Derrick Henry, Lamar Jackson, Amon-Ra St. Brown & 2026 NFL Preview | Sports Stars of Tomorrow

It took Derrick Henry ten NFL seasons to surpass the career rushing yards he piled up in four years of high school. That stat alone tells you everything about what he did at Yulee High in Florida, where he broke a national record that had stood for 59 years — the mark set by the late Ken Hall out of Sugarland, Texas. Now 32 and still producing at an elite level in Baltimore, Henry rushed for 1,595 yards last season, the second-highest total in the league.

Henry's Ravens teammate Lamar Jackson has faced doubters throughout his career, dating back to his days at Boynton Beach High School in Florida. The two-time MVP and Heisman Trophy winner credits his mother — a single parent — for pushing him toward greatness when he couldn't always see it in himself.

In Detroit, Amon-Ra St. Brown has built one of the most physically dominant receiver profiles in the NFL. A product of Mater Dei in California, one of the nation's premier prep programs, St. Brown was benching 335 pounds five times as a high schooler — a feat that left his own offensive linemen puzzled. Now a two-time first-team All-Pro entering his sixth season, he attributes his edge entirely to the work ethic instilled by his father from the time he was five years old.