Welcome into the Ravens Press Past podcast. As Monday, May nineteenth, the Ravens had a press conference today with running back Derek Henry. He was in the building to put pen to paper on a new contract extension that will keep him here in Baltimore through the twenty twenty seventh season. After signing that deal, Henry met with the media alongside running backs coach Willie Taggert.
Welcome, thank you all for being here today for a great announcement. As you can see, I'm excited. I know Derek excited, and our entire organization is excited about Derek being here with us for a few more years. You know, so excited about it, Derek, I know you excited to be here, and remember getting a text from you, fired up about being back and looking forward to it.
First and foremost, we want to give a big thing instead of a shotty family, Eric Tacassa and his staff and Raven Nation, Flocked nation for all the support and you know, a d C and Missa give me opportunity to be able to get this extension, and you know, I'm very grateful and blessed to be in this position.
Couldn't do it up my teammates who helped me.
Get in this position to receive a blessing like this, and I'll give all the glory to God.
And you know, always keep God first.
State my family, my girl, my my daughter's my motivation, and I'm just grateful to be able to be in his lead this long and get another opportunity like this.
I mean, once you finally got it got it done. What what does it mean to you to kind of you know, for the reasons to.
Go and you know, commit to you for even more than you know was last year as well.
You know, I'm just very grateful for this organization. You know, just like last year, calling off the season I had, you know, I wasn't really happy, and you know, I wanted to prove myself and just get an opportunity, and they gave me the opportunity. And you know, I very appreciative of how much you know, they value me to to give me an extension, and you know, I just want to show them how much it means to me, how much this organization means to me by the way I work in what I do in the field.
Deer at this when we first talked to you last year, after you initially signed. I'm sure you know this is 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, Okay, this is definitely where I want to be. I know my contract, but we could extend this even more as this is the place I want to be potentially finished my career.
Right yeah, I think just embarking on a new journey. You know, I was in Tennessee for eight years, so come here. Everything was new and all I wanted to do is is gained my respect from my form, my teammates and everybody in this organization by the way I work.
And carried myself.
And over time as I got here, you know, I just you know, fell in love with with everything, with the brotherhood, by the way they work, how they approach everything. And then getting to the seasons, it's like icing on the cake, you know. I know we came up short, but it was it was a lot of fun. And you know, we have a lot of great players, a lot of top players in this league, uh playmakers. So it's always fun when you got guys around you that
are at the top of the position. And can change the game at any point.
Derek along those lines, Uh, you mentioned I think you know war was one of the reasons you came here and so forth. I don't know if you've had thought about it at all, but did you sort of look back on the last year. What was that like in terms of YouTube playing together from what you could do and what you find guys can do going forward.
Yeah, I really enjoyed last season a lot, you know, cause like I said, I was in Tendesse for for eight years, and being being able to play alongside a player at like Lamar, best player in the league. It was just a dynamic and a lot of fun. You know, there's a lot of young guys on offense and on this team, so I feel like they they give me youth and get and give me a lot of energy. And you know last year, Uh, it was a lot
of fun. We accomplished uh when the division you know, got into the playoffs, but you know, ultimately we came up short. So I mean it's a lot of a few of that should should go into the season. Guys should be motivated. I'm motivated and hungry, uh to get ready for the next one.
Willie obviously this was a pairing that worked out really well.
If you were to summarize why, why is there such a great fit here in Baltimore. Oh, I think he fits our our our identity as a organization and fit. I think he fits Baltimore at a s as a city and and what the city stands for, you know, And when you watch him play and you watch the Raven play, when you always watched the Raven play, it was always dominating and physical. And when you watch Derrick run, it's dominating physical, you know, and you think about our city,
We're dominating and physical. So I think he just fit everything about Baltimore and the Ravens organization. And you know, everyone I talked to about the raven 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 leagues.
And and then Therek came here and he's top notch and uh on the best running backs in the league, and and he just fit everything about us.
There.
Going about to playing with Lamar, you know, when you signed your first count here were asking about age and everything sh did claim as Lamar while you.
Did you when you did last year?
