Having celebrated his 30th birthday on January 4, many assumed that the man nicknamed King Henry had his best years behind him. Used to excess and working within the ordinary Tennessee Titans, it was legitimate to believe that he was not going to keep up the pace at 30 years old.
The Baltimore Ravens, however, decided to take a chance on the giant carrier (six feet two inches and 247 pounds) by offering him a low-risk two-year contract valued at 8 million per year.
By placing him alongside their very mobile quarterback Lamar Jackson, the Maryland representatives thought it would potentially create havoc. The teams would no longer know where to head and would not have the chance to fill the defensive box to neutralize Henry given the complementary threat of Jackson.
And they were right! Not only did Henry still have some left in the tank, but he might even have the most productive season of his illustrious career.
After the electrifying Thursday night duel against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Florida native boasts 1,120 yards, an average of 6.1 yards per carry (a career high) and, above all, 14 touchdowns in ten games. His 14 visits to the pay zone have already surpassed his total for the entire 2023 campaign. To give you an idea of his dominance, before Thursday’s game, Henry had more rushing yards than his entire production ground of 16 NFL teams.
If he maintains the pace, the King could score 24 touchdowns, which would shatter his previous personal record of 18. This is without forgetting that he could approach the plateau of 2000 yards rushing for the second occasion of his career after the 2027 amassed during the 2020 campaign. He currently has a projection of 1904 yards.
In NFL history, only Henry, OJ Simpson, Eric Dickerson, Barry Sanders, Terrell Davis, Jamal Lewis and Chris Johnson and Adrian Peterson have achieved this. None of these have done it more than once. If he became the first to do so on two occasions, he would automatically enter the discussion for recognition as one of the best ever to play the position.
A lot of effort behind this success
To be able to offer such a level on the pitch at the start of his thirties, Henry made colossal investments. According to information revealed by Fox journalist Tom Rinaldi, the ball carrier spends approximately $250,000 annually for the maintenance of his body, including training, recovery, massage, etc.
When it comes to nutrition, Henry doesn’t skimp on efforts either. He eats no fried foods, no dairy, no gluten and no artificial sugars. It is also his private chef who prepares all his meals for him.
During the NFL season, he said in interviews that he doesn’t eat his first meal before noon, allowing himself a banana or avocado before practices from time to time. However, on recovery days, he may wait until 4 or 5 p.m. before eating his first meal. During the off season, it can go to 1 p.m. or 2 p.m.
When he eats, it is certainly difficult as he can ingest astronomical quantities of food.
“I can probably eat three chicken breasts, rice and broccoli. Then, I have gluten-free pancakes, scrambled eggs, potatoes, home fries and steak,” he said in an interview on the show Good Morning Football.
As for the training, it’s just as impressive. He performs ten sprints on a 100-yard hill, hammer grip bicep curls with 80-pound weights and Bulgarian squats with 120-pound dumbbells. Just that! Added to this are cryotherapy, massages, hyperbaric oxygenation therapy, time in an infrared sauna and physiotherapy.
Seeing Henry’s dedication to being at the top of his game is a big part of why he’s able to push the boundaries of decline as a running back.
When he retires, he will be entitled to his golden jacket and a special place among football immortals in the Hall of Fame.
