Elba’s Alvin Henderson named finalist for Gatorade National Player of the Year
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Alvin Henderson’s high school football days may be officially behind them but the accolades continue to stack up for his historic career.
Earlier this season, he became the all-time leader for rushing yards in Alabama High School Athletic Association history. It’s one of many AHSAA records he holds.
Despite playing in the state’s smallest classification, his numbers this season with Elba High School grabbed national attention. And now, he’s one of three finalists for a prestigious award.
Keep reading to learn more about Henderson’s season + who the other finalists are.
Alvin Henderson
During the early National Signing Day, Henderson officially signed to start his college career under Hugh Freeze at Auburn. According to 247Sports Composite rankings, he’s the highest ranked running back recruit for the program since Tank Bigsby in 2020.
Friday, Henderson was named the Alabama Gatorade Player of the Year and a finalist for the national Gatorade Player of the Year.
As a senior, Henderon rushed for a state-record 3,620 yards and scored 61 touchdowns, leading the Tigers to the Class 1A state semifinals. He broke his own record of 3,523 yards set a year ago.
Henderson is the state-record holder with 10,930 rushing yards, which ranks him No. 5 nationally in prep history. The Elba star will participate in the Navy All-American Bowl in January.
Henderson joins recent Gatorade Alabama Football Players of the Year Ryan Williams (2023-24 & 2022-23, Saraland High School), Earl Woods (2021-22, Hueytown High School) and Conner Harrell (2020-21, Thompson High School), among the state’s list of former award winners.
Gatorade Player of the Year
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states across 12 different high school sports – football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field – and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport.
One of the other finalists for the award is 5-star quarterback Keelon Russell who signed with Alabama earlier this week. He’s thrown for 3,652 yards to go with 52 touchdowns and just two interceptions as he leads Duncanville in its quest for a three-peat.
The third finalist is junior offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell who has yet to sign at the next level but is considered the top recruit in the country, according to 247 Sports Composite rankings. Alabama and Auburn have both already offered Cantwell.
As part of Gatorade’s commitment to breaking down barriers in sport, every Player of the Year also receives a grant to donate to a social impact partner. To date, the Gatorade Player of the Year program has provided more than $5.6 million in grants to winners across more than 2,000 organizations.
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