Physics is a cruel mistress. Honestly, if you want proof, just go back and watch what happened in Nashville on October 13, 2020. It was a Tuesday night. The Tennessee Titans were hosting the Buffalo Bills in a game that felt a little weird because of a COVID-19 schedule shuffle. But what happened mid-way through the second quarter wasn’t just weird. It was violent. It was beautiful. It was, basically, a human being getting tossed into a different zip code.
When we talk about Derrick Henry and Josh Norman, we aren't really talking about a rivalry. Rivalries imply a back-and-forth. This was more like a natural disaster meeting a picket fence.
Derrick Henry took a handoff, bounced it to the left, and saw Josh Norman coming downhill. Norman, a Pro Bowler with a reputation for being one of the feistiest corners in the league, did what he was coached to do. He stepped up. He tried to engage. Then, in a split second, Henry’s left hand met Norman’s chest, and the laws of gravity simply took a coffee break. Norman didn’t just fall; he went airborne. He stayed parallel to the turf for what felt like an eternity before slamming into the grass.
The Stiff Arm Heard ‘Round the World
Here is the kicker: that play didn't even count. Seriously.
The officials called offsetting penalties—holding on the Titans, offsides on the Bills. On paper, it was a zero-yard wash. But you’ve seen the clip. Everyone has. It’s one of those rare moments where the box score is completely irrelevant to the cultural impact of the sport. You can't "penalize" a man into forgetting he just got launched like a SpaceX rocket.
Josh Norman was 32 at the time. He’d made a career out of getting under people’s skin, but after that Tuesday, the only thing under his skin was a lot of Nashville sod. The memes were relentless. People were editing his Wikipedia page to say he had "passed away" on the field. It was brutal.
💡 You might also like: Chase Center: What Most People Get Wrong About the New Arena in San Francisco
But why did it hit so hard?
It’s the sheer physics of it. Derrick Henry is 6-foot-3 and roughly 247 pounds of pure, unadulterated muscle. Josh Norman, while not small for a cornerback, gives up about 50 pounds in that exchange. When you add Henry’s momentum to a locked-out elbow, you aren't just pushing a guy. You’re transferring all that kinetic energy into a single point of impact. It’s basically a car crash where the car keeps driving and the wall gets deleted.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Play
There’s a common misconception that Norman was "lazy" or "scared" on the play. That’s actually total nonsense. If you watch the tape closely, Norman actually plays it fairly aggressively. He didn't shy away. The problem wasn't his effort; it was his height.
In football, "low man wins" is the golden rule. Norman stayed high, trying to wrap up Henry’s chest. Against a guy like King Henry, that is a death sentence. You have to go for the knees. You have to sacrifice your body and hope the "big tree" falls. By staying upright, Norman gave Henry a perfect handle to grab.
Henry’s own reaction afterward was classic. He told reporters, "I've been doing too many curls. I have to lay off the arms."
📖 Related: Calendario de la H: Todo lo que debes saber sobre cuando juega honduras 2025 y el camino al Mundial
It was a joke, obviously, but it highlighted the terrifying reality of his physical prime. Most running backs use a stiff arm to create space. Henry uses it to remove obstacles.
By the Numbers: The Disparity
- Derrick Henry: 6'3", 247 lbs (Approximate)
- Josh Norman: 6'0", 200 lbs (Approximate)
- The Result: A 4-yard run (nullified) that became the most famous highlight of the 2020 season.
Life After the Launch: Where Are They Now?
It’s 2026, and the landscape of the NFL has shifted quite a bit since that night in Tennessee.
Derrick Henry is still, somehow, defying the age cliff. While most backs fall off at 28, Henry has continued to put up massive numbers, recently crossing the 13,000-yard career rushing mark during the 2025 season. He’s currently sitting in the top 10 all-time for rushing yards and top 5 for touchdowns. He’s a lock for the Hall of Fame. Period.
Josh Norman’s journey was a bit more nomadic. After that stint with the Bills, he bounced around to San Francisco and back to Carolina. He’s always been a "player's player"—someone who talks a big game and has the jewelry to back it up—but he’ll forever be linked to that one highlight.
To his credit, Norman took it like a champ. He later said in an interview, "When you go after the ball, you're going to get tossed regardless. It's a laugh, it's a joke... we're in a society now where we like to see the 'ooohs' and 'aaahs.'" He didn't let it ruin him, but he definitely became the poster child for why you don't tackle Derrick Henry above the waist.
👉 See also: Caitlin Clark GPA Iowa: The Truth About Her Tippie College Grades
Why This Interaction Matters for Football History
We don't get many "superhero" moments in modern sports. Everything is so optimized, so coached, so technical. But the Derrick Henry Josh Norman incident was raw. It felt like something from the 1960s—just two guys in a physical struggle where one was clearly the apex predator.
It also changed how defenders approached Henry. If you watch games from 2021 through 2025, you see a massive shift in how DBs tackle him. They don't try to stand him up anymore. They "business tackle" him—basically diving at his ankles and hoping for the best. Nobody wants to be the next meme. Nobody wants to be the next Josh Norman.
Essential Takeaways for Fans
If you're looking to understand the legacy of this play, keep these points in mind:
- Physics is King: Mass times acceleration isn't just a formula; it's what happens when #22 meets a 200-pound cornerback.
- Effort vs. Technique: Norman didn't fail because he didn't try; he failed because he tried to tackle a giant like he was a normal human.
- The Highlight Tax: In the social media era, one bad play can define a season's narrative, regardless of a player's actual stats.
Moving Forward
Next time you're watching a Sunday afternoon game and you see a running back stick a hand out, remember that not all stiff arms are created equal. Most are just a nudge. Derrick Henry's was a statement.
If you want to really appreciate the technical side of this, go back and watch the footwork. Henry doesn't just push; he plants his lead foot and uses his entire core to drive through the contact. It’s a full-body movement that starts in the calves and ends in the poor defender's chest plate.
For those of you tracking stats into the 2026 season, keep an eye on Henry’s "Yards After Stiff Arm." It’s not an official NFL stat (yet), but it should be. The man is a walking highlight reel, and Josh Norman was just the most famous person to find that out the hard way.
To truly understand the "King Henry" era, you have to look past the rushing titles and the Heisman. You have to look at the players who had to stand in his way. Josh Norman stood his ground, and for a brief, terrifying second, he flew.