When Derrick Henry was growing up, the running back he loved the most wasn't the one you'd expect for the burly Baltimore Ravens star.
Henry long admired LaDainian Tomlinson, a five-time Pro Bowler for the San Diego Chargers from 2001 to '09. He had Tomlinson's jersey as well as his bobblehead. He thought Tomlinson's dark visor gave him the coolest helmet ever.
"He's the one who really inspired me," Henry said during training camp. "As I got older, I was like, 'Man, I'm not LT's size' so I have to be a different type of back."
Even though his stature (6-foot-3 and about 250 pounds) is much different than that of Tomlinson -- who typically played around 215 to 220 pounds at 5-10 -- Henry could soon be joining his childhood idol in an exclusive club. Henry needs 1,317 yards rushing to become one of the NFL's top 10 leading career rushers.
This historic run would lift Henry from his current spot at No. 19 and propel him past seven Hall of Fame running backs: Thurman Thomas (No. 16), Franco Harris (No. 15), Marcus Allen (No. 14), Edgerrin James (No. 13), Marshall Faulk (No. 12), Jim Brown (No. 11) and Tony Dorsett (No. 10).
"It'd definitely be a surreal moment for my name to be mentioned with those legends," Henry said. "I pray it happens, but I'm living in the moment every day."
Henry's 11,423 rushing yards are the most among running backs currently in the NFL, and it's not even close. Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon trails Henry by nearly 4,000 yards.
When you ask coaches about what makes Henry great, they talk about his work ethic. After he makes a mistake in practice, he's still fuming a few plays later. On the rare day when he misses an offseason practice, he's texting his coach about what he missed.
When you ask teammates about what separates Henry from others, they talk about his intensity. He brings a relentless mindset, whether he's carrying weight chains up a hill in the offseason or stiff-arming a tackler during a game.
"The way his mentality is in a game, it is actually cool to observe because you kind of see the difference between a normal guy in the league and somebody that's going to be a Hall of Famer one day," Ravens backup running back Justice Hill said. "But I'm always joking around with him. I tell him to smile and loosen up a little bit."
Teaming up with quarterback Lamar Jackson in his first season with the Ravens, Henry averaged 113 yards rushing per game, which was the second highest of his nine-year career. On that pace, he would crack the league's top 10 rushers by Baltimore's Thanksgiving game against the Cincinnati Bengals. In order to move past Eric Dickerson at No. 9, Henry would need to produce 1,837 yards, which would be the 21st-best season of all time.
As Henry climbs the NFL rushing list, the debate surrounding his place among the best running backs in league history will heat up. For Ravens coach John Harbaugh, Jim Brown is at the top. Harbaugh also mentioned Barry Sanders, Walter Payton and Dickerson.
"I think Derrick Henry is in that category," Harbaugh said. "I know he still feels like he has a ton to prove, and I want him to prove a ton."
A reason to celebrate
It may be hard to believe, but it was about this time a year ago when Henry was being asked if his best days were behind him after the Tennessee Titans let him walk in free agency. He signed a two-year, $16 million deal to come to Baltimore.
"Let my play speak for my age," said Henry, who had recently turned 30.
Last season, Henry totaled 1,921 yards rushing (11th most in a single season) and set a career high by averaging 5.9 yards per carry. And, instead of reaching the end of his career, he reached the end zone -- a lot. His 16 touchdown runs were a Ravens record and were tied for the league lead.
Along with moving up the NFL's rushing list, Henry is ascending up the league's all-time rushing touchdown list even faster. His 106 career rushing touchdowns are tied with Brown for the sixth-most in NFL history.
For the most part, these touchdowns have ended with little celebration. Henry hands the ball to the referee and goes to the sideline.
Last season, teammates could be heard telling a miked-up Henry that he should be dancing. But Henry hasn't busted out his end zone moves since the early part of his Titans career.
"I'm old now," Henry told them. "I'm over it now."
Some of Henry's best work has come in the red zone. He has scored 86 touchdowns inside the 20-yard line, which are the third-most since 2000.
"First off, he's big; he's explosive; he's highly competitive," Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken said of Henry's red-zone effectiveness. "For his size, he plays with great vision and pad level, so that's exactly what you want down there -- because you're not going to be able to block everybody. You're going to have to break arm tackles. You're going to have to get some yards on your own, which he is certainly capable of."
Of the five players ahead of Henry on the rushing touchdown list, four are in the Hall of Fame: Payton, Marcus Allen, Tomlinson and Emmitt Smith. Only Adrian Peterson, who is No. 4 on the list, isn't in the Hall of Fame, and he's not eligible until 2027.
If Henry scores double-digit rushing touchdowns like he's done in each of the seven seasons since becoming a full-time starter, he would eclipse Payton for No. 5 (110 TDs) on the list and be in pursuit of Peterson's 120.
"I think his track record speaks for itself -- what he's done in Tennessee, what he's done here and what he's going to continue to do here," said wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who was Henry's teammate in Tennessee and now in Baltimore. "I think Derrick is obviously on track, but [he] and I, I think we're definitely present in what we're doing and not looking forward -- and that's trying to win games for the Ravens right now.
"I think everyone knows, potentially, where he could be, and I feel like he does as well."
All-time leading rusher?
Like many running backs who grew up in Florida, Henry has put Emmitt Smith on a pedestal. Henry called Smith the Michael Jordan at that position.
So, what are the chances of the running back nicknamed King Henry taking the all-time rushing crown from Smith?
"I'm not thinking that far," Henry said recently at training camp. "That's a long ways away."
At 31, Henry is 6,933 rushing yards away from Smith, who amassed an NFL record 18,355 rushing yards over 15 seasons. Given that Henry has averaged 1,269 yards rushing per year, he would need nearly six seasons to overtake Smith.
But, with a two-time NFL Most Valuable Player in Jackson lining up beside him in the backfield, Henry had a resurgent year last season because he wasn't the sole focus of defenses for the first time in his career. This could mean an accelerated path for Henry to catch Smith, who has been the NFL's all-time rusher for 23 years.
"He played a very long time. He was very effective," Henry said of Smith. "He's a Hall of Fame player and a legend at the position."
Henry then added, "So, I don't know. But, Lord willing, hopefully. So, we'll see."
Henry has shown no signs of slowing down. Last season, he rushed for the most yards by a player 30 or older, beating Tiki Barber's previous mark from 19 years ago.
When asked how long Henry can play, Ravens fullback Patrick Ricard leaned into the microphone and immediately replied: "Forever."
"I mean the way he takes care of his body, the way he loves the game and how hard he plays, I think he can play however long he wants to play," Ricard said of Henry, who estimated that he spends nearly $250,000 a year on body maintenance. "I think it's really up to him."
In training camp, the players were talking about center Tyler Linderbaum's haircut. Henry commented that Linderbaum's style is going to be popular for 30 years.
Linderbaum joked, "And you'll probably still be playing here."
So, what does Henry say to everyone who asks him how long he plans to play?
"I tell them: 'When I feel like it's time, I'll hang it up,'" Henry said. "But right now, I don't see that anytime soon."