Alabama football fans remember the 2015 season as a blur of stiff arms and broken records. If you were sitting in the stands at Bryant-Denny or watching from a bar in Birmingham, you knew exactly what was coming. It wasn't a secret. Nick Saban was going to give the ball to #2, and nobody—literally nobody—was going to stop him.
Derrick Henry wasn't just a running back for the Crimson Tide. He was a 6-foot-3, 240-pound glitch in the matrix.
Honesty, the most wild thing about the Alabama football Derrick Henry era isn't just the Heisman. It’s the fact that he almost didn't play running back at all. Looking back from 2026, where Henry is still defying age in the NFL with the Ravens, it’s easy to forget how many "experts" thought he was too tall for the position. They wanted him to play linebacker. Georgia, where he originally committed, was one of those schools. Imagine that for a second.
The 2,219-Yard Reality Check
When people talk about Henry’s 2015 Heisman campaign, they usually focus on the hardware. But the volume he handled was borderline insane. He didn't just win; he outworked the entire country.
By the time the season wrapped up with a trophy over his head, Henry had racked up 2,219 rushing yards. That’s an SEC record that stands as a testament to pure durability. He carried the ball 395 times. Most backs today would crumble under half that workload in a month, but Henry seemed to get stronger as the game went on.
- Wisconsin (The Opener): 147 yards and 3 TDs.
- LSU (The Heisman Moment): 210 yards and 3 TDs, famously outperforming Leonard Fournette.
- Auburn (The Iron Bowl): 46 carries. 271 yards. Absolute madness.
- Florida (SEC Championship): 44 carries. 189 yards.
He basically became a one-man wrecking crew for the Alabama football program. In that Auburn game, he had more rushing yards (271) than the entire Auburn offense had total yards (260). That's not just "good." That's a grown man playing against middle schoolers.
Why the "Product of the System" Argument Was Garbage
There’s always that one guy who says, "Oh, any back could run behind that Alabama offensive line."
Kinda. But mostly no.
In 2015, the Tide's offensive line was good, but they weren't the 2011 "Road Graders" unit. Henry was creating a massive chunk of those yards himself. In fact, statistics from that year showed he averaged over 100 yards per game after contact. Think about that. He was essentially a 1,500-yard rusher even if you assume the line didn't block a single person beyond the line of scrimmage.
He wasn't just a "bruiser" either. People saw the size and assumed he was just a short-yardage guy. Wrong. If he got into the secondary and reached top speed, no defensive back in the SEC was catching him. His 50-yard touchdown scamper against Clemson in the National Championship showed exactly that—the long-striding speed that makes him a nightmare in the open field.
The High School Legend Transition
Before he ever wore the crimson jersey, Henry was a myth in Yulee, Florida. He finished his high school career with 12,124 rushing yards. That broke a national record held by Ken Hall since 1953.
But when he got to Tuscaloosa, it wasn't an instant success story.
He’s admitted in interviews that he didn't know how to pass-protect at first. In high school, they just gave him the ball and told him to go. At Alabama, Nick Saban doesn't care if you're a five-star recruit; if you can't block for the quarterback, you aren't playing. Henry actually whiffed on a blitz pickup against Virginia Tech in his first game, and AJ McCarron famously chewed him out on the field.
He didn't sulk. He didn't enter the transfer portal—which wasn't as easy back then, but still. He stayed. He learned how to block. He shared carries with T.J. Yeldon and Kenyan Drake. He waited his turn. That’s the "Bama Factor" people talk about, and Henry is the poster child for it.
Records He Still Owns (and Some He Broke)
It’s worth listing out just how much he rewritten the books during that three-year stretch from 2013-2015.
- SEC Single-Season Rushing Yards: 2,219.
- SEC Single-Season Rushing TDs: 28 (tied at the time, later surpassed).
- Career Rushing Yards at Alabama: 3,591.
- Consecutive Games with a TD: 20 straight games, an SEC record.
He also became just the third running back in SEC history to have four 200-yard games in a single season, joining legends Herschel Walker and Bo Jackson. That’s the company he keeps.
The NFL Draft "Disrespect"
Despite winning the Heisman and the National Title, Henry wasn't a first-round pick. He went 45th overall in the second round to the Tennessee Titans.
The narrative was that he had "too much tread off the tires" because of those 395 carries. People thought he would burn out by 26. Instead, here we are in 2026, and he's still trucking defenders. It turns out, being a human tank has its advantages for longevity.
He changed the way scouts look at tall running backs. Before him, the "high center of gravity" was a death sentence for a prospect's grade. Henry proved that if you have the power to stiff-arm a linebacker into the turf and the speed to outrun a corner, your height doesn't matter.
What Really Happened in the 2015 Heisman Race
Christian McCaffrey was the darling of the West Coast that year. He broke Barry Sanders' all-purpose yardage record, and a lot of people thought he was robbed.
But the reason Henry won wasn't just the stats. It was the "Big Game" factor. While McCaffrey was playing late-night games on the Pac-12 Network, Henry was putting the team on his back against top-10 ranked SEC defenses. He averaged 166 yards per game against ranked opponents. That is where Heismans are won.
The Legacy of #2 in Tuscaloosa
If you walk around the Walk of Champions today, Henry’s impact is everywhere. He paved the way for the next generation of Alabama backs like Bo Scarbrough, Najee Harris, and Brian Robinson. He showed that you could be the focal point of a Saban offense even in an era where everyone was moving toward the "spread and shred" style of play.
He was the last "true" workhorse.
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Honestly, we might never see another college back carry the ball 40+ times in a game ever again. The game has changed. But for one glorious season in 2015, Alabama football was basically "Derrick Henry vs. The World." And the world lost.
Insights for Fans and Collectors
If you're looking to dive deeper into the Henry era or collect a piece of that history, here is what you should actually look for:
- Re-watch the 2015 LSU Game: If you want to see a player take over a season, that's the tape. It’s the moment the Heisman race ended.
- Track his NFL "Active Leader" Stats: As of 2026, he is climbing the all-time rushing lists. Every yard he gains now adds to the "Greatest of All Time" argument for Alabama alumni.
- Authentic Memorabilia: Look for items specifically from the 2015 season. His stock only goes up as he nears retirement and a potential Hall of Fame induction.
- Support the Yulee Community: Henry still does a ton for his hometown. Following his "Two Lanes" foundation is the best way to see the man behind the stiff arm.
Derrick Henry didn't just play for Alabama; he defined a specific brand of toughness that the program still tries to replicate today.