There is a bit of a concern every ten years when Alabama fans select their Crimson Tide football Team of the Decade that those who played later in the decade and/or those who have had exceptional NFL careers have an advantage in the voting.

Derrick Henry is coming off an outstanding season for the Tennessee Titans, but his career as a Bama tailback was right in the middle of the decade, 2013-15. Although he was not a runaway selection as Player of the Decade for 2010-19, he was a solid choice as he became the first running back to be the top vote-getter in the six decades in which Bama fans have decided the issue.

Henry joins a select group of Players of the Decade from the previous five periods – linebacker Lee Roy Jordan for the 1960s, receiver Ozzie Newsome for the 1970s, linebacker Cornelius Bennett for the 1980s, quarterback Jay Barker for the 1990s, and linebacker Rolando McClain for 2000-09.

Jordan, Newsome, and Henry were selected top players in decades in which Alabama was the national Team of the Decade.

Henry was selected by Crimson Tide fans over an impressive list of finalists from the previously-announced 2010-19 Team of the Decade -- quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (who finished second in balloting), wide receivers Amari Cooper and Jerry Jeudy, defensive backs Mark Barron and Minkah Fitzpatrick, linebacker C.J. Mosley, defensive end Jonathan Allen, offensive lineman Barrett Jones, and punter J.K. Scott.

Derrick Henry, Alabama Player of Decade

Henry was winner of the Heisman Trophy as the nation’s best college football player for the 2015 season as he helped the Crimson Tide to the national championship. Also in 2015, Henry was unanimous All-America, selected Maxwell Award Collegiate Player of the Year, and was Doak Walker Award Outstanding Running Back.

In that 2015 season, Henry rushed 395 times for 2,219 yards and scored 28 rushing touchdowns – all Alabama records. He also had 11 receptions for 91 yards.

A 1,000-yard rushing season is considered a distinction. So is rushing for 100 yards in a game. In addition to shattering the Alabama single season record for rushing yardage in 2015 (the previous high mark was Trent Richardson’s 1,679 yards in 2011), Henry had a Tide record 10 games of at least 100 yards rushing and four of those for over 200 yards, including 271 on a Bama record 47 rushes vs. Auburn. He closed out that 29-13 win in Jordan –Hare Stadium with 14 consecutive runs. Earlier in the season he ran out the clock with 10 consecutive runs in a 30-16 home win over LSU, a game in which he ran 38 times for 210 yards. He also cracked the 200-yard mark in wins over Texas A&M (236) and Mississippi State (210).

Henry and Bobby Humphrey are the only two Tide running backs to rush for over 200 yards in a game four times in a career.

In the 2015 Southeastern Conference Championship Game 29-15 win over Florida he had 44 rushes for 189 yards and in the CFP National Championship Game 45-40 win over Clemson he rushed 36 times for 158 yards and three touchdowns.

In an eight-day period, against Auburn and Florida, Henry carried the football 91 times for 460 yards. Those marks were higher than Kenyan Drake’s 2015 season totals (77-408) as Alabama’s second leading rusher.

Henry also became the top rusher for a Tide career with 602 runs for 3,591 yards, and tied with fellow Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram with 42 rushing TDs. He had 16 games rushing for 100 or more yards, another Bama record.

Henry’s achievements at Alabama were not unexpected. He came to Bama from Yulee (Florida) High School as a 6-3, 242-pound tailback who had broken Ken Hall’s 51-year old prep national record for career rushing yards. He finished with 12,124 yards after rushing for 4,261 yards as a senior in 2012. He had 153 rushing touchdowns, including 55 as a senior. He was National Player of the Year and winner of the 2012 Maxwell Award for prep players.