Derrick Lamar Henry Jr.[1][2] (born January 4, 1994)[1] is an American professionalfootballrunning back for theBaltimore Ravens of theNational Football League (NFL). Nicknamed "King Henry",[3][4] he is known for his imposing style of play and larger build than the average running back. Noted for his success at every stage of his career, Henry is the only player to have rushed for at least 2,000 yards in a season at the high school, college and professional levels.[5] He also led the nation in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns at all three levels.
Derrick Lamar Henry Jr. was born inYulee, Florida, to Stacy Veal and Derrick Henry Sr., aged 15 and 16 respectively.[9] Derrick Sr. was absent for much of Henry's 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. Stacy became a hemodialysis technician, and Henry was raised primarily by his grandmother, Gladys, who nicknamed him "Shocka", as his birth shocked the whole family, given his parents' young ages. Henry developed a close relationship with Gladys, whom he cites as very influential in his upbringing.[10][11]
From a young age, Henry showed a natural passion for football. At age two, he would always find a football and run from his aunt in toy stores, as though she was a would-be tackler. Though football was his true passion, Henry excelled in other sports, including baseball. In oneLittle League game, he hit a ball over the 200-foot fence, sending it flying over another higher fence and smashing into a school bus.[12]
Henry started playing organized football at age six. He was so big and powerful for his age that a copy of his birth certificate was brought to all of his games, and even then, opposing parents skeptically shook their heads. Henry spent the entirety of grade school playing up an age level because he could not make the required weight of his actual age group. In middle school, Henry was so dominant that opposing coaches instituted the unofficial "Shocka Henry Rule" which stated thatYulee consider pulling him from the game when the Hornets had a three-touchdown lead.[13]
Henry attendedYulee High School, where he was a three-sport star in football, basketball, and track. He played as a running back for the Yulee Hornetsfootball team.[14] He ran for 2,465 yards and 26touchdowns 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 theFlorida Times-Union. He set the Florida high school record with a 510-yard performance againstJacksonville Jackson (a record he held until 2021[15]) 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.[16] He finished his high school football career with 12,124 career rushing yards, which brokeKen Hall's career record.[17][18] During this time, Henry began receiving the nickname "King Henry" by stadium crowds and local television news reports as he began aiming to break the national high school rushing title.[19] 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.[20] He played for the East squad in the2013 U.S. Army All-American Bowl, where he rushed for 53 yards with a touchdown and a two-point conversion.[21][22]
As atrack & field 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.[23] He was also a member of the 4×100 and 4×400 squads.[24]
Considered a five-star recruit byESPN.com, Henry was listed as the No. 1 athlete (player with no designated position) in the nation in 2013.[25] After originally committing to theUniversity of Georgia, Henry committed to the University of Alabama on September 28, 2012.[26] He held offers from many of the top college football programs in the country, including USC, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Florida, and Clemson.[27] His number was eventually retired by Yulee.[28]
Henry attended and played college football for the University of Alabama from 2013 to 2015 under head coachNick Saban.[29][30] He majored in communication. He graduated on May 4, 2018.[31] That same day, he published an article inThe Players' Tribune thanking his late grandmother for the inspiration to continue pursuing his degree.[31][32]
As atrue freshman in 2013, Henry rushed for 382 yards on 36 carries with three touchdowns in a backfield largely dominated byT. J. Yeldon andKenyan Drake.[33][34] On October 19, againstArkansas, he had 111 rushing yards and his first collegiate rushing touchdown in the 52–0 victory.[35] During the2014 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 theOklahoma Sooners.[36][37] 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.[38]
