In a few short weeks, Derrick Henry will officially begin his 10th professional season, with the Baltimore Ravens rusher suddenly finding himself an elder statesman of the position, holding the record for the most rushing yards of any active player in the league today.
Discussing what it’s like to have such a dominant force on his roster with a chance to make some serious waves in Year 10, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh put Henry among the all-time greats in NFL history, with a chance to add to his legacy this fall.
“That’s a tough question. I haven’t done my stack on that yet, but I can, I guess. I am kind of a Jim Brown guy. I’d probably put Jim Brown at the top, for me. [Barry] Sanders, and who else would be on that list? Walter Payton. Oh my gosh, Walter Payton. How do you do it? [Eric] Dickerson. How do you do it?” Harbaugh asked.
“There are so many greats, but in my mind, I think Derrick Henry is in that category. I put him in that category with those guys, and I know he still feels like he has a ton to prove, and I want him to prove a ton, because he’s with the Ravens. So, he has a long way to go in my mind. He has a lot of work to do. I’m going to let him know that. ‘Let’s get some work done here. Let’s get some yards stacked up over the next few years.’ Then, he will be the very best. How about that? Think that’ll motivate him?”
As things presently stand, Henry sits in 19th place all-time in rushing yards, sandwiched between Steven Jackson and John Riggins at 11,423. If, however, Henry hits his career average and ends the year with another 1,428 yards, he will move all the way up to 10th overall, surpassing Tony Dorsett and getting within striking distance of Eric Dickerson’s 13,259.
But no matter where Henry finishes up on the all-time list, one thing is clear: Henry is a Hall of Fame-caliber talent who helped to define an entire decade of running back play in the NFL.
The post Ravens’ John Harbaugh places Derrick Henry among all-time great running backs appeared first on ClutchPoints.
