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How Derrick Henry, now 30, with Tennessee Titans deal expiring, is punching to next phase

Published

11 months ago

January 5, 2024

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How Derrick Henry, now 30, with Tennessee Titans deal expiring, is punching to next phase

Another 1,000-yard season. Another Pro Bowl nod. Another year in the life of Derrick Henry.

Well . . . not exactly.

“I’m not too proud of it this year,” Henry said Thursday of the Pro Bowl nod on his 30th birthday, one day after being voted in for the fourth time in five seasons. ” . . . Sometimes you need a year like this to be able to grow, to be able to learn, to be able to reflect.

“I definitely want to do that once the season’s over. If I wasn’t fueled before, I’m definitely more fueled now, definitely more motivated, definitely more hungry and going into this offseason attacking it as hard as I can.”

Henry and the Tennessee Titans (5-11) finish their season against Henry’s hometown Jacksonville Jaguars (9-7) at Nissan Stadium on Sunday (noon, CBS). It will be his last guaranteed game in a Titans uniform, as the star running back becomes a free agent in March.

Now at the dreaded age for running backs and trying to put a bow on one of his least effective and most frustrating seasons as a pro, Henry has to add “ponder my future” to his fueled, motivated, hungry, attacking plans for the offseason.

“Any player would love to play for an organization and finish out their career as long as they can,” he said. “But there’s a business side and all those type of things that go on. I understand that. We’ll just see how it shakes out in the offseason.”

Derrick Henry at 30 years old

Age matters more at running back than any other position. In the past five seasons, there are only 16 players who’ve started even one game at running back after turning 30. By comparison, there have been 38 quarterbacks, 45 tight ends, 55 receivers and 146 offensive linemen who continued to start into their 30s.

Henry knows the stigma. He said he sought advice on the topic from Barry Sanders at the Super Bowl last year. He said he has looked to the examples of LaDainian Tomlinson and Fred Taylor, two of his childhood heroes, about how to age well in the league. He says that sometimes when he needs motivation, he goes online and looks up how various backs played in their 30s.

But Sanders famously retired after his age-30 season. Tomlinson never rushed for 1,000 yards again after his age-29 season. Since 2000, more players have rushed for 1,000 yards at age 29 than all players in their 30s combined. Only eight of the 21 running backs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame who played after 1970 had a 1,000-yard season in their 30s.

Even the best of the best struggle to do what Henry’s trying to do.

“He’s turning 30. At that position, that’s considered really old in the NFL,” Titans running backs coach Justin Outten told The Tennessean. “It’s just pushing past that age. Age is just a number at that point. The older you get, the more technical and the more detailed you have to be. That way you can still play at a high level. He’s done that throughout the season. He’s going to continue to do that.”

Derrick Henry at the end of an era

Henry also is trying to forge his second act in an era when fewer players are afforded a chance to have a first act, at least in the way Henry did. He is the only player who has debuted since 2010 with five 1,000-yard rushing seasons. There are only two other players within 500 rushing attempts of Henry’s total since he entered the league. He is one of just four players in the past decade to touch the ball 350 or more times in multiple seasons; in the decade before, there were 14 such players.

And then there’s the matter of how much players like Henry can be counted on to lead teams where they want to go. Only three of the past 15 Super Bowl champions featured a 1,000-yard rusher on their roster. The most recent team to win a Super Bowl behind a player who finished in the top three in the NFL in rushing yards was the 2004 New England Patriots.

That running back was Corey Dillon, and for whatever it’s worth, he was 30 years old. So was LeGarrette Blount, the last 1,000-yard rusher to win a Super Bowl, when he was with the Patriots in 2017.

Outliers exist. Henry wants to be one.

Derrick Henry’s legacy at the end

No one stat can encapsulate Henry’s greatness. This one might come close, though.