In the 2014 season, Henry and Yeldon split a majority of the work in the backfield.[39] In the season opener againstWest Virginia, he had 113 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the 33–23 victory in theChick-fil-A Kickoff Game.[40] On September 20, againstFlorida, he had 111 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the 42–21 victory.[41] On October 18 againstTexas A&M, he had 70 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, and a 41-yard receiving touchdown in the 59–0 victory.[42] On November 22, againstWestern Carolina, he had 92 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, and a nine-yard receiving touchdown in the 48–14 victory.[43] In theannual rivalry game againstAuburn, he had 72 rushing yards and a touchdown in the high-scoring 55–44 installment of the rivalry.[44] In theSEC Championship againstMissouri, he had 141 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in the 42–13 victory.[45] Alabama qualified for theCollege Football Playoff and faced off againstOhio State in the National Semifinals in theSugar Bowl.[46] Henry had 95 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, and two receptions for 54 yards as Alabama fell 42–35 to the Buckeyes.[47] In his sophomore year, Henry rushed for 990 yards on 172 carries with 11 touchdowns.[48]
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 againstWisconsin, he had 147 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns in the 35–17 victory.[49] In the next game, againstMiddle Tennessee State, he had 96 rushing yards and another game with three rushing touchdowns in the 37–10 victory.[50] In the next game againstOle 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.[51] After rushing for 52 yards againstLouisiana–Monroe, he had 148 rushing yards and a touchdown in a 38–10 victory over previously undefeatedGeorgia.[52][53] On October 10, he rushed for 95 yards and a touchdown againstArkansas in a 27–14 victory.[54] After the victory over the Razorbacks, he went on an impressive stretch of performances. On October 17, againstTexas A&M, he had 236 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, and an 18-yard reception in a 41–23 victory.[55] In the next game, a narrow 19–14 victory overTennessee, he had 143 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.[56] In the following game, a much-anticipated matchup with fellow Heisman contenderLeonard Fournette ofLSU, he had 210 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns in the 30–16 victory over the previously undefeated team.[57][58] In the next game, againstMississippi State, he had 204 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in the 31–6 victory.[59] In the next game, againstCharleston Southern, he had 68 rushing yards and two more rushing touchdowns in a limited role in the 56–6 victory.[60] In the Iron Bowl againstAuburn, he had 271 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown on 46 carries in the 29–13 victory.[61] In theSEC Championship againstFlorida, he had 44 carries for 189 yards and a touchdown in the 29–15 victory.[62] Alabama qualified for the College Football Playoff and faced off againstMichigan State in the National Semifinals.[63] In the 38–0 victory over the Spartans in theCotton Bowl, he had 75 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.[64] During Alabama's 45–40 victory over Clemson in the2016 College Football Playoff National Championship, he rushed for 158 yards on 36 carries with three touchdowns.[65] During the game, he also brokeShaun Alexander's record for most career rushing yards in Alabama history.[66] Playing in all 15 games, he rushed forSEC records 2,219 yards and 28 touchdowns on 395 carries. In addition, he scored at least one touchdown in each game.[67][68][69] He led the NCAA in rushing attempts, rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, and points scored.[70] Henry won the Heisman Trophy, beating out finalistsChristian McCaffrey andDeshaun Watson.[71] He won numerous other awards including the Doak Walker Award, Walter Camp Award, and Maxwell Award.[72] Henry declared for the 2016 NFL Draft after his junior season.[31]
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.[73]
Henry was drafted by theTennessee Titans in the second round (45th overall) of the2016 NFL draft.[76] He was the second running back taken that year, after #4 overall pickEzekiel Elliott.[77] He was reunited with his former fullback at AlabamaJalston Fowler.[78] On May 9, 2016, the Titans signed Henry to a four-year, $5.40 million contract with $3.30 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $2.13 million.[79]
Henry began his rookie season as the backup running back to veteranDeMarco Murray. He wore the No. 2 jersey throughout training camp and preseason and donned the No. 22 once running backDexter McCluster was cut on September 2, 2016.[80]
Henry made his NFL debut and earned his first NFL start in the Titans' season-opening loss to theMinnesota Vikings. He finished the game with five carries for three yards and two receptions for 41 yards.[81] During Week 8, Henry scored his first NFL touchdown on a 6-yard rush in a 36–22 victory over theJacksonville Jaguars. 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.[82] 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 theKansas City Chiefs.[83] During the season finale against theHouston Texans, he ran for a then-career-high 65 rushing yards on 15 carries and scored a touchdown in the 24–17 victory.[84]
