Derrick Henry's adjustment to life as a Baltimore Raven

Yahoo Sports' Jason Fitz chats with Ravens running back Derrick Henry about moving on from the Tennessee Titans after eight seasons and teaming up with MVP Lamar Jackson. Derrick joined Yahoo Sports on behalf of Pepsi.

Video Transcript

Jason Fitz from Yahoo Sports, hanging out with the King Derek Henry joining us on behalf of Pepsi.

You are now a member of the Baltimore Ravens, but I'm really familiar with Nashville and Nashville has a special relationship with you.

I don't think the national media realizes how much that city loves you for you.

How difficult was the decision to move on from being a part of the Titans?

Yeah, I mean, it's always tough.

Um You know, when you've been somewhere eight years, um and you uh have so much love for that city, the organization, um the whole Nashville community.

Um You know, I grew so much as a person and the player through those eight years.

So I was really appreciative of everything that's went on through those years with everybody that was in involved, my coaches and teammates and everybody in the organization and the fans support me.

I think it's fair to say you've never played with a quarterback like Lamar, right?

So what's that moment in practice where you're looking?

And you're saying, man, that's the guy that's standing with me on this team.

Yeah, it's cool, man.

Just to um you know, be on this side of the ball now and um, you know, uh be, be playing with him.

We all know what type of player he is.

And uh this is about his approach to work every day.

He comes to work and, um, you know, he works his butt off and um, you see why he's so great and um I'm excited to be his teammate and go out there on Sundays and they'll go get some WS, there's a bunch of idiots like me in front of a microphone that constantly say, well, he's gonna hit a wall.

You can't take that many hits and that many carries over the course of his career, not eventually hit a wall.

Do you hear any of that noise that's never gonna start whether it's me or the next guy?

I mean, that just, that's just what happens.

I mean, that, that comes with it.

I mean, it's, it's, it's gonna be talk, it's gonna be noise.

All I'm all I'm worried about is, well, I can control, control what you can control and that's me going out there and playing at a high level each and every week consistently.

How do you get sort of acclimated to the Ravens culture of the teams that they absolutely hate playing?

Yeah, I'm sure they'll give me, uh, uh, quite acclimated once the season started.

Um, I know the, the big thing around here is Pittsburgh Steelers and they say you're not a Raven until you beat the Pittsburgh Steelers.

So you got a little long ways to go and we'll, uh, we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

But, yeah, that rivalry is definitely real over here in Baltimore with the Steelers.

Tell us what you're doing with Pepsi.

Yeah, Pepsi has a campaign.

Make Your Game Day Epic.

Um, with the, uh gladiator theme.

Um, everybody's seen the Gladiator movie, um, the Gladiator Two coming out.

I think it's just an exciting time for Pepsi and I was very glad to be a part of the campaign to kick off the uh 2024 season.

I think everybody's gonna love the new, the new commercial in, in, in the campaign to kick the season off.

Um Yeah, I got, I was able to shoot the commercial with Josh Allen when you talked to Justin Jefferson and Travis Kelsey and Maggie Stallion with the We Will Rock you uh remake song by her.

And um yeah, I got to fly to Canada to shoot a commercial.

It's my first time to, to Canada.

Thank you, Pepsi.

Um I think it's a great campaign.

I think everybody's gonna love it.