OT: Average Joe stories about trying to tackle Derrick Henry in high school
This was a fun read, in preparation for Henry's return to action today against Cincinnati, after being out with a broken foot the past few months. Random small framed guys with regular jobs recall the unpleasant experience of going up against the country's all time high school rushing leader.
They Tried to Tackle Derrick Henry in High School. It Didn’t Go Well. https://nyti.ms/3IowRbo
A couple of the best recollections:
West Nassau linebacker Brandon Mattox (5-10, 210) teaches math there: He doesn’t have arms. He has legs that he calls arms.
Trinity Christian Academy linebacker Hughston Higdon (5-11, 190) is a hunting guide: He’d line up at tailback and be bigger than his linemen.
West Nassau cornerback Brett Woodle (5-9, 160), an academic adviser at the University of North Florida, also played against Henry in middle school: They pitched it to him and let him do his thing. He stiff-armed me into the dirt and my dad was like, “Maybe you should grow up a little bit.”
West Nassau quarterback Reagan Wright, a financial consultant, played football as a boy against Henry: At that age, you’d see a bunch of pudgy, 150-pound kids stepping off the bus. The moment we got to middle school and he stepped off, you’re like, “Who’s that guy?”
January 22nd, 2022 at 11:59 AM ^
Yep. I had a high school classmate whose sole claim to fame was having his leg broken trying to bring down Calvin Hill. We all watched it happen and quickly realized that our futures relied on brains, not brawn. :-)
January 22nd, 2022 at 2:32 PM ^
Did you go to Horace Mann?
I lived in Riverdale in the 60’s and saw Hill play for Riverdale Country Day School.
January 22nd, 2022 at 2:58 PM ^
Nope, not Horace Mann. But. We were in the same league with Horace Mann, Riverdale, etc.
January 22nd, 2022 at 4:05 PM ^
I had to tackle former UM fullback Burnie Leggett in HS. It was one situation where watching film ahead of time made it worse. I remember us all sitting in the film room on Monday morning watching this dude who was as big as his lineman running full speed into the line play after play, leaping people, and it got dead silent for like 10 minutes, as coach just kept winding and rewinding Leggett totally steamrolling a dude to make the point that this guy was like nothing we'd seen before. Especially stressful for me as the free safety, knowing that any time I would hit him he was likely to have a head of steam already.
February 3rd, 2022 at 1:05 PM ^
I lived in Riverdale (Bronx, NY) as a kid. Saw Hill play against the Horace Mann school. Men against boys doesn’t begin to describe his dominance. Hill went to Riverdale Country Day school, elite area prep school. Kids from HM were afraid to even try to tackle him.
January 22nd, 2022 at 12:12 PM ^
Grown. Ass. Man.
January 22nd, 2022 at 1:36 PM ^
Thank You for reminding me of one of the funniest routines I have ever seen. Google ISMO and the word Ass.
January 22nd, 2022 at 11:38 PM ^
Thank you very much for that wonderful ass pointer to that video. (I think I've got this right). Much appreciated! Lol.
January 22nd, 2022 at 1:59 PM ^
Derrick Henry next to fellow running back Dion Lewis.
January 22nd, 2022 at 12:28 PM ^
I saw him in person and he was terrifying. My youngest son was disabled. I was teaching in the psychology department at Mississippi State and the Army ROTC named him an honorary cadet. Anyway, as honorary Cadet Captain, my son was one of the few cadets who was allowed to fire the cannon following scores. As he was only 7 at the time, my wife and I would accompany he on the field.
At the time, the cannon was in the Southeast corner of the stadium (it has since been moved upstairs to allow for more seating). Anyway, for a few years, I was allowed to watch the game from the South end zone from behind a fence that was about 5 yards from the field of play. I think it was the 2015 game against Alabama where Henry broke a long run down the left sideline that ended in the back of the end zone about 10 feet in front of me. I couldn’t believe a man that large could move that fast.
January 22nd, 2022 at 12:33 PM ^
Derrick Henry obviously terrorized high school (and college (and NFL)) opponents, but I think the craziest high school highlight tape I've seen was from another Alabama player: Rolando McClain. Multiple times he ran through lead blockers and used them to tackle ball carriers like a human shield, and he wasn't exactly playing in a low division in a state with meh high school football.
January 22nd, 2022 at 1:07 PM ^
When he was drafted I thought he would end up being a guaranteed hall of famer; however, when you just mentioned his name it was the first time I had thought of him in years and had actually completely forgot he existed. Crazy how quickly you can fall when you don’t have your head screwed on straight. Damn shame.
January 22nd, 2022 at 9:22 PM ^
Can't really blame him when you consider he had no dad and had a mom who he had to get a restraining order against when he was 15.
January 22nd, 2022 at 12:36 PM ^
More local story. Fat Cat told me Wheatley came to town on their homecoming. Beat them 50 - 0. Then f***ed all their ho's. Bad night all around
January 22nd, 2022 at 12:50 PM ^
If I was playing defense against Henry in high school, I would take the Ohio State versus Haskins goal line defense approach.
January 22nd, 2022 at 12:56 PM ^
Sacked Uncle Rico once.
