Last season, Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry had a genuine shot at breaking Eric Dickerson's NFL record for single-season rushing yards. But one man got in his way, and that was Houston Texans linebacker, Zach Cunningham.
In an appearance earlier this year on 2020 Titans teammates linebacker Will Compton and offensive tackle Taylor Lewan's podcast 'Bussin With The Boys,' Henry discussed the moment in the final game of the season when Cunningham forced only his second lost fumble of the year and derailed his record-breaking momentum.
"If he doesn't hit that ball, how close do I get to that record?" said Henry who went on to say that he is convinced that if it wasn't for Cunningham's forced fumble, and had he gotten that run and kept his momentum up, the record was his for the taking.
Of course, we now know it wasn't to be, and Henry was full of praise for the player who denied him the record.
"I don't know how he doesn't get more recognition than he does," said Henry. "You don't ignore the things that he be doing, he's the truth."
Compton backed Henry's assessment of Cunningham up by pointing out that the Texan led the NFL in tackles in 2020, saying that he "was surprised that he didn't get a Pro Bowl." But as Lewan mentioned; "The (team's) record's got to be good to have that kind of recognition."
Lewan has a valid point. Regardless of how well Cunningham played, and how many tackles he racked up, the fact is he was playing for a team that went 4-12. Nobody on a losing team will get much credit.
But while outsiders may not have paid Cunningham much attention, it's clear that players were. And by the sounds of things, the coaches did, too.
Compton described how head coach Mike Vrabel will remind his players to "block 41," with Compton saying "'why does he talk about 41 so much? And then I was watching that game and I was like 'Hey, Zach is nice out there!'"
Moving forward, Henry is determined to push harder and reach that record. But with Cunningham now set to play in what is frequently described as a "linebacker-friendly'' scheme here in Houston, Henry might face another Cunningham-shaped roadblock against the Texans in 2021.
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