Pro Football Focus has data on yards gained after contact dating to 2006. Henry owns three of the six best seasons by yards after contact, including the two best, in that span. Henry and Adrian Peterson are the only players with multiple seasons exceeding 1,200 yards after contact.

Henry has multiple seasons where he exceeded 1,500 yards after contact.

Even this year, with a career-low 3.9 yards per carry and having more than 100 yards a game just three times, he’s second in the NFL in yards after contact. He gets hit. He keeps going.

No one has been more of an engine for any team the past eight years than Henry has been for the Titans. And this weekend could be the last chance for Titans fans to show their appreciation.

“It’s the last game of the season. I’m a free agent after this year. I’ve been here eight years,” he said. “I’ll just be grateful to whoever shows up. I know the fans will come out and hopefully we put on a show and are able to finish strong.”

Henry said he isn’t asked about free agency often. He doesn’t go out in public much. He keeps a close circle. It can’t be a surprise that the guy with the impulse control to avoid eating gluten, dairy, artificial sugar and fried food can also keep his mind on the task at hand.

He says he wants to treat Sunday’s game like any other game. And what comes after that, what Henry does in his 30s and whose uniform he wears while doing it, all of that comes later.

“We’ll see,” Henry said with a wry smile when asked about beating the reputation 30-year-old running backs carry. “We’ll see.”

Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @nicksuss.

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Watch: Gretchen Walsh Cracks NCAA Record in 100 Butterfly (Tennessee Invite Day 2 Race Videos)

Published

6 hours ago

November 21, 2024

Press Room

Watch: Gretchen Walsh Cracks NCAA Record in 100 Butterfly (Tennessee Invite Day 2 Race Videos)

2024 Tennessee Invite

The third day of the 2024 Tennessee Invite saw lots of action, with the unique setup of the meet, the A-finals were contested in a 1-on-1 format that brought many fans to their feet and proved to bring an extra layer of excitement to the meet. UVA’s Gretchen Walsh built on that excitement to continue her record-breaking streak, shattering her own American, US Open, and NCAA Record in the 100 butterfly with a time of 47.35.

Even though the day might be over, you can relive all of the action with the race videos below. Courtesy of the University of Virginia.

WOMEN’S 200 MEDLEY RELAY- TIMED FINALS

NCAA Record: 1:31.73, Virginia- 2023
2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:36.24
2025 NCAA ‘B’ Cut: 1:36.76

Virginia A- 1:32.58 A
Tennessee A- 1:34.35 A
Virginia B- 1:35.89
Tennessee B- 1:37.94
Kentucky A- 1:39.66
Kentucky B- 1::41.35

Race Video:

MEN’S 200 MEDLEY RELAY- TIMED FINALS

NCAA Record: 1:20.15, Florida- 2024
2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:23.62
2025 NCAA ‘B’ Cut: 1:23.90

Tennessee A- 1:21.71 A
Tennessee B- 1:25.31
Kentucky A- 1:26.75
Kentucky B- 1:27.48
Virginia A- DQ
Virginia B- DQ

Race Video:

WOMEN’S 100 FLY – FINALS

~~NCAA Record: 47.42, Gretchen Walsh (UVA) – 2024~~ 47.35, Gretchen Walsh (UVA)- 2024
2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 50.52
2025 NCAA ‘B’ Cut: 53.34
2024 NCAA Cutline: 51.88

Gretchen Walsh (UVA)- 47.35 *New NCAA Record*
Claire Curzan (UVA)- 49.50 A
Josephine Fuller (TENN)- 51.51 B
Sara Stolter (TENN)- 52.15 B
Maggie Schalow (UVA)- 52.33 B
Emily Brown (TENN)- 52.85 B
Lydia Hanlon (UKY)- 53.85
Maddy Hartley (UKY)- 54.33

Race Videos:

A-Final

B-Final

C-Final

MEN’S 100 FLY – FINALS

NCAA Record: 42.80, Caeleb Dressel (FLOR) – 2018
2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 44.51
2025 NCAA ‘B’ Cut: 46.80
2024 NCAA Cutline: 45.37

