Derrick Henry is an American football player. He is a running back for the Tennessee Titans team of the National Football League (NFL). He first grabbed attention due to his larger than usual frame for a running back which earned him a nickname King Henry.
In 2020, he became the eighth player in history to rush over 2000 yards in a season. This article explores his biography, workout and diet routine as well as statistics.
Derrick Henry Statistics
| Full Name: Derrick Lamar Henry Jr. | ||
| Weight | Height | Age |
| 247 lbs (112 kg) | 6’3” (190 cm) | 29 years |
| Date of Birth | Place of Birth | Nationality |
| January 4th, 1994 | Yulee, Florida | American |
Derrick Henry Biography
Early Life
Derrick Lamar Henry, was born on January 4th, 1994 in Yulee, Jacksonville in Florida. His parents Stacy Veal and Derrick Henry Sr. were teenagers when he was born. While Stacy Veal went on to become a hemodialysis technician, Henry Sr. took to the life of crime and was absent throughout Derrick’s childhood. Derrick Henry Jr. was raised by his grandmother and developed a really close relationship with her as a result.
He attended the Yulee High School in Jacksonville, Florida and played football, basketball and track. Derrick Henry played as a running back for the Yulee Hornets football team. Most notably, Derrick rushed for 2610 yards and 34 scores as a junior in 2011 to earn first-team All-Coast honors from the Florida Times-Union. Eventually, he finished the high school football career with 12124 rushing yards and broke Ken Hall’s career record in doing so.
Derrick Henry also competed as a track & field athlete for a brief 2-year period while at Yulee. Henry committed to the University of Georgia in 2013 and was listed as the No. 1 athlete in the nation, for players with no designated position, in 2013. He was also listed on ESPN’s list as a five-star recruit.
After a successful college football career from 2013 to 2015, Henry entered his professional career with a number of awards like Heisman Trophy, Doak Walker Award, Walter Camp Award and the Maxwell Award.
Career
When Derrick Henry was drafted by the Tennessee Titans as a running back, some people raised serious concerns over the amount of damage his body has taken during the collegiate career in Alabama. Henry’s reputation as a work horse was cited as the primary reason behind this concern.
However, his massive frame, violent running, speed, long strides and conditioning were favored as the main assets. The Tennessee Titans signed a four-year, $5.40 million contract with Derrick Henry in 2016. He started out as the backup running back to veteran DeMarco Murray.
Henry made his debut against the Minnesota Vikings in the 2016 season. He has been a mainstay of the team ever since and made several big achievements during this time. The 2021 competitive season also saw him suffer a major injury (Jones Fracture) and sidelined him for the rest of the season.
Henry’s playing style is unique as he has a much bigger frame compared to other running backs. His frame is rather comparable to that of a fullback. He is a power back that uses his strength and size to break tackles. He has made a number of records and won several accolades during his professional football career.
Derrick Henry Workout
Being an elite NFL player, Derrick Henry has to ensure that he has all the attributes like speed, strength, endurance, agility and explosive power. To achieve these attributes and maintain performance longevity, Henry follows a six days per week training plan during the off season and takes rest on Sunday for full recovery.
The Tennessee Titans player concentrates more on training with heavy weights at a lower rep range to build strength and power. Henry is known for his astonishing rushing game. It has earned him a moniker King Henry. Footwork, speed and agility are extremely important to level up this aspect of the game and Derrick Henry focuses extensively on improving these leading up to the training camp before OTAs.
Derrick Henry’s training routine at this time focuses on building strength. As a result, he relies extensively on heavy compound lifts as well as sprints. Both these methods are proven to be some of the best ways for strength gain.
Monday – Lower Body Workout
Derrick Henry’s training split has three strength training days – two for the upper body and one for lower body. He starts the training week with a lower body workout which sets tone for the rest of the week. This training session focuses on strength gain and Henry performs the exercises maintaining a 6 to 8 rep range for maximum benefits. He clubs this training session with speed training. This includes sprints on a flat surface to really build endurance and athletic strength.
Speed Work
20-minute sprints on a treadmill or flat surface like running track
Tuesday – Cardio
An elite NFL player needs sharp and quick reflexes, explosive strength as well as the ability to reset quickly. To build these facets of his athletic abilities, Henry performs footwork drills on Tuesday. He starts with some warm-up on the elliptical machine and then performs speed and footwork drills which also include uphill speed drills. In addition to sharpening his weapons, these cardio sessions also burn a lot of calories and strengthen the cardiovascular system.
Wednesday – Upper Body Workout
The second strength training session of the week focuses on upper body workouts. However, it is a simple combination of only two exercises, power cleans and bench press. Derrick Henry can lift up to 350 lbs on the power cleans and 440 lbs on the bench press.
Thursday – Sprint Work
Although the 29-year-old does the sprint work throughout the week, it takes center stage on Thursday. Derrick Henry does a lot of uphill sprint work in this training session and does several 20-yard uphill sprints.
Friday – Upper Body Workout
Another upper body workout follows on Friday as Derrick Henry performs power cleans and bench press. The training session includes:
- Power Cleans (Rep until failure)
- Bench Press (Rep until failure)
Saturday – Active Recovery
Derrick Henry takes recovery seriously and performs active recovery drills like Yoga, stretching and long walks on Saturday to allow the body to take a step back and recover from the wear and tear.
Sunday – Complete Rest
Things come at a complete halt after a tedious work week as Derrick Henry gives his body a break. Usually, he does a hot and a cold plunge, dry needling and some ART (Active Release Therapy) to rejuvenate his body. These methods help relieve stress, reduce tensions and soreness as well as the chances of injury.
Derrick Henry Diet
To fuel his workout and maintain energy levels throughout the day, Derrick Henry consumes a 3500 calorie diet. He focuses on eating a low carb, high protein diet that keeps him satiated for long and keeps the consumption of empty calories at bay. Strong bones are the foundation of an injury free tenure in a masculine sport like American Football.
To strengthen the bones and prevent injuries, Derrick Henry consumes a lot of milk. Additionally, he believes hydration is the key to overall health and drinks at least a gallon of water every single day.
Derrick Henry focuses on cutting down fat and gaining muscle mass during the off-season. Tennessee Titans dietician and his personal nutritionist as well as chefs help him stay committed to the diet.
Derrick Henry’s diet consists of balanced portions of protein, carbohydrates and fats along with minerals, fiber and vitamins. He costumes most of the protein through lean protein sources like eggs, chicken breast and lean cuts of beef. To meet the daily nutritional requirements, the 29-year-old also consumes supplements like Whey protein, multivitamins and fat burners.
A typical day of eating in Derrick Henry’s routine looks like this:
Breakfast
- Scrambled Eggs
- Protein Shake with Greens
- Oatmeal
- 3 Glasses of Milk
- Fresh Fruits
Lunch
- Grilled Chicken
- Mashed Potatoes
- Green Salad
- 3 Glasses of Milk
Dinner
- Grilled Steak
- Vegetables
- Brown Rice
- Pasta with Shrimp
- 3 Glasses of Milk
Supplements
- Whey Protein
- Multivitamins
- Fat Burner
Personal Life
Derrick Henry is a devout Christian. He holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Alabama. His grandmother has a special place in his heart as she raises him to be the person he is today. Henry has been in a relationship with Adrianna Rivas since 2016. The couple has a daughter, Valentina Allure Henry, born on May 18th, 2020.
To Conclude…
Although his grandmother protected him and raised him to be a consummate professional, Derrick Henry was exposed to all the factors that could have derailed his life. However, he stayed on the path of hard work and commitment to become a renowned figure in the sports world.
