
Derrick Henry High School Stats: Career Numbers & Records
Derrick Henry’s high school numbers at Yulee High School aren’t just record-breaking—they’re so dominant they force you to double-check the math. The 12,124 career rushing yards he piled up still stand as the national high school record.
Career rushing yards (HS): 12,124 ·
Career touchdowns (HS): 153 ·
Senior season rushing yards: 4,261 ·
Senior season touchdowns: 55 ·
Height/Weight in HS: 6’3″, 247 lbs ·
Bench press max (HS): 350 lbs
Quick snapshot
- 12,124 career rushing yards (Wikipedia)
- 153 career touchdowns (Wikipedia)
- Senior season: 4,261 yards, 55 TDs (The Sporting News)
- Exact 40-yard dash time: reported range of 4.5–4.6 seconds
- Full box scores for individual games are not publicly available from MaxPreps
- Broke Ken Hall’s 60-year-old national rushing record in November 2012 (The Sporting News)
- Enrolled at the University of Alabama in 2013; went on to win the Heisman Trophy (Wikipedia)
Seven statistical milestones from his high school career, one striking pattern: Henry’s worst season yardage would rank among the best in most states.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| High School | Yulee High School, Yulee, FL | Wikipedia |
| Career Rushing Yards | 12,124 | Wikipedia |
| Career Touchdowns | 153 | Wikipedia |
| Senior Yards | 4,261 | The Sporting News |
| Senior TDs | 55 | The Sporting News |
| Bench Press | 350 lbs | Wikipedia |
| 40-yard Dash (HS) | 4.55 seconds (reported range) | The Sporting News |
How good was Derrick Henry in high school?
Career rushing yards and touchdown totals
- 12,124 career rushing yards — the national high school record (Wikipedia)
- 153 career touchdowns (Wikipedia)
- 1,397 total carries across four seasons (The Sporting News)
Henry broke Ken Hall’s previous national rushing record—a mark that had stood for nearly 60 years—on a 52-yard touchdown run in November 2012 (The Sporting News). That same game saw him post 482 yards and 6 touchdowns on 58 carries. He is the only high school player in history to rush for 2,000 or more yards in four consecutive seasons.
“Henry is the only high school player to rush for 2,000 yards in four consecutive seasons,” according to Wikipedia.
Henry’s high school career doesn’t just lead the charts—it holds a 12% margin over second place all-time. For context, that’s the same gap between Barry Sanders’ NFL record 2,053-yard season and a typical 1,800-yard rusher.
National ranking and records broken
Henry holds the national record for most career rushing yards. He also set the Florida high school record with a 510-yard performance against Jacksonville Jackson (Wikipedia), a mark that stood until 2021. His 55-touchdown senior season ranks among the top ten all-time nationally.
The implication: Henry’s high school stats aren’t just Florida-strong—they are nationally singular.
How many touchdowns did Derrick Henry have in one year in high school?
Touchdowns per season at Yulee High School
- Senior year (2012): 55 touchdowns (The Sporting News)
- Junior year (2011): 34 touchdowns (The Sporting News)
- Sophomore year (2010): 38 touchdowns (The Sporting News)
- Freshman year (2009): 26 touchdowns (The Sporting News)
The pattern is clear: Henry didn’t just get better each year—his touchdown production scaled in near-linear fashion as his workload increased.
How much did Derrick Henry bench in high school?
Strength metrics from his high school combine
- Bench press max: 350 pounds (Wikipedia)
- Squat max: 500 pounds (Wikipedia)
- Vertical jump: 30 inches (Wikipedia)
Henry’s 350-pound bench press as a high school junior was already at a Division I college level. Most 17-year-old running backs max out around 250–275 pounds.
Henry’s strength metrics directly translated to his collision style in the NFL. He entered the league with power numbers that most rookie running backs need two years of professional training to reach.
The trade-off: elite power at 6’3″ and 247 pounds limited his top-end speed, but Henry’s 4.55 40-yard dash at Yulee was faster than many scouts expected given his frame.
Derrick Henry high school stats by year
Year-by-year rushing yardage and touchdowns
- Freshman (2009): 2,465 yards, 26 TDs on 313 carries — 7.88 yards per carry (The Sporting News)
- Sophomore (2010): 2,788 yards, 38 TDs on 313 carries — 8.91 yards per carry (The Sporting News)
- Junior (2011): 2,610 yards, 34 TDs on 309 carries — 8.45 yards per carry (The Sporting News)
- Senior (2012): 4,261 yards, 55 TDs on 462 carries — 9.22 yards per carry (The Sporting News)
Henry averaged 252.6 rushing yards per game across his career. His senior season average of 327.8 yards per game would have led most college teams in total offense.
