touchdowns: 3
- Broken tackles in a season: 42 (2024)
- Most seasons leading the NFL in broken tackles: 4
- Career broken tackles: 225
- Most seasons with over 1,900+ rushing yards: 2
- Most career games in NFL history with 200+ rushing yards and 2 touchdowns: 6
- Most games with at least 175 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns in a single season: 4 (2020)
- First player to record a 200+ yard and 4+ touchdown game on fewer than 22 carries
- Tied with Tony Dorsett for the longest rushing play and rushing touchdown in NFL history at 99 yards
- 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
- Tied with Adrian Peterson and OJ Simpson for most career games with 200+ rushing yards with 6.
Titans Franchise Records
- Most career rushing touchdowns: 90
- 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 (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 postseason games with at least 100 rushing yards: 3
- Most games with at least two touchdowns in a season: 6 (2019, 2020; tied with Bill Groman and Chris Johnson)
- Longest rushing play and rushing touchdown: 99 yards
- Most rushing yards in a season: 2,027 yards
Ravens Franchise Records
- Longest rushing play and rushing touchdown: 87 yards
- Most rushing touchdowns in a season: 16 (2024)
- Most touchdowns in a season: 18 (2024)
- Most rushing yards in a postseason game: 186
Awards and Honors
NFL Awards
- AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2020)
- First-Team All-Pro (2020)
- 3× Second-Team All-Pro (2019, 2024)
- 5× Pro Bowl (2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024)
- 2× NFL rushing yards leader (2019, 2020)
- 3× NFL rushing touchdowns leader (2019, 2020, 2024)
- 2× Sporting News All-Pro Team (2020, 2022)
- 2× FedEx Ground Player of the Year (2019–20)
- Pro Football Focus’s Best Runner (2024)
- 2× Pro Football Focus’s First-Team All-Pro (2020, 2024)
- PFWA NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2020)
- 2× PFWA All-NFL Team (2019, 2020)
- NFL 101 Awards AFC Offensive Player of the Year (2020)
- 3× AFC Offensive Player of the Month (December 2018, October 2020, October 2022)
- 9× AFC Offensive Player of the Week (Week 14, 2018; Week 17, 2019; Week 6, 2020; Week 17, 2020; Week 2, 2021; Week 6, 2021; Week 8, 2022; Week 4, 2024; Week 6, 2024)
- 17× FedEx Ground Player of the Week (Week 4, 2024; Week 18, 2023; Week 5, 2021; Week 3, 2021; Week 2, 2021; Week 15, 2020; Week 14, 2020; Week 12, 2020; Week 11, 2020; Week 6, 2020; Week 17, 2019; Week 14, 2019; Week 13, 2019; Week 12, 2019; Week 10, 2019; Week 15, 2018; Week 14, 2018)
College Awards
- CFP National Champion (2015)
- Heisman Trophy (2015)
- Maxwell Award (2015)
- Doak Walker Award (2015)
- Walter Camp Award (2015)
- Unanimous All-American (2015)
- SEC Offensive Player of the Year (2015)
- First-team All-SEC (2015)
High School Awards
- 2× MaxPreps Player of the Year (2011, 2012)
- MaxPreps Male Athlete of the Year (2012-2013)
- USA Today All-USA High School Football Team (2012)
- Parade Magazine’s All-America Player of the Year (2012)
- Associated Press First-Team All-State (2012)
- Florida’s Mr. Football Award (2012)
- Adidas U.S. Army All-American (2013)
- Maxwell Football Club National High School Player of the Year (2012)
- The Florida Times-Union Super 24 Player of the Year (2012)
- 2× Florida Times-Union All-First Coast Offensive Player of the Year (2010, 2012)
- The Florida Times-Union Player of the Decade (2010s)
- 4× First-Team All-First Coast (2009-2012)
Derrick Henry's Personal Life
In 2018, Derrick Henry kept a promise to his late grandmother, Gladys Henry. He graduated from Alabama with a degree in communications. He even has a tattoo of her on his chest. In 2019, Henry started the Two All Foundation. This foundation helps young people succeed, no matter their background or challenges.
In November 2019, Henry's hometown of Yulee, Florida, honored him with a special welcome sign. Local people and businesses helped raise money for it. In April 2022, Henry became a part-owner of Major League Soccer’s Nashville SC.
Henry reportedly spends a lot of money each year to keep his body in top shape. This includes massages, special oxygen treatments, and a personal chef. He also gets vitamins regularly and follows a strict diet, avoiding certain foods like gluten and fried foods.
Henry has been in a relationship with Adrianna Rivas since 2016. They have two daughters.
See also
In Spanish: Derrick Henry para niños
