The comment came almost casually, the kind of pregame jab that often gets tossed around locker rooms in the NFL. Cleveland Browns safety Grant Delpit suggested that tackling Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry isn’t all that difficult.
In the world of professional football, where confidence is currency, maybe it didn’t sound like much. But the words traveled — all the way back Nick Saban and he wasn’t about to let them slide.
The former legendary Alabama coach, who helped mold Henry into a Heisman Trophy winner was sitting across from Pat McAfee on Friday when the topic came up. He stood on business when talking about it.
“I don’t even know which Cleveland Browns guy said that,” Saban said. “But if they had to practice every day against this guy, I guarantee you they’d be the first one to say, ‘I ain’t tackling his ass every day.’”
Delpit's name followed in the conversation. “LSU guy. How many times did they beat us when (Henry) played?” His Tide were 3–0 against the Tigers during those years in Tuscaloosa.
Henry still inspires fierce loyalty from Saban. He doesn’t run like most backs, which forces defenders to adjust. Nearly the same way Steelers great Jerome Bettis did.
Saban broke it down like a coach in film study. “Do you understand how long this guy’s arms [are] when he stiff-arms you and you try to tackle him? … Once this guy gets going and once he gets downhill, he’s much faster than people think. He doesn’t look like he’s fast, but he’s got such a long stride.”
For the past decade, those traits have haunted defenses across the NFL. With more than 11,500 rushing yards, Henry sits 18th all-time in NFL history. In May, he signed a two-year, $30 million contract with Baltimore, making him the richest deal ever given to a running back over 30. In an era when his position is often devalued, Henry has refused to fade.
Henry didn’t spring up overnight. As a freshman at Alabama, the highly touted recruit was still raw. During one practice, he missed a blitz pickup. Assistant coaches barked. Henry eventually went to Saban himself.
“Coach,” he admitted, “I never learned how to do any of this stuff in high school. They just turned around and handed me the ball. But I’ll work at it and I’ll get it.”
He worked harder than ever. By 2015, Henry was a force of nature, logging 395 carries for 2,219 yards and 28 touchdowns. He carried Alabama to a national championship and became the first Crimson Tide running back to win the Heisman Trophy. Saban, who has coached more than his share of legends, still tells the story as one of his favorites.
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