Derrick Henry as a defensive end? Recruitment memories still motivate the Titans RB

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – As Derick Henry ran wild at Yulee High School in Northeast Florida, taking 1,397 handoffs for 12,124 yards and 153 touchdowns, a good share of college recruiters looked at him and didn’t see a running back.Derrick Henry Yulee HallwayA hallway at Yulee High School in Florida/ © Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK

“There were more college coaches who wanted him as a defensive player than as an offensive player,” said Bobby Ramsey, who coached Henry at Yulee. “Of 10, six would say they were recruiting him as a defensive end, four as a running back. Seven maybe. As his career went on, more people would say he’s not a running back.” 

More than 10 years removed from his commitment to Alabama, Henry still raises the issue as a source of motivation.

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Paul Kuharsky has covered the Tennessee Titans since 1996, first for The Tennessean, then ESPN.com and now independently at paulkuharsky.com. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee and one of the longest-tenured Titans beat reporters in the franchise's history.

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