Mike Vrabel estimates how many 5-year-olds would be able to take down Derrick Henry
How many 5-year-olds would it take to tackle Derrick Henry? Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel knows his answer.
“A sh*t ton. I don’t even know if they could. How many kids would die in the process?” Vrabel said. “Let’s say he’s got a 10-yard wide space. It would probably take 35. Want to try it?”
Vrabel isn’t exaggerating. In seven years in the NFL, Henry has 8,335 rushing yards, 78 touchdowns and averages 4.8 yards per carry. In 2019 and 2020, Henry was an unstoppable force, earning Pro Bowls in both seasons.
In 2020 alone, the 6-foot-3 locomotive rushed for 2,000 yards, one of only eight players ever in a single season. Henry was named the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2020, as well. With each year, Henry only seems to grow stronger.
Vrabel isn’t the only one who gave his take on the ‘what-if’ scenario. Earlier this week, Henry’s teammates provided their thoughts on how many five-year-olds it would take to bring down the imposing 6-foot-3, 247-pound running back.
Quarterback Ryan Tannehill went with 75. Cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting predicted a whopping 1,000 children. On the flip side, wide receiver Treylon Burks kept expectations low, claiming it would take 30 5-year-olds to tackle Henry. Of course, the most important answer can only come from the subject himself.
“I don’t know,” Henry said. “How bout y’all get y’all kids, and we’ll — find some 5-year-olds and see how it goes.”
Derrick Henry discusses contract debates
Henry will likely have trouble finding suitors, especially considering his recent anger toward the NFL. In late July, the former Alabama standout spoke out on the current state of NFL running backs’ contracts.
“It’s tough right now,” Henry said, via ESPN. “We’re just trying to show that we are as valuable as any other position. They use us in commercials and all over the place. We just want our share.”
Henry is one of the few NFL running backs who are still earning top dollars. After leading the NFL with 1,540 rushing yards in 2019 and boosting the Titans to the AFC Championship Game, Henry signed a four-year, $50 million deal with the Titans in 2020. Nonetheless, Henry also wants his fellow running backs to be treated fairly.
“We want the same thing,” Henry said. “It seems like even if we are productive, when it comes to negotiating, it’s kind of like used against us at that point.”
On3’s Nick Geddes also contributed to this article.