RB Derrick Henry and Assistant Head Coach/Running Backs Coach Willie Taggart
Willie Taggart Opening Statement: "Welcome. Thank you all for being here today for a great announcement. As you can see, I'm excited. I know Derrick [Henry] is excited, and our entire organization is excited about Derrick being here with us for a few more years, so [we're] excited about it. Derrick, I know you're excited to be here, and I remember getting a text from you. 'Fired up about being back and looking forward to it.'"
Derrick Henry Opening Statement: "First and foremost, I want to give a big thanks to the [Steve] Bisciotti family, [executive vice president and general manager] Eric DeCosta and his staff and Raven Nation, Flock Nation, for all the support, and [to] 'EDC' and Mr. Bisciotti for giving me the opportunity to be able to get this extension. I'm very grateful and blessed to be in this position. I couldn't do it without my teammates who helped me get in this position to receive a blessing like this, and I give all the glory to God and always keep God first. [I'd like to] thank my family, my girl, my daughters, [who are] my motivation, and I'm just grateful to be able to be in this league this long and get another opportunity like this."
Derrick, once you finally got the contract extension done, what does it mean to you to for the Ravens to go and commit to you for even more than what it was last year, as well? (Jamison Hensley)
(HENRY) "I'm just very grateful for this organization. Just like last year, coming off the season I had [in Tennessee], I wasn't really happy, and I wanted to prove myself and just get an opportunity, and they gave me the opportunity. I'm very appreciative of how much they value me, to give me an extension, and I just want to show them how much it means to me, how much this organization means to me by the way I work and what I do on the field."
Derrick, when we first talked to you last year after you initially signed, I'm sure this was an eye-opening experience for you after how long you've been in Tennessee. At what point of your first season in Baltimore did you kind of figure, "OK, this is definitely where I want to be. I know my contract, but if we could extend this even more, this is the place I want to be able to potentially finish my career at"? (Jeff Zrebiec)
(HENRY) "Yes, just embarking on a new journey ... I was in Tennessee for eight years, so coming here, everything was new, and all I wanted to do is gain my respect from my teammates and everybody in this organization by the work and carry myself. Over time, as I got here, I just fell in love with everything, with the brotherhood, by the way work, how they approach everything, and then get into the season [was] just like icing on the cake. I know we came up short, but it was a lot of fun, and we have a lot of great players – a lot of top players in this league, playmakers – so it's always fun when you have guys around you that are [at] top of their position and can change the game at any point."
Derrick, along those lines you mentioned QB Lamar Jackson was one of the reasons you came here and so forth. I don't know if you've had thought about it all, but as you sort of look back on last season, what was that like in terms of you two playing together and what you could do and what you think you guys can do going forward? (Brian Wacker)
(HENRY) "Yes, I really enjoyed last season a lot, because like I said, I was in Tennessee for eight years. Being able to play alongside a player like Lamar [Jackson], the best player in the league, it was just dynamic and a lot of fun. There's a lot of young guys on the offense and on this team, so I feel like they give me youth and give me a lot of energy. Last year, it was a lot of fun. We accomplished winning the division, got into the playoffs, but ultimately, we came up short, so it's a lot of fuel that should go into this season. Guys should be motivated – they are motivated – and hungry to get ready for the next one."
Willie, obviously this was a pairing that worked out really well- the Ravens and RB Derrick Henry. If you were to summarize why, why is Derrick such a great fit here in Baltimore? (Ryan Mink)
(TAGGART) "[Derrick Henry] fits our identity as an organization, and I think he fits Baltimore as a city and what the city stands for. When you watch him play, and you watch the Ravens play ... When you always watched the Ravens play, it was always dominating and physical, and when you watch Derrick run, it's dominating and physical. You think about our city; we're dominating and physical, so I think he just fit everything about Baltimore and the Ravens organization. Everyone I talked to about the Ravens organization, before I got here and now being a part of it, it's always been top notch. The Ravens organization is one of the best in the league, and then Derrick came here, and he's top notch and one of the best running backs in the league, and he just fit everything about us."