And maybe he's some clusper in there. Yeah, I think definitely. I mean he's just so dynamic.
You know, you gotta count from every single play and i's are gonna gonna be on him just you know about the player he is, uh with his arm and with his legs, And for me, that makes me happy. So you know, I get more opportunities, and you know, you know, they know they gotta account for for him. It's just as much as they they they account for me. So it's fun playing al uh alongside him and all these guys on on offense, just play makers all around.
And I know he has a lot of fun. I mean you just like you gotta see the highlights and the plays he make. You know, these guys love playing for him, and I love being a teammate.
Yeah.
I think if you get thirteen hun or thirteen hundred yards as you going to the top ten all time and on rushing, wo, I mean how important is that for you?
I mean cause then you're getting into like a really big historical categories.
Yeah.
You know when you say something like that, it's just like it's a surreal moment to be able to have that opportunity and you know, being that that that conversation, God has best blessed me tremendously. And you know, since I was five years old, you know, I fell in love with this game, you know, and playing this position.
You know, I always looked up to you know, great running backs who who played this game at a high level, who are legends of the game, and you know, dreaming of my name being mentioned with them one day and for me to you know, somewhat have the opportunity, and it's it's so surreal. And you know, God is so good. I've had a lot of people throughout my life to help me get to this point.
Where can you in conversations with het An injustice or what do youleve forward.
To building along with And yeah, then you know they just told me you kind of congratulations, which I really appreciated. And we have so much fun in that room and we all are are are so competitive. We all we wanna do is make each other better. You know, they're I like brothers to me. You know, we always try to help each other get better any aspect that we can. And you know, coach coach Tag make sure that we
are on our details. You know, we're doing what we need to do, getting the best out of us when we on the field, and letting the translate from the position meetings to the field, you know, so we can be out our best and that's all we want for each other.
Lines in that room, For that h's who's played at a high level his entire career, and to come in and and the way he practiced, the way he take beats, and for those younger guys to see that, I mean it, it sets an example for them. You know, they all young, they all want to have a career like Derek. And to see that he's just deep into his career and he still take it as if he's of the rookie has changed our our room dramatically.
You know.
Those guys come in and they want to be on top of their game. They don't want to make a mistake. They don't want to take Derek off, you know. But but more important, they wanna they wanna play at a level, at a at a standard that Derek has set, has set from the beginning. And it's been fun like being in there and watching all those guys grow and all those guys getting confident each and every day and I think that by hisself is gonna help them become a better football player.
Really, you know, the stereotypes about like backs when he hits.
Or why do you think Derek defies that?
When you look at a contract like business clear Baltimore, the organization's not ready to Derek consumer, Why do you think he kind of makes.
That not matter in a lot of hits.
Well, I think you if you watch his work ethic and you see the way he works on and off the field, how you take care of his body, and then just to watch him out there, you don't see a downside. You know, he's still getting stronger if you aks me, you know. And but the way that he works, and and then the performance. You look at the performance he had last year, you know, one of his better years, and that's towards I mean that's nine years in that's
that's big time, you know. But Derek works hard. It's important to him. He told you guys a minute ago he wants to win the Super Bowl, you know, and I know he's gonna do everything he can to help his football team to accomplish that.
Really, what does it mean a team sort of Baltimore.
Lay the best.
It's some of the reputation.
Well, it's just it's great and it g like I said a minute ago, like Derek fits again our our our identity as a football program organization, you know, and and to continue to have good running backs come in here and and setting the standard, uh again what we're
gonna be. It's exciting, you know, and exciting to have him for a couple more years here with us and being able to 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.
They're kind of a two part question. And one how quickly did this come together?
I know you had said early in the off season and you like to finish your career here, So how quickly did the.
Process come together? And was it significant to you to make more, to get paid more than any thirty plus rank backs ever got.
You know, I mean, you know, anytime it's a negotiation, you know between two sides, you know, uh, it might might might take some time, you know, but that's just the the business side of things, you know. But when you both want to get something done, and it'll eventually happen. But you know, I just you know, stay patient and that my represented my age and them, uh talk to them and you know see how far you know we we would come.
