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.
A 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.
