 A conversation, an exchange of sentiments, observations, opinions or ideas. It's not part of the definition, but sometimes a conversation involves advice. Advice that can be career changing, advice that can be franchise changing. Derek Henry and Eddie George had a conversation like that in 2018, and the results changed the course, the arc of both Henry and the Tennessee Titans. You know the story, the leading rusher in high school history in Uly, Florida, the Heisman trophy winner for the national champions at Alabama, the era parent to DeMarco Murray with the Tennessee Titans. 2018 was Derek Henry's time to take the throne, and then it all went wrong. I wondered at that time how much longer Derek Henry was actually going to be a part of this roster. That was a real question in my head. I wasn't sure honestly at that moment who would trade for it and what the Titans would be able to get, but I thought he was on his way out of the rotation and maybe on the way out of Tennessee. The story could have ended here, it usually does. The person who has been a star their entire life cannot handle failure and they give up. But Derek Henry wasn't the normal star. His football pedigree might have said royalty, but his football heart beat like every other person who loved the game with a passion, much like Eddie George. So when things looked their most bleak, Derek Henry turned to the only man who would understand. He began a conversation with Eddie George and Eddie told him the truth. I was very blunt and honest with him and it was one particular play when they played the charges in London when he was matched up in the hole against a smaller linebacker and he elected not to challenge him, but to try to outrun him and hit the home run and he was an easy tackle. And I just challenged him to front the defender up. Your best asset is your size, you know, impose your will and everything else will come. And it was just the stuff that I needed to hear and it was right after one of the games we actually played in London with some charges and he was there and you know the season wasn't going the way I wanted it to and I was like, let me call Eddie, you know, because he is a command back in this bleak, thank you organization. Just wanting to get this full movement where they're going and he shot me straight and I definitely helped. It's pretty good for him. You have to respect Eddie George in that conversation, right? I think even Derek will listen to Eddie because Eddie walked the walk and I think Eddie's honesty is what makes him Eddie. He comes from a place of love. He comes from a place to try to help the man and so I think it's easy to receive feedback from Eddie. That was huge because he swallowed his pride, set it to the side and trying to figure out how he steps forward. It's great. And for Eddie to have that honest conversation, the impact that he has is because of that conversation. Now he had to go out and do the work without question. It didn't happen immediately. Derek Henry ran with the Titans scout team just to get extra reps. The work paid off when his hometown team, the Jacksonville Jaguars, hit Nashville for Thursday night football in early December. Gives it to Henry. Henry bounces it outside. Five, ten, fifteen, stiff arm, twenty, twenty-five, thirty, forty, stiff arm, fifty, forty. While the numbers have piled up, he hasn't let it go to his head. Like Eddie George, Derek Henry has embraced his role as team leader, community leader and face of the franchise. He is the pride of Tennessee Titans fans and has accepted that every move he makes will be scrutinized, evaluated. Instead of becoming a shrinking violet, Derek Henry has blossomed to become a star to a level that no Titan has ever reached, well, except for maybe Eddie George. Derek Henry is twenty-nine years old. He's running hills. He's doing ridiculous stuff in the weight room. He's practicing every day and it's because he demands excellence in himself and excellence of his teammates. Leave that way every day. It's often forgotten that there was a moment in time when Derek Henry was on the verge of failure. That fact makes his incredible five-year run more impressive and it all started with a conversation and the humility to be willing to ask for help.