Answer: Yes
Disclaimer: It is not our role to determine whether or not somebody is a Christian. We just use our discernment based on the evidence we have found on the internet to come to a likely or best-guess answer. Our answers do not actually determine who is or is not a Christian and it is ultimately between the person and God. Not us.
Florida-born star athlete, Derrick Henry is an American Football Running Back for the Tennessee Titans of the NFL. Henry who was born in January 1994 started professional football in 2016 and has been nicknamed “King Henry” stature, which is larger than other running backs.
Henry started playing football in high school after being admitted into Yulee High School. He also excelled in basketball and track games but was more consistent playing as a running back for Yulee Hornets and left high school with a very impressive record. With this, he was named as the number 1 athlete in the nation in 2013 by ESPN.
Henry received offers from many colleges but eventually committed to the University of Alabama in 2012 and was a part of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team that won the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship. His professional career began after he was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
Derrick Henry has broken and created many records during his vibrant career. He has also won many awards and medals including; National Football League Offensive Player of the Year, First-team All-Pro, 3 times Pro Bowl, National Football League rushing yards leader, 2 times National Football League rushing touchdowns leader, College Football Playoff National Champion, Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award, Doak Walker Award, Unanimous All-American Offensive Player of the Year, First-team All-SEC, etc.
Derrick Henry is a very popular and outspoken Football player and as a result, everyone is interested in his affairs including his private life and religion. His fans want to know if he is a Christian or not. This article will analyze his statements and comments to determine Derrick Henry’s religious views and Christianity status.
Is Derrick Henry Religious?
Derrick Henry lives a life befitting a Christian. He has always been grateful to his grandmother for raising him to know Christ at a very tender age.
In 2021, Henry Derrick in an interview with ESPN said, “She had to continue to work and provide for us as a family. Watching her get up when she didn’t want to, she worked at the Holiday Inn cleaning the hotels, so we had food on our table, clothes on our backs, and a roof over our heads. That’s what I will always remember. It’s what she instilled in me. Always work hard. Always keep God first. Prayer is powerful. That’s what I believe in, and it’s what I will one day teach my kids.”
Derrick Henry says that he will also teach his kids to pray and put God first in their lives.
Henry has always put his faith and religion on display. He admitted on the 152nd episode of the podcast titled “Faith on the Field”, hosted by Rob and Remi Maadi that he prays and gives thanks to God all the time, even when he is having a good or bad time.
The statement was, “I pray all the time. I’m always thankful for all the blessings that God has given to me, to me, and my family. My grandmother always told me, ‘Always keep God first. Always thank Him for everything in your life, good or bad.”
Derrick Henry is a very religious person and this is evident in his words and lifestyle. While giving his acceptance speech during the 2015 Heisman Trophy Award ceremony, he said;
“Growing up and having this dream, I never thought I would end up here. But God is good, and I get on my hands and knees every night and pray and thank him for everything. So, keep God first, always pray and always chase your dream.”
Does Derrick Henry Believe in God?
Derrick Henry believes in God because of his statements. He made one of those statements when he was accepting his 2015 Heisman Trophy. The statement said:
“God is everything. Always keep God first. Always pray. Don’t be afraid to pray; He’ll always hear your cry. If you have dreams, go chase ’em. If you believe it, you can achieve it. God will be there every step of the way. I’m a living testament, man. … I never thought I’d be up here, but, you know, God is good. I get on my hands and knees every night and pray. I’m thankful for everything. Keep God first, always pray, and you’ll always chase your dream”.
After that, he thanked his grandmother for teaching him to believe in God. He said;
“My grandmother, the woman who made me into the man I am today, I want to thank you so much. Even though you couldn’t be here, I feel you in spirit and I love you so much. You made me into who I am today — hard work, dedication and just doing what I wanted to do. You always told me to keep God first and pray that I always make it far. I just want to thank you and let you know that I love you and that I am praying for you.”
To also portray his belief in God he encouraged younger people to believe in God and put him first. In the acceptance speech, he said:
“I just want to talk to the kids who are watching this TV and listening to me today. I just want to give you all my advice. I am hoping that I am somebody you can idolize yourself behind and look up to because God is everything and always keep God first. Always pray; don’t be afraid to pray. He always hears you cry. If you have dreams, chase them. If you believe it, you can achieve it and God will be there every step of the way. I am a living testament, man.”
On the 152nd episode of the podcast “Faith on the Field” he said;
“First off, I just want to thank God for bringing me here and winning the prestigious award. He’s been so good to me in my life and I have been honored and blessed with this opportunity. Since I was a kid, it has been my lifelong goal and dream of mine. I am just so thankful.”
He continued, “I always thought, ‘What can I do to show off God? What can I do more than just a celebration or things like that?’ So I just thought that maybe I could put the cross on my face. It’s like He’s out there with me playing and doing the things that I’m doing.”
Is Derrick Henry a Christian?
A Christian according to Christian Life, is someone who believes in Jesus Christ and follows his teachings. The Bible says ‘If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come.’
A Christian changes inwardly and outwardly when he receives Christ and makes the decision to live just the way Christ lived.
According to multiple reports, Derrick Henry is a Christian. Wikipedia says, “Henry is a Christian”.
Henry always seizes every opportunity he has to talk about his Christian faith and his belief in God.
When Derrick Henry was interviewed by CBS after his victory over Houston Texans, he said
“God is good. I’m blessed to play for this organization, the teammates I have, the sacrifices they make for me to have success, and the coaching staff putting me in positions to have success, I’m just a kid from Yulee (Florida) with a dream to do something special and be great…I don’t know, there’s something about when we come here, it’s a different juice. But I’m very thankful and God is good.”
Reports have it that Derrick Henry wears a cross every time he plays a game and the successful athlete confirmed it and gave reasons for that.
In a podcast with Faith on the Field, he stated, “I always feel connected to God. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the Man Upstairs. So me putting that cross on my face, that’s just an extra recognition to the Man Upstairs. I put God first in everything I do, and I wouldn’t be where I am without Him.”
A cross is known to be a Christian symbol because it is believed that their role model and their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross for their sins. Therefore, the cross is seen as a tool of redemption and salvation for Christians.
He once posted on one of his social media pages, “First and foremost, I want to thank God. I also want to thank all of my teammates for all your hard work. I want to thank everyone in the entire Titans organization for giving me a chance and an opportunity at my dream. I am so thankful, and grateful for this opportunity. Yulee, stand up. Thank y’all again. God bless”
Is Derrick Henry Baptized?
There are no public records and information to determine if Derrick Henry is baptized and as a result, we do not know if he is baptized or not.
What did Derrick Henry say about Jesus?
Even though Derrick Henry is one outspoken athlete, there are no reports of his statements that directly mention Jesus, but has acknowledged God and “the man upstairs” could be Jesus.
Conclusion
From the comments and statements of Derrick Henry and the information available on the web, it is clear that the outstanding athlete is religious and believes in God, and as such, we conform to the general view that Derrick Henry is a Christian.
Think we were wrong? Write your reasoning in the comments and prove us wrong!