The Tennessee Titans surprised the world in the 2007 NFL draft. Instead of drafting a wide receiver or a cornerback they did something unthinkable. They drafted a running back. They drafted running back Chris Henry from the University of Arizona. The Titans have had a history of producing great running backs. They have runners such as Eddie George, Travis Henry and Chris Brown. they have now added another great back to this collection with the selection of Travis Henry.
Chris Henry was not exactly the greatest college player. As a freshman he only played in two games due to a leg injury. His sophomore year he ran for a grand total of 159 yards. Finally during his Junior season he eventually got the starting job and rushed for 581 yards and 7 touchdowns. Not exactly super stats. Not exactly the stats of a guy you would draft early in the NFL draft. But that is exactly what happened.
Henry displayed great numbers during his NFL combine. He ran the 40 yard dash in exactly 4.33 seconds. He lifted an incredible 225lbs with twenty-six reps. Combine all of this with a 32 inch vertical leap and you have a player that is very attractive to NFL teams. Even better, Chris Henry was very fresh because he did not have a lot of carries in college. With the 50th pick in the 2007 NFL draft, the Tennessee Titans selected Chris Henry from the University of Arizona.
Chris Henry is a unique combination of power and speed. He has the ability to break a big run to the outside and also has the power to run up the middle and take a big hit. This combination is the same combination found in other great backs like Steven Jackson, Larry Johnson and Jamal Lewis. He is a super fit for Tennessee because he complements LenDale White well. He is a great change of pace back. As he learns to find the holes in the NFL and learns to be a blocker he will improve greatly. Look for Henry to eventually be ‘the guy’ in Tennessee’s running game.
Henry did recently get in trouble. He received a four-game suspension for violating the leagues substance abuse policy. It’s one of those cases where he was taking something and didn’t know all of the ingredients in the substance. Henry is appealing the suspension and the Titans are confident this will not be an ongoing problem.
I really expect to see Henry emerge as a great back in the NFL. The Titans took somewhat of a risk by drafting the back with his lack of collegiate experience. His speed and power however has made him a player in the NFL. Look out in the future for Titans Running Back Chris Henry.
