Derrick Henry was a legend on Friday nights long before he reigned on Sundays. The Baltimore Ravens star’s story began at Yulee High School, where Henry ran rampant and put himself on the map.
Across his four seasons at Yulee, he generated 12,124 rushing yards, a high school career record. His numbers were said to be untouchable, largely due to his talent but also because of the toll that 1,397 carries puts on a growing body. But now, one teenager in Indiana is putting King Henry’s record to the test.
Derrick Henry’s Record Has a Viable Challenger
At Knox Community High School, running back Myles McLaughlin has emerged as the biggest story of the student-athlete circuit.
The senior has over 11,000 rushing yards to his name, with four games to play in his high school career. If McLaughlin can average 280 yards down the stretch, the career rushing record will have a new name next to it.
On “Up & Adams Show,” Henry revealed that he’s well aware of McLaughlin’s feats, and he’s rooting for him to break the record.
“Running tough, breaking tackles, he’s a beast,” Henry said. “Go break it, man. That’s what records are meant (for). They’re meant to be broken. I’ve had it for 10+ years, man. Go get it. Go break the record, man. I hope you win a state championship with it.”
Derrick Henry has a message for Myles McLaughlin, the Knox, Indiana RB that is closing in on his all-time HS rushing record
Myles needs 1121 yards in 4 games 👀@KingHenry_2 | @MylesMclaughl20 | @heykayadams pic.twitter.com/uWFevqROZl
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) November 4, 2025
Henry was excited to see that McLaughlin shares his high school jersey number, No. 2, along with a physical playing style. Henry wore the number through high school and college before eventually switching to No. 22 in the NFL.
McLaughlin doesn’t have the same fanfare as Henry, despite already posting more rushing touchdowns (164) than the 2020 Offensive Player of the Year (153). Before dominating at Alabama, Henry rushed for 510 yards in a game and ran for the fifth-most touchdowns ever.
“I get on Instagram, then I get off. The only thing I saw was a highlight or something from ‘SportsCenter’ about a game he had,” Henry said. “That’s cool, man, that’s a cool moment. I hope he gets to help his team win a state championship and then runs off to the sunset with a record and a championship.”
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While McLaughlin attempts to find a fitting end to his incredible high school career, Henry is hoping to save Baltimore’s season. The Ravens won 28-6 over the Miami Dolphins in Week 9, partly due to Henry’s third 100-yard game of the season.
Currently, he ranks 15th in PFSN’s Running Back Impact metric, posting the fifth-most touchdowns and sixth-most yards. Quarterback Lamar Jackson’s return should amplify the rushing offense and help one of the league’s best backfields take control of games.
Henry won a national championship in 2015, but his NFL accolades haven’t earned him a trip to the Super Bowl just yet. Thus, it’s no surprise he emphasized the importance of a championship in his praise. As McLaughlin stares down history, he knows he has Henry in his corner.