Derrick, going back to playing with QB Lamar Jackson, I know when you signed your first contract here, people were asking about your age and everything. Did playing by Lamar allow you to do what you did last year with maybe some less wear and tear? (Giana Han)
(HENRY) "Yes, definitely. [Lamar Jackson] is just so dynamic. You have to account for him every single play, and eyes are going to be on him, just by the player he is with his arm and with his legs. For me, that makes me happy, so I get more opportunities, and [defenses] have to account for him just as much as they account for me. So, it's fun playing alongside him and all these guys on the offense. [There are] just playmakers all around, and I know he has a lot of fun. You guys see the highlights and the plays he makes. These guys love playing for him, and I love being his teammate."
Derrick, I think if you get over 1,300 yards this year, you'll go into the Top 10 all time for NFL rushing yards. How important is that for you, because now you're getting into really big, historical categories now? (Jamison Hensley)
(HENRY) "When you say something like that, it's a surreal moment to be able to have that opportunity and be in that conversation. God has blessed me, tremendously, and since I was five years old, I fell in love with this game. Playing this position, I always looked up to the great running backs who played this game at a high level, who are legends of the game, dreaming of my game being mentioned with them one day. For me to somewhat have that opportunity, it's so surreal, and God is so good. I've had a lot of people throughout my life to help me get to this point."
Derrick, have you had any conversations with RBs Keaton Mitchell and Justice Hill since signing your extension? What are you looking forward to building upon with them? (Carita Parks)
(HENRY) "Yes, they just told me congratulations, which I really appreciated. We have so much fun in that room, and we all are so competitive. All we want to do is make each other better. They are like brothers to me. We always try to help each other get better [in] any aspect that we can. 'Coach Tag' [assistant head coach and running backs Willie Taggart] makes sure that we are on our details, [that] we're doing what we need to do, getting the best out of us when we're on the field and letting it translate from the position meetings to the field, so we can be at our best, and that's all we want for each other."
Willie, along those lines, how does RB Derrick Henry set the tone in that running back room for that group as a whole? (Garrett Downing)
(TAGGART) "I think it's been great. You take a guy like Derrick [Henry] who's played at a high level his entire career, and to come in, and the way he practices, the way he takes meetings and for those younger guys to see that, I mean, it sets an example for them. They're all young. They all want to have a career like Derrick's, and to see that he's this deep into his career, and he's still taking it as if he was a rookie – it has changed our room dramatically. Those guys come in, and they want to be on top of their game. They don't want make a mistake. They don't want to tick Derrick off, but more importantly, they want to play at a level, at a standard, that Derrick has set from the beginning. It's been fun being in there and watching all those guys grow and all those guys getting confident each and every day. I think that by itself is going to help them become a better football player."
Willie, you know the stereotypes about running backs when they hit a certain age. Why do you think RB Derrick Henry defies that? When you look at a contract like this, it's clear the organization is not worried or concerned by the age. Why do you think he kind of makes that not matter in a lot of ways? (Jeff Zrebiec)
(TAGGART) "Well, I think if you watch his work ethic, and you see the way he works on and off the field, how he takes care of his body, and then just to watch him out there. You don't see a downside. He's still getting stronger, if you ask me, but the way that he works, and then the performance. If you look at the performance he had last year – one of his better years – and that's nine years in. That's big time, but Derrick works hard. It's important to him. He told you guys a minute ago; he wants to win Super Bowl, and I know he's going to do everything he can to help this football team accomplish that."
Willie, what does it mean for you to see Baltimore be such an attractive place for running backs to come and produce and the reputation you guys have? (Noah Trister)
(TAGGART) "Well, it's great. Like I said a minute ago, Derrick [Henry] fits our identity as a football program [and] organization, and to continue to have good running backs come in here and setting the standard, again, what we're going to be – it's exciting. I'm excited to have him for a couple more years here with us and being able to watch him go do what he does best, and that's run the football and run through people and make all of us excited, by scoring touchdowns."