Jordan Crooks (TENN)- 43.77 A
Spencer Nicholas- 44.41 A
Gui Caribe (TENN)- 45.18 B
Hayden Bellotti (UVA)- 45.85 B
Martin Espernberger (TENN)- 46.29 B
Ryan Merani (UKY)- 47.12
Simon Lins (UVA)- 47.43
Logan Ingerick (UKY)- 48.29

Race Videos:

A-Final

B-Final

C-Final

WOMEN’S 400 IM – FINALS

NCAA Record: 3:54.60, Ella Eastin (STAN) – 2018
2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 4:03.62
2025 NCAA “B’ Cut: 4:16.78
2024 NCAA Cutline: 4:10.74

Leah Hayes (UVA)- 4:01.34 A
Ella Jansen (TENN)- 4:06.29 B
Ella Bathurst (UVA)- 4:09.53 B
Emma Redman (4:11.33)- 4:11.33 B
Kate McCarville (TENN)- 4:11.39 B
Emily Brown (TENN)- 4:13.17 B
Marie Bell (UKY)- 4:17.57
Fernanda De Goeij (UKY)- 4:19.56

Race Videos:

A-Final

B-Final

C-Final

MEN’S 400 IM – FINALS

NCAA Record: 3:28.82, Leon Marchand (ASU) – 2023
2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 3:38.37
2025 NCAA “B’ Cut: 3:49.53
2024 NCAA Cutline: 3:42.93

Levi Sandidge (UKY)- 3:42.52 B
Tony Laurito (TENN)- 3:44.06 B
Matt Styczen (UVA)- 3:44.95 B
Dillon Wright (UVA)- 3:45.45 B
Colin Bitz (UVA)- 3:46.13 B
Gus Rothrock (TENN)- 3:46.47 B
Aidan Crisci (TENN)- 3:47.84 B
Jackson Mussler (UKY)- 3:54.39

Race Videos:

A-Final

No Race Video Currently Available

B-Final

C-Final

WOMEN’S 200 FREE – FINALS

NCAA Record: 1:39.10, Missy Franklin (CAL) – 2015
2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:42.60
2025 NCAA “B’ Cut: 1:46.85
2024 NCAA Cutline: 1:44.80

Aimee Canny (UVA)- 1:42.67 B
Camille Spink (TENN)- 1:43.57 B
Anna Moesch (UVA)- 1:43.12 B
Cavan Gormsen (UVA)- 1:44.85 B
Julia Mrozinski (TENN)- 1:45.64 B
Sara Stolter (TENN)- 1:46.33 B
Lauren West (UKY)- 1:46.46 B
Katy Jost (UKY)- 1:48.10

Race Videos:

A-Final

B-Final

C-Final

MEN’S 200 FREE – FINALS

NCAA Record: 1:28.81, Luke Hobson (TEX) – 2024
2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:31.21
2025 NCAA “B’ Cut: 1:35.35
2024 NCAA Cutline: 1:32.93

Nikoli Blackman (TENN)- 1:32.12
Sebastien Sergile (UVA)- 1:32.38
David King (UVA)- 1:33.19
Joaquin Vargas (TENN)- 1:34.67
Jack Stelter (TENN)- 1:35.82
Connor Boyle (UVA)- 1:36.54
Justin Peresse (UKY)- 1:36.66
Caue Gluck (UKY)- 1:36.93

Race Videos:

A-Final

B-Final

C-Final

WOMEN’S 100 BREAST – FINALS

NCAA Record: 55.73, Lilly King (IU) – 2019
2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 58.01
2025 NCAA “B’ Cut: 1:01.22
2024 NCAA Cutline: 59.75

