NEW YORK — Derrick Henry, local high school star, national college running back phenom, has been named the 2015 Heisman Trophy winner.
He ran for 4,261 yards and 55 touchdowns on 462 carries – back in his senior year of high school with the Yulee High School Hornets.
This year?
He's got 1,986 yards on the ground and 23 touchdowns on 339 carries this year with the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Henry's breakout game also silenced the Heisman buzz for his in-conference rival, Leonard Fournette of the LSU Tigers.
In that game, Henry had 38 carries, 210 yards and 3 touchdowns to lead the way for the Tide to roll the Tigers 30 - 16 back on November 7.
Henry is the kind of running back that terrifies defenses: he never seems to get tired, he never seems to slow down, and you give him an inch and he'll take 74 yards (his season long). His stats are unreal: his most yards rushing are in the 1st and 4th quarters of games.
How do you stop that?
The Yulee native won with the majority of the vote over contenders Deshaun Watson, QB, of Clemson and Christian McCaffrey, RB, of Stanford.
Watson threw for 3,512 yards and 30 touchdowns as Clemson's quarterback - that's not including the 887 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns.
McCaffrey broke Barry Sanders' records for most all-purpose yards in a season this year with 3,254 (yeah, McCaffrey played in two more games - 13 to Sanders' 11 - but he also did it with less touches - 388 to Sanders' 394).
Both men had incredible years, but none like Henry's.
Now, the Yulee alum will have to turn his sights from New York and the 25-pound trophy to the Michigan State Spartans. The 2nd-ranked Tide take on the 3rd-ranked Spartans on New Year's Eve in the first round of the college football playoff.
But that's 19 or so days away. For now, Henry can celebrate. He's earned it.
