Derrick Henry arrives at the gym wearing a black Dri-Fit turtleneck and long, black tights with high, white socks and a black skull cap that neatly covers the top of the thick, signature braid running down his neck toward the middle of his shoulders.
It’s a late-February afternoon. “Empire State of Mind” by Alicia Keys and Jay-Z plays over the loudspeaker at Dallas’s Sanders Fit Performance. Henry’s trainer, former professional basketball player Melvin Sanders, has agreed to answer pressing questions about the body’s limits in modern football, and how a 6' 3", 247-pound running back can withstand the workload that has resulted in back-to-back seasons leading the NFL in rushing yards and touchdowns.