In the Week 3 clash against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football, witnessing Derrick Henry’s dominance over the Cowboys’ defense with 151 rushing yards and two touchdowns was a bitter show for Jerry Jones.
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Henry’s statistics from yesterday’s game against the team that snubbed him is just a minute part of his NFL career. Taking to ‘The Pivot Podcast,’ Henry said that his push to prove the naysayers wrong is strong because he has faced doubts throughout his football career.
Explaining how turning 30 is not a sorry state of affairs for his football career–it is just another chapter, Henry said:
“I embrace it…People are just waiting to see when it’s gonna be over.”
According to the RB, in spite of games like the Cowboys vs Ravens, where he looked sharp and unstoppable, people somehow secretly want him to slow down and question how long he can keep up in the NFL.
Sadly, this is not something Henry has been facing while playing in the NFL, he has been putting up with this negativity ever since his high school days at Yulee.
Before joining college in 2013, many assumed that Henry would not be able to become a Running Back at the NCAA level and instead belong in the defense. But Henry did not get fazed and was determined to achieve his goal of playing RB.
He eventually went on to attend the University of Alabama from 2013 to 2015 and played college football under head coach Nick Saban.
However, the doubters followed him to the NFL after he was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the 2016 NFL Draft. Many NFL analysts claimed that he would not be able to long last as an RB because of his large frame, violent running, and speed.
“Trying to prove myself, you know, ever since I stepped in the league” he explained. “That’s the thing about it. It doesn’t matter what you did the year before. You still gotta prove that shit again.”
For Henry, every NFL season since 2016 has been his opportunity to prove the critics wrong and prove that he is still at the top of his game. In spite of being one of the best runners in the league, Henry doesn’t take his accolades seriously because he knows all too well that in football, you’re only as good as your last game.
This playing mantra is what defines Henry both on and off the field. He believes hard work and discipline are the decision-making factors of success and certainly not the negative talks.
And after yet another stellar performance against the Dallas Cowboys, the Ravens star’s message was clear:
“Just keep watching because I’m gonna keep working as long as I can do this, I’m gonna keep doing it.”
Looking back at the offseason, Henry was passed over by the Cowboys as a free agent. As per Cowboys owner and GM Jerry Jones, they simply couldn’t afford him. On Sunday, he recorded 151 yards and two touchdowns in the Raven’s 28-25 victory against the team that didn’t want him.
Currently, for Henry, the challenge is not over. If Sunday Night Football’s show is any indication, Derrick Henry is still very much running full speed ahead and he is clearly not done yet.
