Physics is a cruel mistress. Especially when that physics comes in the form of a 247-pound human being moving at 20 miles per hour. If you've watched a single Titans or Ravens game over the last decade, you've seen it. A defender approaches, looking for a routine tackle. They square their shoulders. They prepare for contact. Then, suddenly, a massive hand connects with their chest or facemask, and they’re flying three yards backward like they’ve been hit by a pneumatic piston. The Derrick Henry stiff arm isn't just a football move; it’s a career-altering event.
Most people see the highlights and think, "Wow, he's strong." But honestly? It's way deeper than just raw power. It’s a mixture of timing, leverage, and a wing span that would make some NBA small forwards jealous. When Henry extends that arm, he creates a literal bridge between himself and the ground, turning the defender's own momentum into a weapon against them.
The Night Josh Norman Left the Atmosphere
We have to talk about October 13, 2020. The Titans were playing the Buffalo Bills. Josh Norman, a veteran corner with a Pro Bowl pedigree, tried to come up and make a play on the sideline. He went high. That was his first mistake. His second mistake was existing in the same zip code as Henry's right hand.
Henry didn't just push him. He launched him. Norman was literally horizontal in the air, several feet off the turf. The clip went viral instantly, spawning a thousand memes of Norman being edited into outer space or falling into the Grand Canyon. Henry’s own take on it? "I've been doing too many curls," he joked after the game. It was a joke, sure, but the reality is that the move is something he’s been refining since he was seven years old in Pop Warner ball.
Back then, he was the tall, lanky kid who realized that if he just kept his arm straight, the smaller kids couldn't touch his jersey. He’s essentially been playing "keep away" with professional athletes for twenty years.
How the Mechanics Actually Work
If you look at the "Way to Play" breakdowns provided by the NFL, you start to see the science behind the violence. A successful Derrick Henry stiff arm relies on three distinct phases:
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- The Recognition: Henry identifies the tackler's angle. If they come in high, they’re done. If they come in low, he uses the stiff arm to "pin" them to the ground and hurdle over.
- The Punch: This isn't a passive placement of the hand. It’s a strike. He targets the shoulder pads or the base of the helmet. By the time the defender tries to wrap up, Henry’s arm is already locked out.
- The Lockout: Once that elbow is locked, Henry’s arm becomes a solid steel rod. To move him, the defender has to move Henry’s entire body weight, plus the force of his forward stride.
It’s about "redirecting momentum." Ravens tight end Charlie Kolar once noted that Henry is a master at taking a defender's energy and just... pushing it somewhere else. Usually into the dirt.
It's Not Just Size—It's the Training
You don't get arms like that by just playing the game. Henry’s offseason workouts are legendary and, frankly, look a bit like torture. He doesn't just do bench presses; he does "unstable" work. We’re talking single-arm pushups on a medicine ball, reflexive movements that train the stabilizer muscles in the shoulder.
He also works with a specific tool: a helmet on a stick. His coaches will literally jab a helmet at him while he's running drills, and he has to time the punch perfectly. This builds the hand-eye coordination needed to find a moving target—a defender's facemask—while sprinting at full speed.
Then there are the hills. Henry is famous for running backward up steep inclines. Why? Because it builds the explosive posterior chain power required to maintain balance after he’s shoved a 300-pound defensive lineman. Just ask Grover Stewart of the Colts. In 2020, Henry stiff-armed the 315-pound tackle to the ground. That shouldn't be physically possible for a running back, yet here we are.
The Victim List: A Hall of Shame
- Earl Thomas: In the 2019 playoffs, Henry didn't just stiff-arm the All-Pro safety; he turned him into a lead blocker. He shoved Thomas so hard that Thomas spun around and accidentally started blocking his own teammates.
- Alex Myres: A Detroit Lions cornerback making his NFL debut in 2020. Welcome to the league, kid. Henry put him into the turf with such force you could hear the thud on the broadcast.
- Janoris Jenkins: Even the elite "Jackrabbit" found himself on the wrong end of a Henry highlight.
What This Means for Today's Defenders
Honestly, if you're a defensive coordinator in 2026, you're teaching your guys to "slice" the arm. You can't run through it. You have to try and chop the arm down before it locks out. If Henry gets that elbow straight, the play is over for the tackler.
But even then, it's a gamble. If you miss the arm, you’ve just given up your chest plate, and he’s going to use you as a stepping stone. Most players now just try to go for the ankles, hoping to trip him up before he can get the "piston" going. It’s a business decision. You either take the low tackle and hope for the best, or you end up on a "Welcome to the Club" highlight reel that your teammates will play in the film room for the next three years.
The Derrick Henry stiff arm has changed the way scouts look at "long-armed" backs. It’s no longer just a defensive back trait. Having an 80-inch wingspan as a runner is a cheat code.
What you should do next:
If you really want to understand the impact, go back and watch the 2019 Titans vs. Ravens playoff tape. Don't just watch the yards; watch the body language of the Ravens' secondary in the fourth quarter. They stop lunging. They start hesitating. That's the real power of the move—it's psychological. It turns aggressive hunters into hesitant observers. To get better at your own game, focus on "locked-elbow" leverage drills and unilateral shoulder stability. Whether you're a player or just a fan, appreciating the biomechanics of "The King" makes every Sunday a lot more interesting.