Depending on the campaign you have with the Ravens in 2025, Derrick Henry could ascend to the historical top 10 in hawks this season.
When Derrick Henry He was a child, the corridor who loved the most was the one who expected the corpulent star of the Baltimore Ravens.
Henry had been admired Tomlinson for a long time, five times Pro Bowler with the San Diego Chargers from 2001 to 2009. He had the Tomlinson's shirt, in addition to his big head. I thought that Tomlinson's dark visor gave him the most great helmet of all time.
“He is the one who really inspired me,” Henry said during the training camp. “As I grew up, I thought: 'I don't have the size of LT', so I have to be a different corridor.”
Although its height (1.90 m, or 6 feet 3 inches, and about 113 kg, or 250 pounds) is very different from that of Tomlinson, who used to play with a weight of between 97 and 100 kg (215 and 220 pounds) and a height of 1.78 m (5 feet 10 inches), Henry could soon join his childhood idol in an exclusive club. Henry needs 1,317 terrestrial yards to become one of the 10 NFL life runners.
This historical tour would raise Henry from his current position as number 19 and boost him beyond seven runners of the Hall of Fame: Thurman Thomas (No. 16), Franco Harris (No. 15), Marcus Allen (No. 14), Edgerrin James (No. 13), Marshall Faulk (No. 12), Jim Brown (No. 11) y Tony Dorsett (No. 10).
“It would be a surreal moment that my name was mentioned next to those legends,” said Henry. “I pray to happen, but I live the moment every day.”
Henry's 11,423 terrestrial yards are the greatest amount among the current NFL corridors, and the others do not even approach. The Houston Texans corridor, Joe MixonIt is almost 4,000 yards behind Henry.
When you ask the coaches what makes Henry great, they talk about their work ethics. After making a mistake in a training, a few plays are still furious later. In the rare days that pre -season training is lost, he texts his coach asking what was lost.
When you ask your classmates what distinguishes Henry from others, they talk about their intensity. It has a relentless mentality, either loading weight chains uphill in the preseason or rejecting a Tackleador with an extended arm during a match.
“It is great to observe his mentality in a game, because the difference between a normal league player and someone who will one day will be a member of the Hall of Fame,” said the Ravens Alternate Corridor, said Ravens, Justice Hill. “But I always joke with him. I tell him to smile and relax a bit.”
In his first season with the Ravens, forming team with the field marshal Lamar JacksonHenry averaged 113 terrestrial yards per game, the second largest in his nine years of career. At that rate, it would be among the 10 best league runners for the Baltimore Thanksgiving match against the Cincinnati Bengals. To overcome Eric Dickerson in the ninth place, Henry would need 1,837 yards, which would make her the 21st best season of all time.
As Henry amounts to the NFL runners list, the debate about its place among the best runners in the history of the League will intensify. For the Ravens coach, John Harbaugh, Jim Brown is at the top. Harbaugh also mentioned Barry Sanders, Walter Payton and Dickerson.
“I think Derrick Henry is in that category,” said Harbaugh. “I know he still feels he has a lot to prove, and I want him to try a lot.”
A reason to celebrate
It may be hard to believe it, but it was a year ago for these dates when Henry was asked if his best days had been left behind after the Tennessee Titans let him go as a free agent. He signed a two -year contract for 16 million dollars to come to Baltimore.
“Let my work speak for my age,” said Henry, who had recently turned 30.
Last season, Henry totaled 1,921 terrestrial yards (the eleventh greater amount in a single season) and established a personal record with an average of 5.9 yards per haul. And, instead of reaching the end of his career, he arrived in the annotation zone – and much. His 16 TouchDown haules established a record for the Ravens and tied the league leadership.
In addition to ascending in the NFL runners list, Henry is climbing positions in the historical list of Touchdowns Terrestres of the league even faster. His 106 Touchdowns Terrestres in his career is located with Brown in sixth place in the history of the NFL.
For the most part, these touchdowns have ended with little celebration. Henry gives the ball to the referee and goes to the band.
Last season, he could hear his teammates telling Henry, with a microphone, who should be dancing. But Henry has not shown his movements in the annotation zone since the beginning of his career with the Titans.
“I'm old,” Henry told them. “I already overcome it.”
Some of Henry's best results have occurred in the red zone. He has scored 86 TouchDowns within Yarda 20, the third largest amount since 2000.
“First of all, it is great; it is explosive; it is very competitive,” said the offensive coordinator of the Ravens, Todd Monken, about Henry's effectiveness in the red zone. “For its size, it plays with great vision and level of protection, so that is just what you are looking down there, because you will not be able to block everyone. You will have to break blocks with an extended arm. You will have to win some yards on your own, something that he is undoubtedly able to do.”
Of the five players that exceed Henry on the TouchDowns Terrestres list, four are in the Hall of Fame: Payton, Marcus Allen, Tomlinson and Emmitt Smith. Only Adrian Petersonwho occupies the number 4 on the list, is not in the Hall of Fame and is not eligible until 2027.
If Henry scores Touchdowns Terrestres in the double digits as it has done in each of the seven seasons since it became full -time holder, it would eclipse Payton in the 5th place number 5 (110 TD) of the list and would be in search of the 120 of Peterson.
“I think his career speaks for himself: what he has done in Tennessee, what he has done here and what he will continue to do here,” said the open receiver DeAndre Hopkinswho was Henry teammate in Tennessee and now in Baltimore. “I think Derrick obviously is on the right track, but (he) and I believe that we are definitely concentrated in what we do and not looking forward, and that is trying to win games for the Ravens right now.”
“I think everyone knows, potentially, where it could be, and I feel that he too.”
The best runner of all time?
Like many runners raised in Florida, Henry has put Emmitt Smith on a pedestal. Henry called him Michael Jordan in that position.
So what are the possibilities that the nicknamed corridor King Henry takes Smith's historical enthusiast?
“I don't think so advanced,” Henry said recently at the training camp. “That's very far.”
At 31, Henry is 6,933 terrestrial yards of Smith, who accumulated a NFL record of 18,355 terrestrial yards in 15 seasons. Since Henry averages 1,269 terrestrial yards per year, I would need almost six seasons to overcome Smith.
But, with Jackson, twice a more valuable player of the NFL, aligning to his side at Backfield, Henry had a year of resurgence last season, since it was not the only focus of attention of the defenses for the first time in his career. This could mean an accelerated path for Henry to reach Smith, who has been the runner leader of all NFL times for 23 years.
“He played for a long time. It was very effective,” Henry said about Smith. “He is a player of the Hall of Fame and a legend in the position.”
Henry added: «I don't know. But, if God wants, hopefully. We'll see ».
Henry has not given signs of lowering the pace. Last season, the greatest amount of yards ran for a 30 -year -old player, overcoming the previous brand of Tiki Barber, set 19 years ago.
When asked how much time he could play Henry, the Fullback of the Ravens, Patrick Ricardhe leaned towards the microphone and responded immediately: “Forever.”
“I mean how his body takes care of, how he loves sport and how hard he plays, I think he can play all the time he wants,” Ricard said about Henry, who estimated that he spends almost 250,000 dollars a year on his physical maintenance. “I think it really depends on him.”
In the training camp, the players talked about the haircut of the center Tyler Linderbaum. Henry commented that Linderbaum's style will be popular for 30 years.
Linderbaum joked: “And you will probably continue playing here.”
So what does Henry tell all those who ask how much time play?
“I tell you: 'When I feel the time, I will leave it,” said Henry. “But right now, I don't see it soon.”