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.[85] He also caught 13 passes for 137 yards.[86]
For most of the 2017 season, Henry split carries with DeMarco Murray and run-oriented quarterbackMarcus Mariota. During Week 2, Henry ran for 92 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries in a 37–16 road victory against the Jaguars.[87] On October 16, 2017, onMonday Night Football, 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 theIndianapolis Colts. In addition, he had a 14-yard reception in the victory.[88] 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 Texans.[89] In the regular season finale against the Jaguars, Henry caught his first receiving touchdown on a 66-yard reception fromMarcus Mariota in the 15–10 victory.[90]
The Titans finished second in theAFC South with a 9–7 record and made the playoffs as a wild-card team.[91][92] In thewild-card round, the Titans played the Chiefs. Because DeMarco Murray was out with a knee injury, Henry got the start.[93] 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.[94] His 191 yards-from-scrimmage was a franchise record. In theDivisional Round against theNew England Patriots, Henry had 28 rushing yards and 21 receiving yards in the 35–14 road loss.[95]
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.[96]
During the 2018 offseason,Matt LaFleur was hired as the Titans' new offensive coordinator and the team also acquired running backDion Lewis.[97] Lewis's 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 withTodd Gurley in the previous season as offensive coordinator with the Rams.[98] This led to speculation that LaFleur would favor Lewis over Henry.[99]
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 receiverTaywan Taylor in the Titans' 20–17 victory over the Texans.[100] He also had 18 carries in that game and the next against the Jaguars, 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.[86] 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 withTony Dorsett for the longest NFL touchdown run. He finished the game with four rushing touchdowns and 238 rushing yards on 17 carries, breakingChris Johnson's franchise record of 228 yards in 2009.[101][102][103] 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.[104] His 238 rushing yards were the most by any player for a single game for the 2018 season.[105] Henry was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week due to his spectacular performance.[106] During Week 15, the Titans went on the road to face theNew York Giants. 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.[107] In Weeks 16 and 17, he combined for 177 rushing yards and a touchdown in the two games against theWashington Redskins and Colts.[108][109] He was later named the AFC Offensive Player of the Month for December.[110]
Henry finished the 2018 season with 1,059 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns along with 15 receptions for 99 yards.[111] After the season, he was ranked 99th on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2019.[112]
In the 2019 season opener against theCleveland Browns, 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.[113] During Week 2 against the Colts, he rushed 15 times for 81 yards and a touchdown as the Titans narrowly lost 19–17.[114] Two weeks later against theAtlanta Falcons, 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.[115] In the next game against theBuffalo Bills, he rushed for 78 yards and a touchdown as the Titans lost by a score of 14–7.[116] After a season-low 28 yards in a Week 6 shutout loss to theDenver Broncos, Henry sank to 12th in the league in rushing, over 200 yards behind the league leaders he would eventually catch.[117] Henry responded with 90 rushing yards and a touchdown in a 23–20 victory against theLos Angeles Chargers in Week 7.[118] During Week 9 against theCarolina Panthers, 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.[119] In the next game against the Chiefs, he finished with 188 rushing yards and two touchdowns as the Titans narrowly won 35–32.[120] Henry won theFedEx Ground Player of the Week for his efforts.[121] 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.[122] 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.[123] During Week 14 against theOakland Raiders, Henry ran for 103 yards and two touchdowns in the 42–21 road victory.[124] During the regular-season finale against the Texans, 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 the2019 rushing title overNick Chubb of the Cleveland Browns, with the winning rush being a 53-yard touchdown run.[125] This was Henry's first career rushing crown and the first Titan to win it since Chris Johnson in 2009.[126]
