Alabama’s Henry wins Heisman
Bulldozing running back becomes second ’Bama player to earn the honour
NEW YORK— Derrick Henry bulldozed defences while carrying Alabama’s offence this season, and then walked away with a Heisman Trophy.
The Crimson Tide’s super-sized tailback won college football’s most famous player of the year award Saturday night, becoming just the third running back to take the Heisman in the last 16 years.
The six-foot-three, 242-pound Henry is the second Alabama player to win the Heisman, joining Mark Ingram. Since Ingram won the award in 2009, it had gone to five straight quarterbacks.
Stanford’s do-it-all running back Christian McCaffrey was the runner-up, making it four second-place finishes for Cardinal players in seven seasons.
Deshaun Watson, quarterback of No. 1 Clemson, finished third.
It was the closest Heisman voting since Ingram won by the slimmest margin ever, but still a comfortable victory for Henry. He received 1,832 points, 293 more than McCaffrey (1,539). Watson received the thirdmost points for a third-place finisher with 1,165.
Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield came in fourth and Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds was fifth, but Henry, McCaffrey and Watson dominated the voting.
He choked up during his speech, thanking his family, coaches and teammates, and mentioning former Alabama teammate Altee Tenpenny, who was killed in a car crash two months ago.
Henry was born to teenage parents and raised with the strong influence of his grandmother, Gladys, in the small north Florida town of Yulee, which is just outside of Jacksonville, but very much country living.
Gladys Henry has been hospitalized for weeks in Florida with heart and respiratory problems. Derrick Henry said his grandmother was with him in spirit as his childhood dream of winning the Heisman came true. “I love you so much,” he said. Henry came to Alabama as a five- star recruit. Before the Heisman came a dose of humility. For the first time football wasn’t easy. Being bigger, stronger and faster wasn’t enough in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He was a backup on a crowded depth chart as a freshman and thought about transferring, but with the encouragement of his family decided to stay put.
Alabama placed its championship hopes on Henry’s broad shoulders and he has delivered.
“Roll Tide,” Henry said.