Derrick Henry is in the middle of his 10th season in the NFL, and he finally reached a milestone he set in high school.
In Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings, Henry gained 20 yards on 75 carries, bringing his season total to 629 rushing yards on 128 attempts. While he was stopped for no gain on his final carry of the afternoon, his 19th rushing attempt against the Vikings picked up three yards.
That carry brought his career total to 12,127 yards over his ten years in the NFL.
A mark that is just three yards more than he gained during his four years in high school.
Henry’s high school days are the stuff of legend. A five-star recruit coming out of Yulee High School in Yulee, Florida, Henry was a four-year starter for the Hornets. As a freshman in 2009, Henry gained 2,465 yards on 313 rushing attempts, averaging 7.9 yards per attempt while scoring 26 touchdowns.
Henry gained another 2,788 yards — again on 313 rushing attempts — as a sophomore, and added another 2,610 rushing yards on 309 attempts as a junior in 2011.
Then came his senior season.
As both Georgia and Alabama tried to land him in recruiting (Henry initially committed to Georgia before signing with the Crimson Tide in September of his senior year) the running back gained an astounding 4,261 rushing yards on 462 attempts as a senior in 2012.
All told, Henry gained 12,124 rushing yards over his four years at Yulee High School, setting a new standard among high school running backs. That total broke a record set by Ken Hall back in 1953, a mark that stood for nearly 60 years.
It only took Henry ten seasons to match that number in the NFL.