Henry after throwing a touchdown pass in the AFC Divisional Playoffs against theBaltimore Ravens
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 theNew Orleans Saints due to a hamstring injury.[127] He also set career-highs in receptions with 16, receiving yards with 206, and receiving touchdowns with two.[128] On December 17, 2019, he was selected to his firstPro Bowl.[129] On January 3, 2020, he was named to the second-teamAll-Pro at both the running back and flex position, both behindChristian McCaffrey.[130] He was ranked 10th by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2020.[131]
With the Titans finishing the season 9–7, the team narrowly clinched a wild-card spot for the #6 seed. In thewild-card round against the defending Super Bowl champion 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 aBill 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 sinceTerrell Davis in 1998, the first to win a playoff game sinceLaDainian Tomlinson in 2007, and the second Titan with multiple post-season 100+ rushing games.[132] He also broke his own franchise record for most yards-from-scrimmage with 204.[133] During theDivisional Round against theBaltimore Ravens, Henry rushed 30 times for 195 yards and threw a three-yard touchdown pass to wide receiverCorey Davis in the 28–12 road victory.[134] 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.[135]In theAFC 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.[136]
On March 16, 2020, the Titans placed the franchise tag on Henry.[137] He signed the tag on April 2, 2020.[138] Henry signed a new four-year $50 million contract with the team on July 15, 2020.[139]
2020: Second rushing title and 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 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.[140]Henry was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in Week 6.[141] 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.[142] During a Week 8 31–20 road loss to theCincinnati Bengals, he ran for 112 yards and a touchdown.[143] In Week 11 against the Ravens, Henry had 133 rushing yards and the game-winning touchdown in overtime to defeat the Ravens on the road 30–24.[144][145] In a 45–26 road victory against the Colts in Week 12, Henry had 27 carries for 178 rushing yards and three touchdowns.[146] In Week 14 against the Jaguars, Henry rushed 26 times for 215 yards and two touchdowns during the 31–10 victory.[147]In Week 15 against theDetroit Lions, Henry rushed for 147 yards and a touchdown during the 46–25 win.[148] 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.[149]Henry was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance.[150]During the game, Henry became the eighth running back in NFL history to surpass 2,000 rushing yards.[151] This also made him the only player to have 2,000 yard rushing seasons in high school, college, and the NFL.[152] 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 2020Offensive Player of the Year at the10th NFL Honors.[153] He was ranked fourth by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2021.[154]
In thewild-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.[155]
Henry began the season slowly, held to only 58 rushing yards as the Titans lost to theArizona Cardinals 38–13.[156] During Week 2 against theSeattle 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.[157] 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.[158]
During a Week 8 win against the Colts, Henry suffered aJones fracture that would end up sidelining him for the remainder of the regular season.[159] 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.[160] Henry was named the Titans' nominee for the 2021Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.[161]
Henry was activated off injured reserve on January 21, 2022, for the team'sDivisional Round game against the Bengals.[162] In his return, Henry had 20 carries for 62 yards along with a rushing touchdown in the Titans' 19–16 loss.[163] He was ranked 12th by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2022.[164]
Prior to the 2022 season on September 1, 2022, Henry was given a raise by the Titans, receiving a $2 million bump for the year.[165]
Henry playing in 2022
In Week 3, against theLas Vegas Raiders, Henry had 143 scrimmage yards and a rushing touchdown in the 24–22 victory.[166] In the following game, against the Colts, Henry had 22 carries for 114 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the 24–17 victory.[167] One week later, he had 28 carries for 102 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in a 21–17 victory over theWashington Commanders.[168] In Week 7, Henry had 30 carries for 128 rushing yards in a 19–10 victory over the Colts.[169] In Week 8, Henry had 32 carries for 219 yards and two touchdowns in a 17–10 win over the Texans, earning AFC Offensive Player of the Week.[170] He was named AFC Offensive Player of the Month for October.[171]
