Derrick Henry Bio
Derrick Lamar Henry Jr. is an American professional football running back for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed “King Henry,” he is known for his imposing style of play and larger build compared to the average running back. Standing at 6 feet 2 inches and weighing 252 pounds, Henry is a “power back” who uses his exceptional size and strength to overpower defenders and break tackles. He is the only player in history to have rushed for at least 2,000 yards in a season at the high school, college, and professional levels. Henry has established himself as one of the most dominant running backs in NFL history, leading the league in rushing yards and touchdowns multiple times throughout his career.
Early Life and Background
Derrick Henry was born on January 4, 1994, in Yulee, Florida, to Stacy Veal and Derrick Henry Sr. His parents were both teenagers at the time of his birth, with his father being absent for much of his childhood due to legal troubles and frequent incarceration. His mother worked as a hemodialysis technician, and Henry was raised primarily by his grandmother, Gladys, who nicknamed him “Shocka” because his birth surprised the entire family. Henry has cited his grandmother as a profound influence on his upbringing and character development.
From a young age, Henry displayed a natural passion and talent for football. At age two, he would find a football and run from his aunt in toy stores as though she were a would-be tackler. Though football was his true passion, he excelled in other sports including baseball, once hitting a ball over a 200-foot fence that smashed into a school bus during a Little League game. Henry began playing organized football at age six and was so physically dominant that a copy of his birth certificate was required at all his games. In middle school, opposing coaches instituted an unofficial “Shocka Henry Rule,” stating that Yulee would consider pulling him from games when the Hornets had a three-touchdown lead.
Path to Professional Football
Henry attended Yulee High School, where he was a three-sport star in football, basketball, and track. As a running back for the Yulee Hornets, he set numerous records throughout his high school career. As a senior, he averaged 9.2 yards per carry and 327.8 yards per game, finishing the season with a state-record 4,261 rushing yards and 55 touchdowns. He set the Florida high school record with a 510-yard performance against Jacksonville Jackson, a record he held until 2021. Henry finished his high school career with 12,124 career rushing yards, breaking Ken Hall’s national record that had stood for almost 60 years. He also rushed for 153 career touchdowns. He was named MaxPreps Athlete of the Year, MaxPreps Player of the Year, and was a member of the USA Today All-USA High School Football Team.
Henry was considered a five-star recruit by ESPN, Scout.com, and 247Sports, which rated him a 99 and listed him as the No. 1 athlete in the nation for the 2013 class. He originally committed to the University of Georgia before switching his commitment to the University of Alabama on September 28, 2012. He also held offers from USC, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Florida, and Clemson.
Derrick Henry Career
College Career at Alabama (2013–2015)
Henry played college football for the University of Alabama Crimson Tide from 2013 to 2015 under head coach Nick Saban. He majored in communications and graduated on May 4, 2018, fulfilling a promise to his late grandmother. As a true freshman in 2013, Henry rushed for 382 yards on 36 carries with three touchdowns in a backfield dominated by T.J. Yeldon and Kenyan Drake. During his sophomore season in 2014, he split carries with Yeldon and rushed for 990 yards on 172 carries with 11 touchdowns.
As a junior in 2015, Henry took over as the starting running back and had a historic season. He broke Herschel Walker’s single-season college rushing yards record in the Southeastern Conference, rushing for 2,219 yards and 28 touchdowns on 395 carries. He led the NCAA in rushing attempts, rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, and points scored. In the College Football Playoff National Championship against Clemson, Henry rushed for 158 yards and three touchdowns in Alabama’s 45-40 victory. He won the Heisman Trophy, beating finalists Christian McCaffrey and Deshaun Watson, along with the Doak Walker Award, Walter Camp Award, and Maxwell Award.
Tennessee Titans Era (2016–2023)
Henry was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the second round (45th overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft, becoming the second running back taken that year after Ezekiel Elliott. He signed a four-year, $5.40 million contract with $3.30 million guaranteed. As a rookie, he served primarily as a backup to DeMarco Murray before earning his first start in Week 1. He finished his rookie season with 490 rushing yards and five touchdowns in 15 games.
Henry split carries with DeMarco Murray through most of the 2017 season and made his playoff debut in the Wild Card round against the Chiefs, rushing for 156 yards and a touchdown in a 22-21 road victory. The defining moment of his early career came in Week 14 of the 2018 season against the Jacksonville Jaguars when he recorded a 99-yard touchdown run, tying Tony Dorsett for the longest NFL touchdown run. He finished that game with 238 rushing yards and four touchdowns on just 17 carries, breaking Chris Johnson’s franchise record. He was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week and later AFC Offensive Player of the Month for December, finishing the 2018 season with 1,059 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns.
The 2019 season marked Henry’s breakthrough as a dominant feature back. He led the NFL with 1,540 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns despite missing one game due to injury. His signature performance came in the regular-season finale against Houston when he rushed for 211 yards and three touchdowns, clinching the rushing title over Nick Chubb with a 53-yard touchdown run. In the playoffs, he rushed for 182 yards against New England and 195 yards against Baltimore, becoming the first rushing champion with a 100-yard playoff game since Terrell Davis in 1998.
Henry reached unprecedented heights in 2020. During Week 17 against the Texans, he rushed for a career-high 250 yards, becoming the eighth running back in NFL history to surpass 2,000 rushing yards in a season. He finished with 2,027 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns, winning the AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award and being named First-team All-Pro. This made him the only player in history with 2,000-yard rushing seasons at the high school, college, and professional levels. After missing most of the 2021 season with a Jones fracture, Henry returned in 2022 with 1,538 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns, earning another Pro Bowl selection. He continued his dominance in 2023 with 1,167 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, leading the AFC.