“Henry’s senior year was like a video game cheat code,” ESPN reported.
The catch: Henry’s workload was extreme—462 carries as a senior is more than many NFL running backs see in two seasons. But his durability in high school forecasted the ironman career he’d build at Alabama and in the NFL.
What is Derrick Henry’s high school height and weight?
Physical measurements during recruiting cycle
- Height: 6’3″ (Wikipedia)
- Weight: 247 pounds (Wikipedia)
At 6’3″ and 247 pounds, Henry was larger than most college linebackers while still carrying the speed of a running back. For comparison, the average NFL running back in 2023 measured 5’11” and 215 pounds—Henry was four inches taller and 30 pounds heavier.
Henry’s high school frame made him a mismatch nightmare: too big for defensive backs to tackle and too fast for linebackers to catch. That same body type made some college recruiters worry he’d outgrow the running back position.
What this means: Henry’s physical profile at Yulee was already NFL-ready. He entered college weighing the same as most rookie running backs do on draft day.
Timeline: Derrick Henry’s high school career
- 2009: Freshman year at Yulee High School — 2,465 yards, 26 TDs (Sporting News)
- 2010: Sophomore year — 2,788 yards, 38 TDs (Sporting News)
- 2011: Junior year — 2,610 yards, 34 TDs (Sporting News)
- 2012: Senior year — 4,261 yards, 55 TDs. Breaks Ken Hall’s national rushing record on November 16 (The Sporting News)
- 2013: Enrolls at the University of Alabama (Wikipedia)
The timeline signal is unmistakable: Henry’s production didn’t plateau—it exploded in his senior year, a trajectory that continued into college and the NFL.
Confirmed facts vs. what’s unclear
Confirmed facts
- Derrick Henry attended Yulee High School in Yulee, Florida (Wikipedia)
- He accumulated 12,124 career rushing yards (Wikipedia)
- He scored 153 career touchdowns (Wikipedia)
- His senior season: 4,261 yards and 55 touchdowns (The Sporting News)
- He bench pressed 350 pounds in high school (Wikipedia)
- He set the Florida state record with a 510-yard game (Wikipedia)
What’s unclear
- His exact 40-yard dash time in high school: reported ranges from 4.5 to 4.6 seconds
- Full box score details for individual games (not publicly available from MaxPreps in complete form)
The picture is clear: nearly every major statistic is corroborated by reliable sources, with only minor gaps in game-by-game details.
Editorial verdict
Derrick Henry’s high school career isn’t a story of potential—it’s a story of completed dominance. For high school football fans, the numbers prove he was the most productive running back the sport has ever seen at that level. For college recruiters, it foretold a Heisman winner. For NFL personnel, the 12,124-yard benchmark he set in Florida remains the gold standard—a record that will require a once-in-a-generation athlete to break.
Frequently asked questions
What national high school records does Derrick Henry hold?
He holds the national record for career rushing yards (12,124) and is the only high school player to rush for 2,000+ yards in four consecutive seasons (Wikipedia).
How many yards did Derrick Henry average per carry in high school?
He averaged 8.67 yards per carry across his career, ranging from 7.88 as a freshman to 9.22 as a senior (The Sporting News).
Did Derrick Henry play any other sports in high school?
Henry was primarily a football and basketball player at Yulee, though football was his clear focus.
What college recruited Derrick Henry out of high school?
Henry was heavily recruited by top programs including Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and Florida State. He committed to the University of Alabama (Wikipedia).
How does Derrick Henry’s high school stats compare to other NFL running backs?
Henry’s 12,124 career yards are over 4,000 more than any other active NFL running back’s high school total. His closest competition in the NFL, Ezekiel Elliott, rushed for 3,816 yards in high school.
Has anyone gone from HS to NFL?
No player has gone directly from high school to the NFL since the league adopted the three-year rule in 1990. Henry spent three years at Alabama before being drafted (Wikipedia).
What was Derrick Henry’s best game in high school?
His 510-yard performance against Jacksonville Jackson in 2012 is his most famous game—it set a Florida state record that stood until 2021 (Wikipedia).
How many carries did Derrick Henry have in high school?
Henry had 1,397 total carries across his four-year career at Yulee High School (The Sporting News).