In Week 9, against the Chiefs, Henry had 17 carries for 115 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in the 20–17 overtime loss.[172] In Week 11, against theGreen Bay Packers, Henry had 132 scrimmage yards and one rushing touchdown. In addition, he threw a three-yard touchdown pass toAustin Hooper in the 27–17 victory.[173] In Week 14, against the Jaguars, he had 155 scrimmage yards in the 36–22 loss.[174] In the following week against the Chargers, Henry had 163 scrimmage yards and a rushing touchdown in the 17–14 loss.[175] In Week 16, Henry had 23 carries for 126 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the 19–14 loss to the Houston Texans.[176] With Week 17 having no bearing on the Titans' playoff hopes, Henry was rested for theDallas Cowboys game.[177] In the Week 18 winner-take-all game for the AFC South, Henry had 30 carries for 109 rushing yards in the 20–16 elimination loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.[178][179]
In the 2022 season, Henry finished with 349 carries for 1,538 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns to go along with 33 receptions for 398 receiving yards.[180] He led the league in rushing attempts and finished second in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns.[181] He was named to the Pro Bowl.[182] Henry was ranked 25th by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2023.[183] For the second year in a row, he was the Titans' nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.[184]
In Week 1, a loss to the Saints, Henry had 119 scrimmage yards.[185] In a Week 4 victory over the Bengals, he had 22 carries for 122 rushing yards and a touchdown.[186] In Weeks 12–14, Henry had two rushing touchdowns in three consecutive games.[187][188][189] In Week 15 against the Texans, Henry had a poor performance, becoming the first player in NFL history to have at least 20 touches and generate less than 15 yards from scrimmage.[190] In Week 16, he had a rushing and passing touchdown.[191] In the 2023 season, Henry finished with 280 carries for 1,167 rushing yards, the most in the AFC, and 12 rushing touchdowns. He also had 28 receptions for 214 receiving yards.[192]
On March 12, 2024, Henry signed with theBaltimore Ravens on a two-year, $16 million deal worth up to $20 million which also included $9 million fully guaranteed in the first year.[193]
Henry with Maryland governorWes Moore at Ravens training camp in 2024
In Week 3, Henry had 151 rushing yards on 25 attempts and two touchdowns in a 28–25 win against the Cowboys.[194] In Week 4 against the Bills, Henry had 199 rushing yards and a touchdown on 24 carries with an 87-yard rushing score on the Ravens’ first offensive play, which was the longest run in franchise history. He also had 10 receiving yards and a touchdown on three receptions. The Ravens won 35–10.[195] For his performance in Week 4, Henry was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week.[196]
In Week 5 against the Bengals, Henry scored his 100th overall career touchdown, while also reaching the mark of 10,000 career rushing yards later in the game, becoming the fifth player in NFL history to achieve the feat. The Ravens won in overtime, 41–38.[197] In Week 6, Henry rushed for 132 yards and two touchdowns in a 30–23 win over the Washington Commanders, earning AFC Offensive Player of the Week.[198] In Week 7 against the Buccaneers, he had 15 carries for 169 rushing yards and added a receiving touchdown in the 41–31 win.[199] In Week 9 against the Denver Broncos, he had 23 carries for 106 yards and two touchdowns in the 41–10 victory.[200] In Week 12, against the Los Angeles Chargers, he had 24 carries for 140 yards and a touchdown in the 30–23 win.[201] In Week 16 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he had 24 carries for 162 yards in the 34–17 win.[202] In Week 17 against the Houston Texans, he had 27 carries for 147 yards and a touchdown in the 31–2 win.[203] In Week 18, Henry celebrated his 31st birthday with 20 carries for 138 yards and 2 touchdowns while adding 2 receptions for 23 yards in a 35–10 win against theCleveland Browns.[204]
Henry finished the season with 325 carries for 1,921 yards, the second most in the league behindSaquon Barkley, while rushing for 16 touchdowns and adding two receiving touchdowns.[205] He led all running backs with 5.9 yards per rush attempt, in part due to his yards after contact (909) and broken tackles (42) which were both the highest in the league.[206][207] He also finished tied withJames Cook andJahmyr Gibbs as theNFL rushing touchdowns leader with 16.[208]
He became the first running back in NFL history with 1,500+ rushing yards and 15+ rushing touchdowns in 3 different seasons,[209] and was named to his fifth overallPro Bowl, first as a Raven.[210] On January 10, 2024, Henry was named second-teamAll Pro for the third time of his career.[211]