Baltimore Ravens Era (2024–Present)
On March 12, 2024, Henry signed with the Baltimore Ravens on a two-year, $16 million deal worth up to $20 million. In his first season with the Ravens, he made an immediate impact. In Week 4 against Buffalo, he rushed for 199 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries, including an 87-yard rushing score on the Ravens’ first offensive play, which became the longest run in franchise history. In Week 5 against Cincinnati, he scored his 100th career touchdown and reached 10,000 career rushing yards, becoming the fifth player in NFL history to achieve both feats. He was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week three times during the season.
Henry finished the 2024 season with 1,921 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns, leading all running backs with 5.9 yards per carry. He became the first running back in NFL history with 1,500+ rushing yards and 15+ rushing touchdowns in three different seasons and was named to his fifth Pro Bowl. In his first playoff appearance with the Ravens, he set a franchise record for rushing yards in a postseason game with 186 yards and two touchdowns against Pittsburgh in the Wild Card round.
Driving Style and Strengths
Standing at 6 feet 2 inches and weighing 252 pounds, Henry is much larger than most running backs and has a frame comparable to that of a linebacker. As a power back, he uses his large size and exceptional strength to overpower defenders and break tackles. His signature move is the stiff-arm, which he uses effectively to repel would-be tacklers. 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 his size and strength with surprising speed and agility relative to his build. Observers have noted that Henry tends to get better as games progress, with his power and endurance wearing down opposing defenses.
Notable Events and Milestones
Throughout his career, Henry has accumulated numerous notable achievements and milestones. He became the eighth player in NFL history to surpass 2,000 rushing yards in a season and is the only player to achieve 2,000-yard seasons at all three levels of football. He is the NFL’s active leader in career rushing yards and touchdowns, ranking tenth and fourth all-time, respectively. Through the 2025 season, he is also the NFL’s active leader in postseason rushing yards, ranking seventh all-time in playoff rushing yards.
Derrick Henry Career Wins
Henry has established himself as one of the most productive running backs in NFL history with impressive statistics across his career. His rushing totals place him among the all-time greats, and his consistency in scoring touchdowns sets him apart from his peers in the league.
NFL Career Statistics Highlights
Through the 2025 season, Henry has accumulated 13,018 career rushing yards on 2,656 attempts with an average of 4.9 yards per carry. He has scored 122 rushing touchdowns and added 189 receptions for 1,801 receiving yards with 5 receiving touchdowns. He has been named to five Pro Bowls (2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024) and has earned First-team All-Pro honors once (2020) and Second-team All-Pro honors three times (2019, 2024). He has led the NFL in rushing yards twice (2019, 2020) and in rushing touchdowns three times (2019, 2020, 2024). In his 2024 season with Baltimore, he recorded 1,921 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns, earning Pro Bowl and Second-team All-Pro honors.
Playoff Success
Henry’s playoff production has been equally impressive throughout his career. With the Titans, he was instrumental in their playoff runs in 2017-18 and 2019-20, including their upset victories over New England and Baltimore. In the 2019-20 playoffs, he became the first player in NFL history with 175+ rushing yards in consecutive postseason games. In his debut playoff game with the Ravens in 2024-25, he set the franchise record for rushing yards in a postseason game with 186 yards against Pittsburgh.
Derrick Henry Family
Family Background
Henry was raised primarily by his grandmother, Gladys Henry, who was a central figure in his childhood and a major influence on his values and work ethic. Tragically, Gladys passed away before Henry could fully repay her for her support. In 2018, Henry fulfilled a promise to her by graduating from the University of Alabama with a bachelor’s degree in communications on May 4, 2018, the same day he published an article in The Players’ Tribune thanking her for the inspiration to continue pursuing his degree. He has a portrait tattoo of his grandmother on his chest in her honor.
Personal Life
Henry has been in a relationship with Adrianna Rivas since 2016. Together, they have three daughters, including Valentina and Celine. The couple also has two dogs: Nala, a Goldendoodle, and Nino, a Rottweiler mix. 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 circumstances of upbringing, background, disability, or influence. He became a minority owner of Major League Soccer’s Nashville SC in April 2022. Henry is known for spending over $250,000 annually on body maintenance, including massages, hyperbaric oxygen, infrared saunas, and a personal chef, along with receiving IVs with vitamins and nutrients three times per week.
2025 Season Performance
Henry continued his remarkable production throughout the 2025 season with the Baltimore Ravens. In Week 1, he rushed for 169 yards and two touchdowns against Buffalo, surpassing Jim Brown for sixth most rushing touchdowns in NFL history. He continued climbing the all-time rushing charts throughout the season, passing Walter Payton for fifth on the career rushing touchdowns list in Week 8 and surpassing Hall of Famers Marcus Allen, Edgerrin James, and Marshall Faulk on the all-time rushing yards list in Week 12.
In Week 13, Henry surpassed Jim Brown’s career rushing yards mark despite a loss to Cincinnati, moving into the top tier of NFL rushing history. The following week, he became just the fourth player in NFL history to post at least 1,000 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns in seven different seasons. In Week 17, Henry delivered a signature performance with 216 rushing yards and four touchdowns against Green Bay, surpassing Adrian Peterson and O.J. Simpson’s record for the most 200+ rushing yard games of all time. He was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts. In the season finale, he rushed for 126 yards against Pittsburgh, surpassing 13,000 career rushing yards and moving into tenth all time in career rushing yardage.
Through the 2025 season, Henry maintains his position as the NFL’s active leader in career rushing yards and touchdowns, ranking tenth and fourth all-time respectively. He also leads the league in postseason rushing yards among active players, ranking seventh all-time. His sustained excellence and durability have cemented his legacy as one of the greatest running backs in NFL history.