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 served on the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee for 11 years and is the longest-tenured Titans beat reporter in the franchise's history.