Props to the Jacksonville Jaguars – it was evident that the game plan was to stop Derrick Henry at all cost. They did a damn good job of not allowing Henry to find space and getting to him before he could really get going. We all know that if that man finds a foot, he’s taking a mile. And, once he does hit second gear, all you can do is pray. They understood that, and held the reigning NFL rushing leader to “just” 84 yards (3.4 yards per carry). That’s as good as you can ask for from your defense.
What I don’t believe they were really ready for was for Ryan Tannehill to start slingin’ the ball left and right and putting points on the board through the passing game. The Titans survived 33-30, and reporters asked Henry a bunch of questions about the game during the postgame press conference, but honest to God, I couldn’t pay attention because I was struck – frozen, in awe of the majesty of this flame shirt that Henry was wearing.
You know what they say about fashion icons? Fashion icons take shit that shouldn’t be cool and make it look like a million bucks. That’s exactly what King Henry has done here. I see this shirt on its own and think, “where the fuck did that even come from? Gadzook’s in the Hickory Hollow mall closed decades ago.” But, Derrick Henry sees that and thinks, “I’m gonna redefine the flame game.” And, it fucking WORKS.
When’s the last time you saw someone NOT named Guy Fieri wearing a shirt with flames on it? That’s a bold move by Derrick, too. Like, you know that’s Guy Fieri’s thing – you gotta have stones to think you can pull a flame shirt off better than the guy who is known for flame shirts. But, not only did he do it, I’d argue that he did it BETTER than Guy Fieri. Even the Diner Gawd can’t make it look that cool.
Other than Guy Fieri, what’s the first thing you think of when you see flame designs? I go hot rods. Maybe that’s because I grew up going to car shows with my family, but I just default to ‘old flamed up hot rod.’ And, even in that context, the shirt works. Why wouldn’t Tractorcito want to put off hot rod vibes? He IS a fucking hot rod. He WILL run you over.
This man is a fashion icon – we talk about what a great running back he is, but I think it’s high time we start recognizing the fashionista that he is. Hair game: strong. Suit game: strong. Bling game: icy strong. He checks all the boxes.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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