Fueled by high school haters, Titans' Derrick Henry back among rushing leaders

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A speedy hunt tin output viral footage of Tennessee Titans moving backmost Derrick Henry from his Yulee High School days, moving done defenders similar the Incredible Hulk plowing done atrocious guys.

Despite rushing for much yards (12,124) than immoderate different precocious schoolhouse shot subordinate to that point, Henry remembers thing astir radical would privation to forget.

"I inactive get motivated from worldly backmost successful precocious school," Henry said. "They said I wouldn't marque it this acold astatine this position. Usually, guys who are large and play moving backmost successful precocious schoolhouse crook into borderline rushers oregon get enactment connected defense."

But not the 6-foot-3, 247 lb Henry.

But that's what makes 28-year-old truthful great. He's ever looking for thing to springiness him that other motivation.

It's besides a large crushed helium has made a tremendous comeback from a Jones fracture successful his close ft that caused him to miss the last 9 regular-season games past year.

Henry was starring the NFL with 937 rushing yards erstwhile helium suffered the wounded successful a Week 8 roadworthy triumph implicit the Indianapolis Colts. He made it backmost for divisional playoff nonaccomplishment to the Cincinnati Bengals -- wherever helium rushed for 62 yards connected 20 carries.

Entering the season, determination were doubts that Henry could instrumentality to his league-leading form. And Henry, who won the rushing rubric successful 2019 (1,540 yards) and 2020 (2,027 yards), usually doesn't fuss with extracurricular noise.

But this clip it was different, arsenic Henry reported to grooming campy with a spot connected his shoulder.

"Someone could motivate maine and wouldn't adjacent cognize it," Henry said astatine the commencement of camp. "The doubters, immoderate they privation to be, I americium decidedly motivated. I'm acceptable to go. So we gonna see."

Henry and the Titans (6-3) volition get their adjacent trial connected the roadworthy against the Green Bay Packers (4-6) connected Thursday (8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video) astatine Lambeau Field.

If Henry tin person the rushing occurrence others person against the Packers' defense, whose 140.6 yards allowed per crippled connected the crushed ranks 27th, it could assistance the AFC South-leading Titans triumph their seventh retired of the past 8 games.

"You conscionable don't find guys that are that large and that fast, and if helium gets going, it's going to beryllium a agelong day," said Packers manager Matt LaFleur, who worked with Henry arsenic the Titans violative coordinator successful 2018 earlier taking implicit successful Green Bay successful 2019. "Derrick is 1 of a kind. He is simply a feline that tin deterioration you down, and a batch of times. helium gets stronger arsenic the crippled goes on."

Given the results Henry has generated this season, helium should person old-school hip-hop creator Kool Moe Dee's "How Ya Like Me Now" playing whenever helium takes the field.

Despite a dilatory start, wherever Henry rushed for 107 yards successful the Titans' 0-2 commencement to unfastened the season, Henry's 923 full rushing yards are 2nd to New York Giants moving backmost Saquon Barkley's 931 heading into Week 11, and his 9 rushing touchdowns are tied for 2nd with Jamaal Williams down Nick Chubb's 11.

Henry turned backmost the timepiece successful Week 8 erstwhile helium rushed for 219 yards against the Houston Texans. It was the 4th consecutive crippled successful which helium rushed for 200 oregon much yards against Houston, mounting an NFL grounds for astir 200-yard rushing games by 1 subordinate against a azygous team.

The Houston crippled was a classical heavy-workload show by Henry. Veteran backmost Ryan Tannehill injured his ankle the week before, truthful rookie backup Malik Willis was thrust into the starting role. Willis attempted 10 passes portion Henry carried the shot a season-high 32 times.

Henry already has 202 carries and is connected gait for his 3rd 300-plus transportation play successful the past 4 years.

"His carnal stature astir apt helps," Titans manager Mike Vrabel said. "He works highly hard. He trains hard and prepares. Mentally helium is acceptable for it arsenic well. He wants it. [Running backs coach] Tony [Dews] does a bully occupation of trying to negociate him and wherever helium is at. He is an important portion of what we do. He knows that going in. He gets himself acceptable to go."

Granted, Henry got caught from down by Texans cornerback Steven Nelson connected a 41-yard run, and Kansas City Chiefs antiaircraft backs L'Jarius Sneed and Trent McDuffie tracked him down connected a 56-yard tally 2 weeks ago.

"In Houston I got caught due to the fact that helium tapped my ft and that broke my stride," Henry explained. "In Kansas City, I had to recatch my balance. Me getting caught, don't interest astir that. I'm fine."

It should beryllium noted that Henry reached 20.6 mph, according to Next Gen Stats, connected the 56-yard tally and 20.1 mph connected the 41-yarder.

Last week saw a antithetic look successful a 17-10 win implicit the Denver Broncos, arsenic Tannehill had a play precocious successful passing attempts (36), portion Henry's 8 carries successful the archetypal fractional was the 2nd clip helium had 8 oregon less carries successful a fractional this season.

"The first-down accumulation wasn't [there similar it had been] successful the erstwhile weeks -- which caused america to beryllium successful much throwing situations," violative coordinator Todd Downing said. "Not converting immoderate of those aboriginal 3rd downs took distant from getting into a bushed successful those drives.

"The much carries you springiness him successful a drive, the stronger helium gets. So that's wherefore it's much important to prime up those 3rd downs to get him much opportunities wrong those drives."

Although Henry was fueled by the doubters successful the offseason, helium is not acrophobic with idiosyncratic statistics. His 53 yards rushing yards against the Broncos were the fewest he's gained successful a triumph successful the past 4 seasons.

"Me playing astatine a precocious level and having ratio affecting the crippled the mode I play -- [whether] I person the shot oregon I don't person the shot -- [it's about] being the champion teammate I tin be," Henry said past week. "It's astir america being conscionable tied together, having the volition and wanting to predominate successful each game."

That squad mindset is 1 of the things that Vrabel loves astir Henry.

"The quality betwixt this league and our squad is we got Derrick Henry." Vrabel said successful his postgame locker code aft beating the Texans.

Every squad isn't fortunate capable to person a squad subordinate successful Year 7 inactive motivating himself successful a Marvel superhero-like manner with hatred from precocious school.