Derrick Lamar Henry Jr. Nicknamed " King Henry ", [ 3 ] [ 4 ] he is known for his imposing style of play and larger build than the average running back. Noted for his success at every stage of his career, he is the only player to have rushed for at least 2, yards in a season at the high school, college and professional levels.
A backup for most of his first two seasons in the league, Henry emerged as the Titans' feature back near the end of the season. In , Henry again led the league in rushing yards and touchdowns and became the eighth player in NFL history to rush for over 2, yards in a single season , and the second Tennessee Titan to do so, after Chris Johnson achieved it in After missing more than half of the season to injury, he made his third and fourth Pro Bowl appearances in the subsequent two seasons.
After eight seasons with Tennessee, Henry signed with the Baltimore Ravens in , where he set multiple franchise records in his first season with the team. His mother became a hemodialysis technician. Henry was raised primarily by his grandmother, Gladys, who nicknamed him "Shocka", as his birth shocked the whole family, given his parents' young ages. He developed a close relationship to his grandmother, whom he cites as very influential in his upbringing.
From a young age, Henry showed a natural passion for football. Though football was his true passion, he excelled in other sports, including baseball. In one Little League game, he hit a ball over the foot fence, sending it flying over another higher fence and smashing into a school bus.
Henry started playing organized football at 6 years old. He was so big and powerful for his age that a copy of his birth certificate was brought to all of his games, and even then, opposing parents skeptically shook their heads.