In his first postseason game with the Ravens and his first since 2021, Henry set a Ravens franchise record for rushing yards in a postseason game by rushing for 186 yards and two touchdowns in a 28–14 victory over their divisional rivalPittsburgh Steelers.[212] In the Divisional round, Henry ran for 84 yards and a touchdown in a 27–25 loss against theBuffalo Bills.[213]
Standing at 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) tall and weighing 252 pounds (114 kg), Henry is much larger than most running backs and has a frame comparable to that of alinebacker.[215] Henry is a "power back", using his large size and strength to overpower defenders, and stiff arm to 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.[216] He couples that strength and size with surprising speed and agility relative to his size.[217] Henry is adept at using thestiff-arm to repel defenders, with it being described as his "signature".[218][219] As a power back, his playing style contrasts with those of smaller, so-called "scat backs", who have greater elusiveness due to their faster ability to change directions. Henry is not usually used as a pass catcher, but he makes up for his lack of productiveness as a pass-catcher using his dominance as a pure runner.[216]
Henry - Week 9, 2019
Observers have also noted that 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.[220] Henry's successful running game has also permitted the offense success withplay-action.[221]
In 2018, Henry fulfilled a promise to his late grandmother, Gladys Henry, by graduating from Alabama with a bachelor's degree in communications.[296] He has a portrait tattoo of her on his chest. In 2019, Henry founded the Two All Foundation 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.[297]
Derrick Henry being honored in his hometown of Yulee, FL
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.[298] In April 2022, Henry became a minority owner ofMajor League Soccer’sNashville SC.[299]
Reportedly, Henry spends over a quarter of a million dollars annually on body maintenance, which includes massages, hyperbaric oxygen, infrared saunas, and a personal chef, to keep himself in prime condition and peak shape. He also receives IVs with vitamins and nutrients three times a week and maintains a stringent diet, avoiding gluten, artificial sugar, fried foods, and dairy.[300][301]
Henry has been in a relationship with Adrianna Rivas since 2016. They have two daughters, Valentina and Celine.[302][303]
Each December, Henry and his family, along with volunteers from the Two All Foundation, host an annual holiday giveaway inYulee, where they distribute hundreds of toys to the first 500 children who attend.[304] In 2019, Henry surprised a few dozen families with a special Christmas gift by partnering with Pay Away the Layaway to pay off 50 layaways totaling $10,000 atBurlington in the100 Oaks Shopping Mall.[305] WhenNashville firefighter Jeremy Taylor and his family lost their home and belongings in March 2021, Henry stepped in to offer support, donating $10,000 to help assist them.[306]
Henry also donated $20,000 toCORE Response in 2021 to support their relief efforts inHaiti following the devastating earthquake in August. In September 2021, Henry partnered with the Boys & Girls Club ofMiddle Tennessee to host a back-to-school event, another annual occurrence. Thanks to sponsors and Henry’s personal donations, they met the goal of providing 5,000 backpacks with school supplies, plus $50 gift cards for 25 children in need. Henry also took these 25 kids on a shopping trip, giving them $100 gift cards and sharing his own Boys & Girls Club journey. Henry hosted similar events in 2018 and 2019, including a shopping event forMetro Nashville Public School teachers.[184]
In September 2023, Henry purchasedNike shoes for 60 children from theBoys and Girls Club, which were delivered earlier that month. In addition, Henry provided backpacks and school supplies for 150 students in Metro Nashville. He also supported 39 first-year teachers in the area by donating essential classroom supplies.[307]
In June 2024, Henry hosted his first carnival in his hometown of Yulee. Around 200 kids from theFirst Coast received bikes and backpacks filled with school supplies. Not only did kids enjoy a summer day of fun activities at a free carnival, some even had the chance to get their items autographed.[308] Not long after, he held a back-to-school event atCurtis Bay Elementary, providing 200 students with backpacks and essential supplies. Eager to do more, theBaltimore Ravens running back followed up with the school to ask if they needed anything else. When they requested winter coats, Henry quickly stepped up, ensuring all 465 students were equipped for the colder months.[309] Later the same year, he donated $1,500 to The Famous Fund.[310]
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