Getty Images
While he was already considered a shoo-in for future enshrinement in Canton, Ravens running back Derrick Henry all but sealed his eventual spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame during Thursday night’s 28-6 victory against the Dolphins.
Henry rushed 19 times for 119 yards in Miami, and became the 17th player in NFL history to amass 12,000 career rushing yards. He did so in style with this explosive 35-yard run late in the third quarter.
Every eligible running back that has rushed for at least 12,000 yards has a gold jacket and bronze bust. The 31-year-old Henry is once again rubbing shoulders with some of the best running backs in NFL history, joining a list that includes Jim Brown, Walter Payton, Barry Sanders and Emmitt Smith, among others.
NFL’s 12,000-yard rushers
1. Emmitt Smith**
18,355
2. Walter Payton**
16,726
3. Frank Gore
16,000
4. Barry Sanders**
15,269
5. Adrian Peterson
14.918
6. Curtis Martin**
14,101
7. LaDainian Tomlinson**
13,684
8. Jerome Bettis**
13,662
9. Eric Dickerson**
13,259
10. Tony Dorsett**
12,739
11. Jim Brown**
12,312
12. Marshall Faulk**
12,279
13. Edgerrin James**
12,246
14. Marcus Allen**
12,243
15. Franco Harris**
12,120
16. Thurman Thomas**
12,074
17. Derrick Henry
12,052
** — Pro Football Hall of Famers
Henry’s legacy was more than likely already one that was going to be bound for Canton, even prior to his latest milestone. He recently passed Payton for fifth all-time in touchdown runs (112). He is now one of just eight players in NFL history with at least 100 rushing touchdowns and 12,000 rushing yards.
Last year, Henry’s 1,921 rushing yards was the most ever for a player over the age of 30. It’s also the most yards in league history for a player who did not win the rushing title.
A Heisman Trophy winner at Alabama, Henry’s other NFL accolades include consecutive rushing titles and becoming the ninth player in history to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season.
While it has been undervalued in recent years, Henry is proof that the running back position is still very much alive and well.
