Fansided

10 best Alabama alumni in NFL history

By Russell S. Baxter

Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame quarterback Bart Starr (15) looks downfield during Super Bowl I, a 35-10 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on January 15, 1967, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by James Flores/Getty Images)
Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame quarterback Bart Starr (15) looks downfield during Super Bowl I, a 35-10 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on January 15, 1967, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by James Flores/Getty Images) /
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JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA – JANUARY 07: Derrick Henry #22 of the Tennessee Titans carries the ball during the first half against the Jacksonville Jaguars at TIAA Bank Field on January 07, 2023 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Courtney Culbreath/Getty Images)
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA – JANUARY 07: Derrick Henry #22 of the Tennessee Titans carries the ball during the first half against the Jacksonville Jaguars at TIAA Bank Field on January 07, 2023 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Courtney Culbreath/Getty Images) /

8. Derrick Henry

Former University of Alabama star Josh Jacobs led the NFL in rushing yards in 2022. Guess who was second?

Derrick Henry has been in the league just seven years and been the primary starter for the Tennessee Titans the past five seasons. This after sharing the backfield in 2017 and ’2018 with DeMarco Murray.

Henry was the school’s second Heisman Trophy winner (2015), six years after Mark Ingram (2009). The Crimson Tide had back-to-back winners earlier this decade in wide receiver DeVonta Smith (2020) and quarterback Bryce Young (2021). Henry was a second-round pick by Tennessee in 2016 but managed only two regular-season starts as a rookie and in his second year. He did start both of the Titans’ playoff games in 2017.

It was during his third season that he began his current dominance. Henry has played a combined 71 regular-season contests since 2018. He’s totaled 1,464 carries for 7,101 yards and 68 touchdowns. In other words, he’s averaged 100 yards per game on the ground and scored nearly one TD per contest. He led the NFL in rushing yardage in both 2019 and 2020 with 1,540 and 2,027 yards, respectively.

The seven-year pro also had quite the postseason run in ’19, rushing for a combined 446 yards (2 TDs) in three outings. In the regular season, Henry has already run for 8,335 yards and 78 scores. Could he join the 10,000-yard club in 2023?

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