In a day and age where the running back position is being devalued at an alarming rate, one king still emerges from the group. That is Tennessee Titans RB Derrick Henry, of course, also known as King Henry to many.
When you receive a nickname like that, it has to be earned, not given. And when it comes to Henry and playing football, the crown has a worthy place on his head.
Throughout his time in the NFL, Henry has won rushing titles, been an Offensive Player of the Year winner, as well as being the owner of some of the most vicious stiff arms the league has ever seen. But to be given the nickname “King Henry,” you need to be extraordinary, and in Henry’s case and how he rose up the ranks in football, it’s easy to see why he got it.
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Why Is Derrick Henry Called ‘King Henry’?
How Henry got his nickname feels like a fairly obvious one when you think about it. While he is abnormally sized for an NFL running back, you can imagine just how much of a mismatch Henry was playing the position at the high school level where he earned the name.
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Henry was simply bigger and faster than the players he went up against in high school, where his level of play was dominant, and his reign of terror through opposing defensive players is well-documented, turning him into one of the most dominant running backs in the country that year, and maybe of all time.
The name “King Henry” isn’t an unfamiliar one as far as history goes. And the fact that Derrick was so dominant in his field of choice — coupled with his last name — it made the nickname almost feel like it chose itself and has carried with him through college and into his dominant showing as an NFL running back as well.
The King Needs To Hold Court in Week 6
While his career has been stellar, 2023 has not been for King Henry. The Titans’ offense has not been a well-oiled machine, and Henry has been a part of the middling production as well.
Henry is averaging just 3.8 yards per carry through five games, with 328 total yards and two touchdowns on the ground, far from what we have come to expect from the back.
With a matchup in London versus the Baltimore Ravens up next, maybe King Henry and the Titans can get back to their royal ways across the pond.