He’s probably not the first name that pops into your head when the NFL’s biggest stars are discussed. Whether it’s a lack of team success, a relatively small market or a somewhat slow statistical start to his career, he’s been sort of an afterthought in the collecting market. While interest has picked up lately, you can still buy a very nice autographed Derrick Henry rookie card on eBay or your local show for less than the price of most complete boxes of current year products. The Tennessee Titans’ hard-nosed running back is starting to make some of them look like bargains.
The Derrick Henry File
After setting the national high school rushing record at Yulee High School in Florida (12,124 yards), Henry headed to Alabama where he won the Heisman, Walter Camp and Doak Walker awards in his 2015 senior season. He lasted until the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft where the Titans happily scooped him up as the second back taken behind Ezekiel Elliott.
Much like Green Bay’s Aaron Jones, Henry’s numbers didn’t pop off the screen during his first couple of NFL seasons, largely for lack of consistent use. Both players have seen their fortunes rise. In fact, they each scored 16 rushing touchdowns to tie for the league lead in 2019. Each reached 1,000 yards in their third season. In Week 14 of the 2018 season, Henry became the first player in NFL history to rush for over 200 yards and score four touchdowns on fewer than 22 carries after breaking off a NFL record-tying 99 yard scoring run against Jacksonville.
Henry continued the breakout in ’19, rushing for 1,540 yards in 15 games, celebrating his 26th birthday by rushing for 182 yards, the third most ever recorded by a player in a post-season road game. His big performances continued to fuel Tennessee’s post-season run.
In 2020, he was the first NFL running back to reach 1,000 yards.
Derrick Henry Rookie Cards
Like most current players, Henry has a mountain of rookie cards. From simple base cards to parallels, inserts, autographs and autograph parallels, there is much to choose from. Products produced in spring and summer before his first NFL season picture him in his Alabama uniform. The more desirable issues were produced once the 2016 season started and into the winter months.
A relatively small number of Henry rookie cards have cracked the $1,000 mark. In the wake of his big performance against New England in the playoffs, a 2016 Contenders Cracked Ice autographed jersey card numbered 24/24 (his jersey number) and graded BGS 9.5 sold via eBay for $1,499.99.
One seller who has been actively trading in Henry cards recently told us, “I just sold a POP 1 Contenders Cracked Ice graded BGS 9.5/10 for $3,000.00, a Contenders Playoff Ticket auto graded BGS 9.5/10 for roughly $1,400.00 and two other Cracked Ice cards for $ 1,000.00 each.”
Other sales have included a PSA 10 Contenders Championship Ticket auto which netted $799.99. In 2017, someone paid $1,288 for his National Treasures NFL Shield auto 1/1 while his 1/1 Contenders Super Bowl Ticket auto changed hands at $1,200.
His Rookie Patch Autograph from 2016 National Treasures (# to 99) are among the most traded cards on the market, with prices currently hovering around $400-$500.
Affordable Autographs
If you’re not focused on a particular brand, there are numerous value plays in the market. In fact, most of Henry’s autographed rookie cards sell for under $100. And here’s the best news: he actually has one of the NFL’s better looking full name signatures. While some players barely etch out their initials on trading cards, Henry’s signature is a bold, sweeping cursive.
Cards from products like Prizm, Optic, Origins and Honors have seen sales in the $45-$60 range. Even higher end products like Immaculate and Flawless have surrendered autographed Henry rookie patch autographs with serial numbers under 100 that have been well within most collector budgets. Prices, however, are moving upward thanks to his stellar play.
You can check out all Derrick Henry rookie cards on eBay here and see a live list of the 50 most watched cards up for auction directly below.
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