Nick Saban: Titans' pick Derrick Henry 'breaks the mold'

Alabama football coach Nick Saban said he was shocked that running back Derrick Henry lasted until the 45th overall pick in the second round of the NFL draft, when the Titans selected the hulking Heisman Trophy winner.

“I was, because I have a completely different opinion and bias for a guy who’s been so productive and done so much for us,” Saban said during a radio interview Wednesday with ESPN 102.5 The Game.

“I knew there was a lot of sentiment out there about style, doesn’t fit the mold of some of the runners,” Saban said. “And you know how people in the league are. They want to sort of categorize everybody. These are the guys that had success in the past so let’s find another guy like that. Sometimes there’s somebody that breaks the mold out there, and I think Derrick Henry is that kind of guy.”

The 6-foot-3, 247-pound Henry rushed for 2,219 yards and 28 touchdowns on a staggering 395 carries in 15 games last season, culminating in Saban’s fifth national championship and fourth at Alabama.

Titans say Derrick Henry, DeMarco Murray can both thrive

Titans called DeMarco Murray after Derrick Henry pick

Henry’s selection by the Titans has been questioned by fans and experts in light of the team’s offseason trade with the Eagles to acquire running back DeMarco Murray, who led the NFL in rushing yards in 2014.

But there’s no doubt that Henry’s selection has injected a degree of excitement into a fan base that’s watched the Titans win just five games over the last two seasons.

“I think everybody should be excited,” Saban said. “This guy’s a fantastic person, great competitive character, really hard-working, sort of a blue collar guy that has a little different running style, and I know some people didn’t like that, but it’s very, very effective.

“He’s big, he’s strong, he’s got long arms, he’s got a great stiff-arm,” he said. “Even though some people say he doesn’t make the quick cuts, he’s got great speed for a guy his size. I think the guy’s going to be an outstanding player.”

How the Titans' draft could impact these five positions

Saban said Henry’s extreme workload last season was a product of running back Kenyan Drake’s injuries. Drake was drafted in the third round, No. 73 overall, by the Miami Dolphins.

“It wasn’t really by design,” Saban said. “We knew he could be a workhorse if we needed him to.

“Derrick was one of those guys,” he said, “the more we gave it to him the better he ran. It was kind of an anomaly for us to have a back to do that. This year, because of circumstance, Derrick got lots of opportunities, and man he took advantage of it.”

Saban said Henry’s character and leadership heavily factored into the Crimson Tide’s success after an early season loss to Ole Miss dropped their record to 2-1. Alabama won the next 12 games, including a 45-40 triumph against Clemson in the College Football Playoff championship game.

“The reason that this team won this year was because of guys like Derrick Henry, the team chemistry, the leadership we had,” Saban said. “These guys were driven and when we lost early, they played 12 straight elimination games. It wasn’t hard to motivate them.

“Derrick was one of the guys that was a key part of that leadership.”

Reach Jason Wolf at jwolf@tennessean.com and follow him on Twitter at @JasonWolf and on Instagram and Snapchat at TitansBeat.