Alabama running back Derrick Henry piled up some more yardage Thursday night at the Home Depot College Football Award show, walking back and forth from his seat to the stage to clean up three of college football's top individual awards.
The Heisman Trophy finalist won the Maxwell Award and the Walter Camp Award as the nation's top player, plus the Doak Walker Award as it's top running back. The Crimson Tide junior, who has yet to announce whether he will apply for early eligibility in the 2016 NFL Draft, has rushed for 1,986 yards and 23 touchdowns to lead Alabama to its second consecutive College Football Playoff berth. Three NFL personnel executives recently told NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah that Henry (6-3, 245 pounds) reminds them of former New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs.
"Coach (Nick) Saban makes sure we stay mentally locked and challenges us every day," Henry told ESPN after closing the night by taking the Maxwell honor. "He makes sure we stay as a family, as a team."
Henry, Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey and Clemson quarterback are the finalists for the Heisman Trophy, which will be awarded Saturday night. The last player to sweep Henry's three awards from Thursday plus the Heisman was Wisconsin running back Ron Dayne, whose powerful, Henry-like style helped him churn out 2,034 yards and 20 touchdowns in 1999.
Henry broke Herschel Walker's SEC single-season rushing record Saturday in a 29-15 win over Florida in the SEC title game.
A look at all of thursday's college football award winners:
Outland Trophy (top lineman): Stanford OG Joshua Garnett.
Biletnikoff Award (top wide receiver):Baylor's Corey Coleman.
Jim Thorpe Award (top defensive back): Desmond King, Iowa.
Maxwell Award (top player): Alabama RB Derrick Henry.
Bednarik Award (top defender): Temple LB Tyler Matakevich.
Doak Walker Award (top running back):Alabama's Derrick Henry.*
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Davey O'Brien Award (top quarterback): Clemson QB Deshaun Watson.
Lou Groza Award (top kicker): UCLA's Ka'imi Fairbairn.
Ray Guy Award (top punter): Utah's Tom Hackett.
Home Depot Coach of the Year: Clemson's Dabo Swinney.
Walter Camp Award (top player): Alabama RB Derrick Henry.
Rimington Trophy (top center): Alabama's Ryan Kelly.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*
