Derrick Henry was only seven when he stumbled onto the move that would become his trademark. Playing Pop Warner, tall and lanky for his age, he saw a defender closing in. Instead of juking or spinning, he stretched out his arm and shoved the kid straight into the turf. That simple stiff-arm turned into his calling card, the move defenders dread to this day. Since 2017, Henry has racked up 64 stiff-arms on rushing attempts, 36 more than anyone else in the league. But this time, his technique helped him surpass Emmitt Smith’s record – the one that drew attention from Troy Aikman himself.

During Monday’s game between the Ravens and the Lions, Derrick Henry broke one of Emmitt Smith’s records, but Troy Aikman didn’t miss a beat to throw shades at him. He distinguished Henry and Smith’s record-breaking career. Aikman shared an interesting take on the Monday night football broadcast. “For as many years as Derrick Henry has been a bell-cow back in this league, he’s just barely eclipsed the 50% mark on Emmitt’s total career carries,” as posted by Landon Holifield on X.

Henry is in his 10th year in the NFL and has recorded 2,582 carries in his career, while Smith took 15 seasons for the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals to record 4,409. The environment Aikman established is reflective of the reliability and quantity that defined Smith’s career. Smith had 18,355 rushing yards, 515 receptions for 3,224 yards, and 175 total touchdowns. He won eight Pro Bowls, one Offensive Rookie of the Year, one MVP, one Super Bowl MVP, and three championships before being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010.

During his last season, he generated 937 rushing yards. However, on the other hand, Henry has been tremendous; the point of reference is only to illustrate that the year-after-year greatness of Smith sets the bar so high that relatively few have been in close proximity. Aside from raw carries, Emmitt Smith’s productivity was unmatched.

Carrying his load, Smith delivered consistent production, playing in games, and taking advantage of every possible opportunity. He averaged over 4.2 yards per carry for his career, complemented by steady reception and scoring effort, which have secured his place as one of the NFL’s all-time great running backs.

Henry, meanwhile, has been doing well. During nine seasons with the NFL, he has gained 11,423 rushing yards, which places him No. 19 all-time in the NFL rushing record. He went past the 10,000-yard and 11,000-yard thresholds and is 62.2% of the way to Emmitt Smith’s all-time rushing yard record. In fact, Henry is one of the only nine players in history to ever run 2,000-plus yards in a season, which is evidence of his capability.

Derrick Henry, 31 years, has a few productive seasons remaining, but keeping Emmitt Smith’s 4,409 career carries in reach will not be easy. His physical running style is punishing, and durability across seasons is essential. His efficiency, age, and workload management will be responsible for determining if he can pursue Smith’s all-time record for carries in the end. Based on Henry’s average, he is 5.5 seasons away from catching Smith. But for now, he has broken one of Smith’s records.

Derrick Henry’s rushing touchdown broke all records

Against the Detroit Lions, the Ravens unleashed it big-time in the first half, going all-out in their All-Black attire and rolling early. However, last week against Cleveland, Henry was struggling early, with tight end Mark Andrews having more rushing yards than him in the second quarter. Monday night’s game, however, also showed his big-play ability. On the Ravens’ initial drive, Henry recorded a 28-yard touchdown and eight carries for 41 yards, along with another rushing touchdown.

Henry’s game placed the Ravens not only to deliver a solid first-half performance but also cemented his place in NFL history. His latest breakaway run marked the 23rd time in his career he’s found the end zone on a rush of 20 yards or more, pushing him past legends Emmitt Smith and Chris Johnson for the third-most in NFL history.

Overtaking a tie with Chris Johnson, Henry became the third top career rusher of all-time at 20 yards. His ability to make explosive plays is cementing his place among the most punishing running backs in the league. Hence, on one hand, Troy Aikman’s perspective is cognizant of how incredible Emmitt Smith’s longevity and workload were. Similarly, Henry continues to climb the record books, making his own historic mark.