Derrick, how quickly did this come together? I know you had said earlier in the offseason that you would like to finish your career here, so how quickly did the process come together, and was it significant to you to get paid more than any age 30-plus running backs have ever gotten? (Jeff Zrebiec)
(HENRY) "Anytime there's a negotiation between two sides, it might take some time. That's just the business side of things. When you both want to get something done, then it'll eventually happen, but I'll just stay patient and let my representatives [and] my agent, talk to them and see how far we've come. We finally got to an agreement which I was happy with, but [I'm] not so much focused on being the highest-paid 30-year-old [running back] in the NFL ever, but just both of us coming to an agreement where it made sense on both sides, and us both being happy with it. I'm very happy that we were finally able to get that done."
Derrick, if you look throughout your career at the professional and collegiate levels, the consistency has always been there. And even at times, talking about the age of running backs, it seems like people wait for a cliff that hasn't shown up yet. How much pride do you take in the consistency and the elite-ness that you play with every year? (Cordell Woodland)
(HENRY) "I want to be great, so no matter how good it is or no matter how bad it is, I'm always focused on [myself and] trying to get better each and every day and each and every way I can. For you to be great, you've got to focus on being consistent. You've got to outwork everybody, and that's the approach I try to take every single day I wake up. Even the days you don't want to, you've got to find a way, and I think as long as you focus and [are] determined to your goals and what you want to do and the player you want to be, what your play and how [the way] you carry yourself helps your team, I think you're going to do whatever you can to make that happen and accomplish everything you want to accomplish as a team, and if you have individual goals, as well."
How important has the support of your family been throughout your career, and especially now for you to make the decision to stay two more years in Baltimore? (David Andrade)
(HENRY) "They're excited. My family is my backbone. That's my support. Whatever decision I make, they're going to support me, regardless, and they're definitely happy that we were able to work through it and get an extension done so I can be here for a couple more years. They love it here. They love the city [and] love the organization. We're all happy and excited, for sure."
When you signed the contract, do you think, "OK, now I can finish my career here," or do you think, "you know what, maybe I can maybe play beyond this contract"? (Jamison Hensley)
(HENRY) "[I'm] just focused on this year and then focused on continuing to get better year after year that I'm here. That's always going to be my focus. I love football. I love playing. I know people look at [my] age, but I don't really try to focus on that. I just focus on, 'How can Derrick Henry be better? How can Derrick Henry help the Ravens get to where they want to get to and me being the best teammate I can be to my teammates?'"
Derrick, you mentioned not being happy with last season in terms of how it ended. How long does something like that take you to get over, and how much does that play into the motivation and how quickly you're back at it again? (Brian Wacker)
(HENRY) "You never get over it. You just deal with it, because that's just what it is. When you get the opportunity again, you try to make it a different outcome, especially on my part and how I play. I think everybody who is on this team feels that same way, but I think you've got to put the work in for that to be able to happen, and then when we're all here, we push each other, hold each other accountable and make each other better, so when we're on that field, it all comes together, and we all get what we want at the end of the day."
Personally, what do you need to do to get over the hump to make and win a Super Bowl? (Kevin Richardson)
(HENRY) "I always think I can do my job a lot better than I did last season. The saying is, 'You're only as good as your last game,' and I don't think my last game was up to par to my standard. I think when I'm in that position again, just play better, but right now, I just focused on getting better, improving, getting stronger, working on my weaknesses and improving things that I'm good at to be able to help his team and be better than I was last year just so that we're better."
