Derrick Lamar Henry Jr. (born January 4, 1994 is an American football running back for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed “King Henry”, he is known for his imposing “bell cow” style of play and larger stature than the average running back.Born and raised in Yulee, Florida, Henry set the national high school football record for career rushing yards with the Yulee Hornets. He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide. During his junior season, he broke Herschel Walker’s single-season college rushing yards record in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), won the 2015 Heisman Trophy, the Doak Walker Award, the Maxwell Award, and the Walter Camp Award, and was a key part of the 2015 Alabama Crimson Tide football team that won the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship.
Derrick Henry Facts
- Born: January 4, 1994 (age 30)Yulee, Florida, U.S.
- Height: 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) Weight: 247 lb (112 kg)
- information:College: Alabama (2013–2015)
Derrick Henry Early life
Derrick Lamar Henry Jr. was born in Yulee, Florida, a suburb of Jacksonville, 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.
Derrick Henry High school career
Henry attended Yulee High School, where he was a three-sport star in football, basketball, and track. He played as a running back for the Yulee Hornets football 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. 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. 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.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 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.[16] He was also a member of the 4×100 and 4×400 squads.
Derrick Henry College career
Henry attended and played college football for the University of Alabama from 2013 to 2015 under head coach Nick Saban He majored in communication. He graduated on May 4, 2018.[24] That same day, he published an article in The Players’ Tribune thanking his late grandmother for the inspiration to continue pursuing his degree
2015 season: National Championship and Heisman season
Henry 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, he had 147 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns in the 35–17 victory. In the next game, against Middle Tennessee State, 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 On October 10, he rushed for 95 yards and a touchdown against Arkansas in a 27–14 victoryAfter the victory over the Razorbacks, Henry he went on an impressive stretch of performances. On October 17, against Texas A&M, 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, he had 143 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. In the following game, a much-anticipated matchup with fellow Heisman contender Leonard Fournette of LSU, 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, he had 204 rushing yards and two rushing
touchdowns in the 31–6 victory. In the next game, against Charleston Southern, he had 68 rushing yards and two more rushing touchdowns in a limited role in the 56–6 victory. In theHenry 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 against Florida, 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 in the
National Semifinals. In the 38–0 victory over the Spartans in the Cotton Bowl, Henry 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, he rushed for 158 yards on 36 carries with three touchdowns. During the game, he also broke Shaun Alexander’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 and Deshaun Watson. 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.