McKenzie Siroky (TENN)- 58:00
Aimee Canny (UVA)- 58.64
Emelie Fast (TENN)- 58.41
Emma Weber (UVA)- 58.67
Zoe Skirboll (UVA)- 59.23
Bridget Engel (UKY)- 59.83
Hannah Marinovich (TENN)- 1:00.54
Olivia Mendenhall (UKY)- 1:03.08

Race Videos:

A-Final

B-Final

C-Final

MEN’S 100 BREAST – FINALS

NCAA Record: 49.53, Liam Bell (CAL) – 2024
2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 51.02
2025 NCAA “B’ Cut: 53.43
2024 NCAA Cutline: 51.89

Noah Nichols (UVA)- 51.32 B
Adomas Gatulis (UKY)- 52.85 B
Kevin Houseman (TENN)- 53.10 B
Jed Garner (TENN)- 53.30 B
Jay Gerloff (UVA)- 53.40 B
Jonathan Rom (UKY)- 53.73
Grayson Nye (TENN)- 53.79
Matt Heilman (UVA)- 53.84

Race Videos:

A-Final

B-Final

WOMEN’S 100 BACK – FINALS

NCAA Record: 48.10, Gretchen Walsh (UVA) – 2024
2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 50.66
2025 NCAA “B’ Cut: 53.53
2024 NCAA Cutline: 52.28

Claire Curzan (UVA)- 49.37 A
Josephine Fuller (TENN)- 51.06 B
Charlotte Wilson (UVA)- 52.01 B
Reilly Tiltmann (UVA)- 52.51 B
Lexi Stephens (TENN)- 52.55 B
Sophie Brison (TENN)- 53.21 B
Grace Frericks (UKY)- 53.47 B
Torie Buerger (UKY)- 53.83

Race Videos:

A-Final

B-Final

C-Final

MEN’S 100 BACK – FINALS

NCAA Record: 43.35, Luca Urlando (UGA) – 2022
2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 44.48
2025 NCAA “B’ Cut: 47.16
2024 NCAA Cutline: 45.56

Results:

Harrison Lierz (TENN)- 45.25
Jack Aikins (UVA)- 45.84
Lamar Taylor (TENN)- 46.32
Nick Simons (TENN)- 46.67
Will Thompson (UVA)- 46.99
Devin Naoroz (UKY)- 47.06
Szymon Mieczkowski (UKY)-47.67
Max Berg (UKY)- 48.93

Race Videos:

A-Final

B-Final

C-Final

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Tennessee reading law: Less than 1% of third graders held back in 2024

Published

15 hours ago

November 21, 2024

Press Room

Tennessee reading law: Less than 1% of third graders held back in 2024

Just 0.88% of Tennessee public school third graders were held back this year under the state’s controversial reading law, despite 60% of the class falling short of a state reading benchmark this spring.

With around 74,000 third graders enrolled in the 2023-24 school year statewide, that works out to 655 students who were retained, according to data from the Tennessee Department of Education. The state reading law took effect last year and led to the retention of 1.2% of third graders in 2023, which came out to 898 students.

The law primarily determines children’s reading proficiency by their English language arts scores on the standardized Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, or TCAP, test.

The 60% who fell short on this year’s TCAP represent roughly 50,000 students. However, that number does not include students who were exempt from being held back. Here are those exemptions, including how many students met them:

11,468: Students with disabilities or suspected disabilities that may impact their reading
3,511: Students who are English learners with less than two years of English language arts instruction
2,596: Students who were held back in a previous grade
2,345: Students who had other exemptions determined by their local education leaders

Exemptions were up to the districts to sort out. The remaining students had to successfully take one of the state’s many “pathways” to avoid being held back.

Here’s a look at how those students fared.

How Tennessee third graders moved on to fourth grade

Third graders who scored “below” or “approaching” expectations on the English language arts section of the TCAP had several options to avoid being held back.

