Like the record books he’s stamping his name in, Auburn won’t soon forget the name Derrick Henry, even if they won’t call him King the way they do at Alabama. Derrick Henry ran over and through the Auburn Tigers defense on the way to a 29-13 Crimson Tide Iron Bowl victory. (Henry was just part of the rising Tide story, of course — the Bama defense allowed a scant 94 yards rushing.) Henry had nearly three times that total by himself, rushing for 271 yards. That makes 1,797 yards (#1 in the country) on the season, to go with his Alabama record 22 touchdowns (also #1 in the country). Will Henry run away with the Heisman too?
“Our best workhorse is a running back,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said afterwards, taking pleasure in creating a system where the talent on the field plays the game best suited to their particular strengths and skills. Saban is a coaching genius, but handing the ball to Derrick Henry over and over is a strategy people a lot less bright than Saban might easily devise. Henry’s durability, speed, gift of vision and sheer strength make him a joy to watch. A 6’3″ 240-pound joy, unless you’re an Auburn defensive back. Henry stays modest. The way he runs even his royal Twitter handle KingHenry_2 seems modest — how many kings can you say that about? still he gives it all up to God, his teammates, and his coaches.
Nothing , but God , Coaches, & my teammates they deserve all the credit. To all the fans thanks for the love & support . #RollTide
— Derrick Henry (@KingHenry_2) November 29, 2015