And you know, we finally got to an agreement which I was was happy with.
But I mean not so much like focus on being uh highest paid thirty year old Uh I mean in the NFL ever, But you know, just you know, both of us coming to agreement with both make sense on both sides and us both being happy with and I'm very happy that we were finally able to to get that done there.
How much how much pride do you take in you look throughout your career professionally do whatever the the consistency has always been there, and even at times talk about the age of running backs, it seems like people wait for a cliff that hasn't shown up yet. Like how much pride do you take in the consistency and just the eliteness that you've played with.
Ever you did?
Yeah, I just think, I mean, uh, I wanna be great. So you know, I'm no matter how good it is or no matter how bad it is, I'm always focused on me trying to get better each and every day and and e and each and every way I can and I think, you know, for you to be great, you gotta focus on being consistent.
You gotta outwork every everybody.
And that's an approach I try to take every day I wake up, even in the days you know you don't want to, you gotta, you gotta find a way. And I think as long as you focus and determined on your goals and what you wanna do and the player you wanna be and.
What what your play and how you carry yourself helps your team.
And I think you know, you gonna do whatever you can to you know, make make make make that happen, to accomplish everything you wanna accomplish as a team. And if you have any any any any visual goals as well.
There Uh, how important as being the support of your family throughout your careers.
And especially now for you, you know, for you to make a decision to stay two more years, says I say, home, I'm timing sorry, Uh been the.
The support of your family throughout your career and especially not to.
Stay two more years.
Yeah, I mean, yeah, they're they're excited. You know, my family has my backbone, that's th that's my support. You know, whatever sension I make, they gonna support me regardless, and they were definitely happy that, you know, I was able to where you're where we'lda work through and and getting a stitch and done so I can be here for a couple more years. I mean, they they love it here. They love the city, love the uh, the organization. You know, we're we're all happy and excited for sure.
They are there. Now you're signed through twenty twenty seven.
Do you when you sign a contract, do you think, Okay, you know now I can't push my career here or do you think, you know what I can maybe even play beyond beyond this contract.
Yeah, I think it's just, you know, focus on this year and then you know, focus to k continue to get better. He had the year that I'm here, and that's always gonna be my focus. And yeah, I mean I love football. I love playing. I know people look at the age, but I don't really try to focus on that. I just focus on how can Derrick Henry be better?
Be better?
How can Derrick Henry help the Ravens get to where they wanna get to? And me being the best team that I can be to my teammates there.
Mention those you know, not being happy with last season in terms of how it edit falls short of the goal? Serious, how long does something like that take you to get over it?
Oh?
How much does that plan on the motivation help quickly your kind of back out.
Of it again? Yeah, I mean I think you you never get over it. I think you just you just deal with it, cause that's just what it is.
And when you get the opportunity again, try to make it a different outcome, especially on my part on how I play, and I think everybody who's on this team feel feels that same way. But I think, you know, you gotta put the work in for that to be able to happen. And then when we all here, you know, push each other, hold each other accountable, and make each other better, so we on that field, you know, all it all comes together and we all get what we want at the end of the day.
They're a lot of prisons to do to I like, get over to make us where the personally.
What you use to do that? Yeah, I mean I think I always think, I d I can do my job uh a lot better, you know than I did last season. And I think you know, the saying is you only as as good as your last game, and I don't think my game last game was to part to to my standard. I think when I'm in our
position again and just just play better. But right now, just focus on getting better, improving and getting stronger, working on my weaknesses and the proof of the things that I'm I'm good at to be able to help this team and be better than I was last year, just so we're better.
Derek, A lot of the Times sees press conference guy's rolling about twenty minutes before, so I either deal.
Would talk to us.
Seems like he were here very early this morning.
He's that that accurate. Yeah, I was of a thirty minutes to sleep. Was that of a thirty minutes a sleep? Oh oh yeah.
