Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry performed a rare dance in the end zone after making NFL history, as he became the first player with 1,800+ rushing yards and 15+ rushing touchdowns in multiple seasons – while also setting a new franchise record for single-season rushing TDs.
On his 31st birthday, Henry rushed for 138 yards and two touchdowns in a 35-10 win over the Cleveland Browns, cementing the No. 3 seed for the Ravens and earning home advantage in the wild-card round of the playoffs. It was an important win for the Ravens, but a historic day individually for the running back.
Henry isn’t one to dance in the end zone and rarely celebrates, claiming earlier this season that he’s “over it” due to being old. However, Henry was seen body-popping with quarterback Lamar Jackson after letting his guard down for a defining moment.
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Earlier this season, Henry was mic’d up for ‘Ravens Wired’ during a win over the Washington Commanders, and teammates Justice Hill and Keaton Mitchell were urging him to dance after scoring. “I don’t dance my boy, I used to,” Henry was heard saying to Mitchell on the sidelines.
After the footage went live, Henry was asked why he doesn’t dance after scoring during a press conference. “I’m old now. I’m over it now,” Henry said. “I’ll leave the dancing to them.
“They’re ready to dance anytime. I’ll be like, ‘Maybe I’ll have y’all dance on the sideline so they can get a glimpse of you dancing.’ I don’t dance. I just hand the ball to the ref and go to the sideline.”
Even Henry felt the urge to dance after setting an NFL first, and it wasn’t the only record he set on Saturday night. Ironically, Henry also tied a record held by Jim Brown, a Browns Hall of Fame running back.
Henry is now on 106 career rushing touchdowns, the same number that Brown managed during his career in the NFL. Henry is now tied for sixth on the all-time list, but still has some way to go in order to reach Emmett Smith’s record of 164.
One record that Henry didn’t want to set was for most rushing yards (1,921) without winning the rushing title, as Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley is on 2,005 for the season in just 16 games. The previous record for second-best was 1,883 yards, set in 2003 by former Green Bay Packers running back Ahman Green.
Former Ravens running back, Jamal Lewis, took the rushing title that year after amassing 2,066 yards. Henry may have missed out on the third rushing title of his career, but after leaving the Tennessee Titans to join the Ravens this past offseason, his main goal remains postseason success.
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