Alabama Football: Crimson Tide Top 10 All-Time Rushers
By Ronald Evans
No. 2 Derrick Henry (2023, 2014, 2015)
- Career Rushing – 3,591 yards on 602 carries
- Career Yards-Per-Carry average of 5.97 yards, placing him No. 8 on the Tide’s all-time list for that stat
- 2015 All-American, SEC Offensive Player of the Year and Walter Camp, Doak Walker, Maxwell and Heisman awards winner
Derrick Henry was the epitome of a lead running back. The Alabama Crimson Tide offense fed him for three seasons and Henry more than delivered. Opposing players and opposing defensive coaches had never seen a college running back like Henry. Simply put, no one that big had ever also been that fast. Sometimes categorized as a ‘downhill’ runner, with limited lateral moves, Derrick Henry did not need finesse to be a great running back.
Give him a crease and he would run past all defenders. Without a crease, Henry would run over tacklers instead.
The irony of Henry’s Alabama football history is coming out of high school, he was viewed to be too big to play running back in college. It was thought the Crimson Tide would play him at linebacker. After, a National Championship, and a Heisman Trophy, those old recruiting predictions are laughable.
At 6’3, 342 lbs. by his junior season, Henry was an intimidating runner. Even Alabama linebacker, Reuben Foster, who backed down from no player, stated tackling Henry in practice was no fun.