Sports Illustrated
Derrick Henry Congratulates High School RB That Broke Single-Game Rushing Record
No matter what level former Alabama and current Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry has played at, he has always been a record-setter.
Last weekend, though, one of Henry's high school records fell. Among Henry's many accolades, he held the record for most rushing yards in a single game in the state of Florida history with 502 yards. Last Friday night, Kayleb Wagner of Baker High School in Baker, Florida broke that record.
Wagner was born without his left hand and part of his forearm. However, that did not stop him from rushing for 535 yards and six touchdowns over opponent South Walton High School. Remarkably, he did so in just 25 carries — an average of 21.4 yards per rush.
“I think it is incredible,” Henry told reporters Thursday. “I thought it was really cool. I got to talk to him a little bit on Instagram and hopefully he breaks some more. That was really cool, definitely an inspiration to me and I am sure he is an inspiration to his team and everybody over there in that community. It was definitely cool to see and hopefully, I can do something for him these upcoming weeks.”
Henry later reached out to Wagner and offered to send him some game-used gear.
“We went back and forth for five minutes or so,” Wagner told MaxPreps. “He congratulated me, said he would send me a pair of his cleats and game gloves. It was very, very cool. I think it really hit me then that I had the record.”
Currently a junior, Wagner split carries last season at Baker before becoming the team's sole starter at running back in 2021. Despite being a town of just 900, the Baker Gators are a high school powerhouse. Last season, the team went 15-0 and won its fifth Florida Class 1A state title.
While he didn't break his own record on Thursday, Wagner was still a force to be reckoned with in his team's 43-42 victory over Northview. In the game, Wagner rushed for 426 yards and five more touchdowns on 34 carries.
