The stars are aligning for Derrick Henry to make his silver screen debut alongside Adam Sandler.
After making a bet with each other via social media and "The Dan Patrick Show," Henry and Sandler met face-to-face at the premiere of "Happy Gilmore 2" in New York on Monday.
Sandler, who had previously promised a role for Henry in one of his movies if he eclipsed the 2,000-yard mark this season, seems committed to the idea.
"We're doing a movie together," Sandler said. "Me and you, bro."
Speaking after Day 1 of training camp on Wednesday, Henry said meeting Sandler "was a surreal moment."
"Really, I was just telling Dan Patrick, just tell Adam [Sandler] [that] he's my favorite actor, just out of love. It turned into all of that [being invited to the premiere], which I'm really appreciative of," Henry said. "For me to get there and be able to meet him, that'd have been good enough, and if he wants to put me in the movie, I'd be happy as hell too. [It was] just a cool moment that I'll never forget."
Last month, Henry told Patrick that his favorite actor was Sandler. Patrick, who is friends with Sandler and has made cameo appearances in several of his movies, raised the stakes and said he would get him a role in a Sandler movie if he reaches 2,000 rushing yards.
Henry appears plenty motivated to reach that mark and wore a suit jacket with "2K" lining the inside to the premiere.
Henry was just shy of reaching the milestone last season, finishing with 1,921 rushing yards on 325 carries. The All-Pro tailback has already crossed the 2,000-yard threshold once in 2020 with the Tennessee Titans, when he gained 2,027 yards.
As far as which role Henry believes best suits him, he's hoping Sandler casts him in a sequel to "The Waterboy," he told Sports Illustrated.
"I know [Sandler's] a little bit older now, he probably won't be the Bobby Boucher he was in the first one, but hopefully we can do something like that," Henry said.
As far as which Sandler movies are Henry's favorites, his top three are "Big Daddy," "Click," and "Mr. Deeds."
