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Derrick Henry Has Unexpected Motivation to Rush for 2,000 Yards

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Alec Musa | Last updated Jun 3, 2025 6:48 PM ET

In 2015, Alabama Crimson Tide running back Derrick Henry rushed for a ludicrous 2,219 yards, an SEC record, and won the program's second-ever Heisman Trophy Award. At six-foot-three, 245 pounds, Henry ran wild, finding paydirt 28 times, leading Alabama to another national title victory, and becoming a household name across the country.

Fast forward ten years, and Henry remains one of the best rushers in the NFL despite entering his age-31 season, housing six Pro Bowl nods during that span. He rushed for 2,027 yards in 2015 as a member of the Tennessee Titans and has played in at least 15 games every season but once despite the grueling nature of the running back position.

A three-time All-Pro, Henry has little to prove at this point, but another 2,000-yard season might be atop his playing bucket list.

On Tuesday, the Dan Patrick Show on TikTok shared Patrick's sit-down with Henry, during which the tandem discussed the upcoming Happy Gilmore 2 movie starring the titular character, Happy Gilmore, played by Adam Sandler. Henry shared his love for Sandler, going so far as to call him his favorite actor.

With Henry booming in excitement, Patrick told Henry that if the current Baltimore Ravens rusher eclipses 2,000 rushing yards, he will force Sandler to put him in an upcoming move. A sportscaster, Patrick has appeared in many of Sandler's movies, including Grown Ups, The Waterboy, and The Longest Yard.

If Henry can again reach 2,000 yards and Patrick remains true to his word, the former Alabama star would join the likes of Clay Matthews (Pitch Perfect 2), Dan Marino (Ace Ventura: Pet Detective), and Dick Butkus (Necessary Roughness), among others, as those to make the transition from the gridiron to onto the big screen.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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