During the 2023 season, Derrick Henry replaced Shaun Alexander as the career leader for NFL rushing yards by a player from an Alabama high school or college. In the 2024 season, the Baltimore Ravens running back could do the same for career touches.
With 280 rushing attempts and 28 receptions in 2023, Henry pushed his career total to 2,185 touches, making him the fifth player with Alabama football roots to surpass 2,000 in the NFL.
Alexander had 2,402 touches in his NFL career, leaving Henry needing 218 to move into first place. Henry has surpassed that total in each of the past six seasons, including 2021, when a broken foot limited him to eight games.
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San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey led the NFL in touches in 2023 with 339 – 272 rushing attempts and 67 receptions. That was the lowest league-leading figure since Washington Redskins running back Earnest Byner topped the NFL with 328 touches in 1990.
McCaffrey broke a streak of three straight seasons in which a former Alabama running back led the NFL in touches. Henry led the league with 397 with the Tennessee Titans in 2020, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris as a rookie in 2021 and Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs had 393 in 2022, when he won the NFL rushing crown.
Now with the Green Bay Packers, Jacobs is 25 touches away from reaching the Alabama-roots top 10.
Henry’s 2020 total is the most in one season for a player from an Alabama high school and college. He surpassed the 1983 workload of 390 touches for Atlanta Falcons running back William Andrews for the Alabama-roots record.
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The top 10 players with Alabama roots in NFL touches include:
1. Shaun Alexander, Alabama: 2,402 touches
Seattle Seahawks 2000-2007, Washington Redskins 2008: 2,187 rushing attempts and 215 receptions for 10,973 yards
2. Derrick Henry, Alabama: 2,185 touches
Tennessee Titans 2016-2023: 2,030 rushing attempts and 155 receptions for 10,960 yards
3. Stephen Davis, Auburn: 2,124 touches
Washington Redskins 1996-2002, Carolina Panthers 2003-2005, St. Louis Rams 2006: 1,945 rushing attempts and 179 receptions for 9,546 yards
4. Mark Ingram, Alabama: 2,120 touches
New Orleans Saints 2011-2018, 2021-2022 Baltimore Ravens 2019-2020, Houston Texans 2021: 1,817 rushing attempts and 303 receptions for 10,236 yards
5. James Brooks, Auburn: 2,068 touches
San Diego Chargers 1981-1983, Cincinnati Bengals 1984-1991, Cleveland Browns 1992, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1992: 1,685 rushing attempts and 383 receptions for 11,583 yards
6. Antowain Smith, Stanhope Elmore High School: 1,920 touches
Buffalo Bills 1997-2000, New England Patriots 2001-2003, Tennessee Titans 2004, New Orleans Saints 2005: 1,784 rushing attempts and 136 receptions for 7,863 yards
7. Rudi Johnson, Auburn: 1,630 touches
Cincinnati Bengals 2001-2007, Detroit Lions 2008: 1,517 rushing attempts and 113 receptions for 6,655 yards
8. William Andrews, Auburn: 1,592 touches
Atlanta Falcons 1979-1983, 1986: 1,315 rushing attempts and 277 receptions for 8,633 yards
9. Joe Cribbs, Sulligent High School, Auburn: 1,533 touches
Buffalo Bills 1980-1983, 1985, San Francisco 49ers 1986-1987, Indianapolis Colts 1988, Miami Dolphins 1988: 1,309 rushing attempts and 224 receptions for 7,555 yards
10. Ronnie Brown, Auburn: 1,527 touches
Miami Dolphins 2005-2010, Philadelphia Eagles 2011, Houston Texans 2014, San Diego Chargers 2012-2013, 2014: 1,281 rushing attempts and 246 receptions for 7,357 yards
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @AMarkG1.