January 22nd, 2022 at 1:45 PM ^
The best high school running back I have ever seen.
I remember during the army all-american high school all-star game, he and Derrick Green were getting all the buzz during practice. I was thinking to myself, dang, if Green is being compared with that guy then we must have ourselves a player.
January 22nd, 2022 at 2:57 PM ^
Green has to be one of the most disappointing recruits. Grady had a few good games at least. Green went down so easy. Never seem anything like it.
January 22nd, 2022 at 3:20 PM ^
I wonder who gets the stat for being tackled by a blade of grass. He was famous for that.
January 22nd, 2022 at 1:51 PM ^
Lol yep. Reminds me of playing against TJ Duckett in high school.
January 22nd, 2022 at 2:24 PM ^
I tried tackling him while he was injured. Thought it was my best opportunity to take him down while he was weak. I woke up on life support with my family around me crying. I had a .3% chance of survival. Very lucky to still be alive. I just started getting feeling back in my toes. The doctors say I might be able to eat solid food and talk again if my rehab goes well. My left arm had to be amputated though due to necrosis and muscle tissue damage. I'll never be able to have children and I'll probably have seizures for a while. It's fine though, just trying to stay positive.
January 22nd, 2022 at 2:29 PM ^
I don't know if this guy can be trusted. Story sounds made up bro.
January 22nd, 2022 at 2:35 PM ^
Shit, guys. There're two of them. We're really fucked now.
January 22nd, 2022 at 2:52 PM ^
Insert spiderman pointing meme
January 22nd, 2022 at 6:32 PM ^
Wonder who's in whose pouch?
January 22nd, 2022 at 2:35 PM ^
I'm just a regular Joe with a regular job
I'm your average white, suburbanite slob
I like football and porno and books about war
I got an average house with a nice hardwood floor
January 22nd, 2022 at 2:55 PM ^
Red oak or white oak? Stain color? C'mon man I need details.
January 22nd, 2022 at 3:00 PM ^
I thought for sure you'd ask about the porn.
January 22nd, 2022 at 4:18 PM ^
You sure he isn't?
January 22nd, 2022 at 4:32 PM ^
Asshole
e-o-li-o
e-o-li-o
January 22nd, 2022 at 3:52 PM ^
This got me thinking. Jerome Bettis is a contemporary of mine in the Detroit area. We never had to play him but I figure some readers may have. The stories that filtered our way sound a lot like the stories about Derrick Henry. Anybody got a Bus story?
January 22nd, 2022 at 4:01 PM ^
Lots of great quotations--"As long as you can take out his legs or trip him up a little bit and two other guys jump on his back, you were OK."
and "I’m in the locker room getting my mind right and [my high school girlfriend] knows better to call me before a game, but she calls me and says, “I need you to meet this N.F.L. player sitting in front of me. It’s going to boost you.” I get up to the stands and go, “Where is he?” I wanted a picture or an autograph. She points a few rows down, and I go, “That’s Derrick Henry, their running back.” She goes, “Oh my gosh.”"
January 22nd, 2022 at 6:40 PM ^
Reminds me of a guy on my floor in Bates who was from Grand Rapids. We'd go play basketball at the NCRB; he wasn't a bad player. Maybe hit 6'0". He said in HS he had to guard Mark Hughes in a couple games and got absolutely slaughtered.
January 22nd, 2022 at 9:17 PM ^
Yawn, feels like they didn't print the real shit.
January 22nd, 2022 at 10:07 PM ^
I was in the office of the headmaster of my daughter’s school a few years back. He had a signed picture of ray Nitschke on his wall, and mentioned that he had played against him in high school.
His comment was that it was a lot more fun to remember than it was to experience
January 22nd, 2022 at 11:41 PM ^
A former brother-in-law had to guard Adrian Dantley in high school and was very proud of keeping him below his scoring average when he held him to 42 points.
January 23rd, 2022 at 12:50 PM ^
I once worked with someone who had to play cornerback in high school against Andre Rison, when Rison was at Flint Northwestern. (Rison went on to play at MSU, then the NFL, where he had 10,205 yards receiving, and 82 TDs.)
Apparently, Rison was fast. Really, really fast. The guy I worked with thought he could keep up with Rison, but on the first pass play, Rison shot right past him. It was a long game, he said.
January 23rd, 2022 at 4:31 PM ^
I grew up and played little league, middle school, and high school football with Marcus Freeman(ND head coach). Played against Brandon Saine (Piqua) he was as fast as advertised and was amazing in track, I was able to play against Quinn Pitcock(Piqua). I played against Anthony Munoz (bengals great) son(Offensive Tackle) who played for Moeller and we beat them in triple OT at their field. Then the following week of playoffs we played in the Cincinnati Bengals stadium against Cincinnati Elder and I was tasked in trying to block Tony Carvitti (walked-on at UC) who was the #1 defensive player in the state of Ohio for D1 football (I didn’t know he was until after the game). We lost to elder 34-3. But I was able to play in front of 20,000 people. Great memories!
January 23rd, 2022 at 4:37 PM ^
I also played with Greg Orton(Purdue WR/NFL with the broncos)