Retakes were offered to third graders shortly after the spring TCAP. A total of 3,274 made a passing score and moved on to fourth grade. Another 99 students won an appeal because they faced a catastrophic circumstance around the time they took the TCAP.

Third graders who scored as approaching proficiency had three options to move on to fourth grade. Here’s how many qualified for each one:

1,124: Enrolled in summer school, met 90% attendance and showed adequate growth
7,426: Opted into state-provided tutoring for the entirety of fourth grade
3,262: Scored in the 50th percentile or higher of a state-approved universal reading screener and opted into state-provided tutoring for the entirety of fourth grade
2,895: Won a parent appeal and opted into an academic remediation plan in fourth grade, which includes tutoring

Third graders who scored as below proficiency had one option to move on to fourth grade. Here’s how many qualified:

3,411: Enrolled in summer school, met a 90% attendance rate and opted into state-provided tutoring for the entirety of fourth grade

Students who qualified for tutoring in fourth grade must meet an individualized growth goal by the end of fourth grade. This growth goal does not apply to two groups who opted into tutoring: Those who won an appeal, or those who scored as “approaching” on the third grade TCAP and scored in the 50th percentile or higher on the third grade universal reading screener.

A total of 1,950 third graders who fell short on the spring TCAP either did not enroll again or had data that has not been reported to the state. The data reflects reports from districts as of Sept. 6, according to the state department of education.

How the Tennessee reading law affected fourth graders

Fourth graders who enrolled in yearlong tutoring to avoid being held back in third grade must pass the English language arts section of the TCAP or hit individualized growth goals set by the state. However, the reading law does not mandate that they be held back if they do not meet those goals.

Instead, it requires the student’s parents or legal guardians, principal and English language arts teacher to determine what’s best. They can either decide to retain the child or promote them to fifth grade with state-provided tutoring in place.

According to the state department of education, here’s how fourth graders enrolled in tutoring this year fared:

5,389: Promoted to fifth grade with tutoring in place
3,996: Met adequate growth goals
1,740: Scored proficient on their spring TCAP English language arts section
132: Retained in fourth grade

A total of 906 fourth graders either did not enroll again or had data that was not reported by their district, according to the state education department.

Where can I learn more?

More information on the third grade reading and retention law from the Tennessee Department of Education can be found at tn.gov/education/learning-acceleration.

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Former Titans Coach Named Top Candidate for Jets

Published

23 hours ago

November 21, 2024

Press Room

Former Titans Coach Named Top Candidate for Jets

Former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel remains a hot name, and he may have another head-coaching job as soon as next season.

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated recently named a bunch of potential candidates for the New York Jets job in 2025, and Vrabel was at the top of his list.

“Mike Vrabel makes the most sense to me, mostly because he won’t stand down to an owner, and that’s exactly what the New York Jets need,” Breer wrote.

The problem with that is Jets owner Woody Johnson is known to be a meddler, so he a Vrabel-Johnson partnership may never actually come to fruition.

Still, Vrabel could end up being a perfect fit for the Jets from a stylistic perspective given that New York is built upon a strong defense.

It’s not the first time that Vrabel has been linked to Gang Green, either.

Vrabel actually did a very solid job during his time with the Titans, going 54-45 while making three playoff appearances—including a pair of AFC South titles—across five seasons.

Things went south over Vrabel’s final two years in Tennessee, with the Titans going just 13-21 during that span. However, it is becoming increasingly obvious that the problem was not with Vrabel.

Vrabel is currently serving as an assistant for the Cleveland Browns, but it seems like only a matter of time before he lands a better job elsewhere.

The 49-year-old also had a 14-year NFL playing career from 1997 through 2010, spending time with the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs. He won three Super Bowls with the Patriots and also made a Pro Bowl with the squad in 2007.

The Jets have been one of the league’s most disappointing teams this season, as they are just 3-8 in spite of having one of the most star-studded rosters in the sport.

Make sure you bookmark Tennessee Titans on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

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