I got in here this morning and and worked out well. I just had a had some flight trouble. I think it was bad weather in Dallas and my flight got a little delayed, so I got in really late, and once I got in it was almost time to get here, like it's I think I got home like four forty five in the morning, and I wanna get here like at sixth something. So I was thought, I'm just gonna stay up and just come get here and.
Go work out. You can stay from workout after New Yal.
No, I mean I I worked out before, I worked out before, I've work worked out before, and yeah, so I wanna go to sleep, but I just couldn't. I was like, I just stayed up. I was like, I'm just gonna wait and then to go to the facility.
Alright, how quick are you uh your work at routine?
Obviously, ever that was matter.
How quick after the season.
Are you like back in the gym?
Yeah, I think I well, yeah, I think I'll waited think like a week uh after we after we played Buffalo and my mom was going crazy, I was like, I gotta go work out, So I just came back in here and start start working out. I couldn't. I couldn't wait no more. I couldn't hold hold off, So I came back in the Cily SR.
Does it matter to you at all that, you know, when the season ends in Buffalo and we one, you guys right back into playing them again?
Nah? Not really, cause it's a it's a new season.
I mean, they won that game and you can't do nothing about the about the past, But I mean you can do something when you play one. We played on Week one. But yeah, I mean, they were the better team in the playoffs and that's why they advanced. So we gotta focus on being a better team and we see them week.
One big picture question for you.
You're from Yule. They take a lot of pride in you, and you're a NFL career. Just what does it mean to you to have a wrechevity even success that you've had in the league and just being a role mode of that younger kids back inly hard looking up to.
Yeah, you know, I take uh very much proud in that and being someone that the you can look up to in admiric cause I was just that same kid, uh.
Back in the day.
And I'm very grateful to be able to play this long and have these opportunities. And all I wanna do is just open doors up for for kids in yu Lee and Jacksonville and the whole uh Nino foll Duvall and that's all kind of area and kids all over that I've been to, and you know, just be an inspiration to go out there and want to go be somebody and and and do something, have dreams, have aspirations, work hard in school, work hard in sports, whatever your desire is to you know, get get what you want
out of out of life. And you know, I just I take pride in that and hopefully, you know, I can continue to expire kids in U League and kids all over to go be somebody and do something special in life.
Dude, you more r or collect you?
So really, yeah, I know when you're dealing with hary a lot of times during the seasons, like yo focus on prices games like do you ever take time to just kind.
Of think, you know, you're you're connected right now to you know, a guy that's going to need to want to be old like greats, Dody, do you ever kind of think about things like that?
Not really, you know, there just a normal guy, you know, when he comes in, just like a normal player, and like he wants to get better. You don't really think about during the time all the accomplishment. I think once the season no with and you start watching film and see and what he's doing, you started looking like wow, you know, and then you get excited again he signed the contract.
I was excited.
I'm gonna watch this film a couple more years, you know. But well, he's he's such a great player, and and I just I can't mess him up. You know, I gotta make sure I don't mess him up. But he's I will say this, Derek has He's made me a better coach. You know a guy, a guy that's nine year in he comes in and in every play every want 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 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 and that's what you're shooting for him. That's what you love as a coach. A guy that wants to be great, want to work at it and and want to be the best to help this football team.
Derek.
Overall offense, you lost stability in that group.
Most most of the.
Players are returning, you added DeAndre Hopkins.
What what do you feel like is.
Yeah, I mean, I'm not gonna I mean get into you know, any expectations because like I said before, everything looks good on paper until you go out there and and and actually do it. We know what we know, what we're capable of on what we can do, but we know the work we gotta put in to to do those things and get where we want to go and be one of the top offices in the league. I mean, it's a lot of work we still gotta
gotta put in. Got a lot of great players around around the offense, and you know, you gotta put the work in individually, and then we all get together collectively to to do those things to be a top team, top offense and do things special that we that we want to do to get where we want to go.
You're listening to the Ravens Press Past podcast. Make sure you subscribe to this feed. Also head over to the Lounge podcast feed and subscribe there. We sat down with Henry for an extended kind conversation after the press conference. That episode is dropping Tuesday morning, so go ahead and check that out. Thank you so much for listening. We'll be back with you again soon