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Alabama’s Derrick Henry looking to go a step farther than Marcus Mariota

Alabama junior tailback Derrick Henry was not surprised by the tough time he had rushing in the Cotton Bowl against Michigan State on New Year's Eve, when he had 20 carries for 75 yards and two touchdowns.
Alabama junior tailback Derrick Henry was not surprised by the tough time he had rushing in the Cotton Bowl against Michigan State on New Year's Eve, when he had 20 carries for 75 yards and two touchdowns. Alabama junior tailback Derrick Henry was not surprised by the tough time he had rushing in the Cotton Bowl against Michigan State on New Year's Eve, when he had 20 carries for 75 yards and two touchdowns.

By David Paschall 3 min read

Alabama junior tailback Derrick Henry isn’t the first Heisman Trophy winner to reach the championship game of college football’s four-team playoff.

He could, however, be the first to win it.

Quarterback Marcus Mariota guided Oregon to the title game of the inaugural playoff last January before coming up short against Ohio State. Now it is Henry’s turn, with the 6-foot-3, 242-pounder gearing up for Monday night’s clash against Clemson in Glendale, Ariz.

“They’ve got the best line that we’ve seen,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said this week in a news conference, “and Henry is a whole different animal.”

The Crimson Tide practiced Friday morning for two hours in full pads before flying to Phoenix. They will practice tonight for the final time this season.