Derrick, a lot of times these press conference guys roll in about 20 minutes before signing a deal and talk to us. It seems like you were here very early this morning. Is that accurate? (Jeff Zrebiec)
(HENRY) "Yes, I was. I got 30 minutes of sleep." (Reporter: "What's that?") "Off of 30 minutes of sleep. Yes, I got in here early this morning and worked out, but I just had some flight trouble. [There was some] bad weather in Dallas, and the flight got a little delayed, so I got in really late. Once I got in, it was almost time to get here. I think I got home at 4:45 in the morning, and I wanted to get here at six [o'clock], so I thought, 'I'm just going to stay up and just get here and go work out.'"
So, you stayed for a workout after signing? (Jamison Hensley)
(HENRY) "No, I worked out before. I wanted to go sleep, but I just couldn't. I just stayed up. I was like, 'I'm just going to wait and then go to the facility.'"
How quickly after the season are you back in the gym? (Brian Wacker)
(HENRY) "I think I waited like a week after we played Buffalo, and my mind was going crazy. I was like, 'I've got to go work out,' so I just came back here and started working out. I couldn't wait anymore. I couldn't hold off, so I came back to the facility."
Does it matter to you at all that last season ended in Buffalo, and now in Week 1, you guys are right back in there playing them again? (Cordell Woodland)
(HENRY) "No, not really, because it's a new season. They won that game. You can't do [anything] about the past, but you can do something when we play them [in] Week 1. They were the better team in the playoffs, and that's why they advanced, so we've got to focus on being the better team when we see them in Week 1."
Derrick, just a big picture question for you. You're from Yulee, Florida, and they take a lot of pride in you and your NFL career. What does it mean to you to have the longevity and success that you've had in the league and being a role model that young kids back in Yulee are looking up to? (Carita Parks)
(HENRY) "Yes, I take very much pride in that and being someone that the youth can look up to and admire, because I was that same kid back in the day. I'm very grateful to be able to play this long and have these opportunities, and all I want to do is open doors up for kids in Yulee and Jacksonville and the whole '904' [area], Duval [County] and Nassau County area, and kids all over that I've [met], and just being an inspiration to go out there and wanting to be somebody and do something. Have dreams, have aspirations, work hard in school, work hard in sports, whatever your desire is to get what you want out of life. I take pride in that, and hopefully, I can continue to inspire kids in Yulee and kids all over to go be somebody and do something special in life."
Willie, I know when you're dealing with Derrick, a lot of times throughout the season you're focused on practices and games. Do you ever take time to think about how you're connected right now to a guy that's going to be considered one of the all-time greats? Do you ever think about things like that? (Jamison Hensley)
(TAGGART) "Not really. Derrick [Henry] is just a normal guy. When he comes in, just like a normal player, he wants to get better. You don't really think about, during the time, all of his accomplishments. I think once the season is over with, and you start watching film and seeing what he's doing, you start looking like, 'Wow.' And then you get excited again. When he signed the contract, I was excited. I'm going to watch this film for a couple more years, but he's such a great player, and I just can't mess him up. I have to make sure I don't mess him up, but I will say this: Derrick has made me a better coach. A guy that's nine years in, he comes in, and every play, Derrick wants to know what he did well and what he didn't do well, and he wants to know right then and there. So, you, as a coach, have got to be on top of it, but you love that, too, because he wants to be great and all the other guys see that, and that's what you're shooting for. That's what you love as a coach, a guy that wants to be great and wants to work at it and wants to be the best to help this football team."
Derrick, overall, big-picture question about the offense. There's a lot of stability in that group. Most players are returning. You added WR DeAndre Hopkins to the group. What do you feel like is the ceiling for this offense? (Jeff Zrebiec)
(HENRY) "I'm not going to get into any expectations because, like I said before, everything looks good on paper until you go out there and actually do it. We know what we're capable of and what we can do, but we know the work we've got to put in to do those things and get where we want to go and be one of the top offenses in the league. It's a lot of work we've still got to put in. We've got a lot of great players around the offense, and you've got to put the work in individually, and then we all get together collectively to do those things to be a top team, top offense and do things special that we want to do to get to where we want to go."
