Derrick Henry Deserves the Heisman for Carrying a Mediocre Offense
By Kyle Koster
As expected, a SEC West running back will coast to the Heisman Trophy. Sure, that player wears crimson instead of purple and plays for a former LSU coach, not the current one. The capital L in Leonard Fournette was practically engraved before Derrick Henry pounded and punished his way into the driver’s seat in a head-to-head matchup on Nov. 7.
Alabama should cruise to another SEC Championship on the strength of Henry’s legs against Florida on Saturday. Barring an otherworldly performance by Clemson’s Deshaun Watson or Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey it will be on to New York City where the junior will become the first running back since the Crimson Tide’s Mark Ingram Jr. in 2009 to life the trophy.
Henry currently has 1,797 rushing yards and can eclipse the 2,000-yard mark with a big day against the Gators. He’s found the end zone 22 times for arguably the best team in college football. He’s a marvel to watch. At 6-foot-3, 242 pounds he inflicts more pain on tacklers than they inflict on him.
He looks and plays like a Heisman Trophy winner — and does it on the biggest stage.
So why, then, isn’t there the same buzz surrounding his season as other recent winners?
Some of it can be attributed to his position. The last five Heisman winners have been dynamic, play-making quarterbacks. Marcus Mariota. Jameis Winston. Johnny Manziel. Robert Griffin III. Cam Newton.
Some can be attributed to the offensive system.
All five of the above quarterbacks led offenses that finished in the top four nationally in points per game. This year Alabama is 34th, averaging 34.5. In 2009 with Ingram, the Tide finished 22nd (32.1). Since 2004, the next fewest per contest with a Heisman winner on offense was 34.1 by Troy Smith-led Ohio State in 2006.
Despite Lane Kiffin’s innovations, no one is accusing of Nick Saban’s club of playing uptempo basketball on grass. And it’s logical that premier offensive players aide in overall scoring.
Another factor may be the way Henry runs. He’s a hulking force who always falls forward for the extra yard, everything you want from a workhorse ball-control back. But he lacks the spectacular jump cuts and video game moves to translate into shareable GIFs and Vines. Compare his big moments this year with those authored by McCaffrey and Fournette.
They lack a certain je ne sais quoi.
Admittedly, stunning highlights are dessert. Meaningful production is the meat and potatoes. In suggesting Henry is a less exciting and transcendent player than recent winners is to take nothing away from him. But the way college football is consumed has changed. It’s no longer enough for a player to simply be the best. He must astound in an increasingly crowded landscape.
Part of it could also be because Henry suffers the same big-man bias prevalent in basketball. He’s the Dwight Howard to Manziel’s Steph Curry. The Shaquille O’Neal to Griffin III’s James Harden. Neutral observers would rather watch Baylor’s offense than watch Stanford’s. Big plays in space sell. It seems crazy to suggest 6.1 yards per carry is plodding and yet the current state of college football makes it so.
There’s also the undeniable Alabama fatigue, which I’ll admit may factor into the way I view Henry. Right or wrong there’s a faction of people who are sick of hearing about yet another premier player in Tuscaloosa. It’s good problem to have if you’re Alabama. It’s also not entirely fair to Henry.
Finally, it may just be that we’ve had a remarkable sting of Heisman winners that combined on-field excellence and big personalities. It’d be tough for any player to match the intrigue provided by Winston, Manziel and Newton both on and off the field. Depending on your personal outlook, a deviation from that trend is a good thing.
Henry deserves all the credit. He’ll win the sport’s top individual prize by doing it his way. And he has his team competing for a national title.
His accomplishments will be forever remembered alongside other winners. He just won’t be one of the first that comes to people’s minds.
Image via USA Today Sports