Detroit DB Experiences Derrick Henry's Stiff-Arm
Earl Thomas and Josh Norman know the feeling.
Among the many, both of them have previously served as Derrick Henry poster boys after receiving vicious, near-rude stiff-arms from the Tennessee Titans running back.
On a first down with well more than nine minutes to go in the second quarter Sunday, Henry ran around the left end with Detroit Lions defensive back Alex Myres in pursuit. Henry stuck out his right arm, located his target and delivered a forceful shove -- one that could be heard on the television broadcast -- to Myres’ helmet, pulverizing him into Nissan Stadium’s natural grass surface on his way to a 7-yard gain.
Myres stood up and walked away from the scene quickly, presumably knowing that the play sent social media into hysteria and that the highlight would be shown and viewed more than thousands of times. Myres, after his first NFL regular season game, can now commiserate with the likes of Thomas and Norman, if that counts for anything.
“You know, I just look at how a defender is going to approach,” Henry said. “You know, usually they'll start high, then go low real quick, so I'm not able to get my hand to be able to stiff arm. And he stayed high the whole time. I think he was trying to see if I was going to put it out there and he could knock it down and get a tackle, but I just waited and timed it, and it worked.”
As chronicled in the past, Henry constantly works at perfecting his merciful stiff arm.
A move he has been using on defenders since youth football, Henry practices his stiff arm often during practices on a helmet attached to the end of a pole. Running backs coach Tony Dews implemented the drill at some point last season when he noticed that defenders would try to attack Henry’s lower body while attempting to tackle him.
“It has helped. We do it every day,” Henry said. “It better help, because we do it every day. And I think repetition, that definitely helped me out there on the field.”
In the 45-26 victory over the Lions, Henry had 24 carries for 147 yards and a touchdown. It was his ninth 100-yard showing of the season and fifth in his last six games. Henry, well on his way to a second consecutive rushing title with 1,679 yards on the season, has a realistic chance to become the eight 2,000-yard rusher in league history. He has already reached many milestones and can attain even more with two regular season games remaining.
As special as those things may be, his stiff-arm always has been, and always will be, an aspect of his game that generates a great deal of exhilaration.
“I was running the ball, and I'm sure once I get done with this I'll check my phone,” Henry said. “My phone's been going crazy, text messages and stuff like that. But usually get hype. I appreciate my teammates. Daren Bates and all those guys always are hyped up on the sideline when I get to do something like that. Yeah. I couldn't tell you. I was so focused on what I had to do.”
