Tennessee's John Henderson path to College Football Hall of Fame began in 1998

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

Former Tennessee star John Henderson was inducted into the National Football Foundation College Football Hall of Fame on Dec. 9.

Henderson, a defensive end who went on to play 10 seasons in the NFL, became the 27th former player or coach at Tennessee to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. The ceremony took place at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

Henderson, a former star at Pearl-Cohn in Nashville, was one of 18 first-team All-America players and four coaches who were enshrined.

"Today was the day it really set in," Henderson said. "Seeing coach (Phillip Fulmer), Al (Wilson) and just reminiscing over how it all began, that 1998 squad really gave me all the tools to be who I am today. I love the game of football but playing it with my teammates was everything. Everything I learned in football, I bring to life."  

Henderson didn't play in the 1998 championship game because he was redshirted.

Of the 27 Vols inductees, 23 were enshrined as players and four as coaches. The 23 players represent the second-most among SEC programs and the seventh-most nationally.Henderson was a two-time consensus first team All-American (2000, 2001). He claimed the 2000 Outland Trophy as the best interior lineman in the nation while finishing as a finalist for the Nagurski Trophy as the nation's best defensive player the same year. A two-time first team All-SEC selection from 2000-01, Henderson was also named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2000. He was a finalist for the Outland Trophy again in 2001.He helped lead Tennessee to the 2001 SEC East title and an overall record of 28-9 during his career.

The Vols made three consecutive bowls with appearances in the 2000 Fiesta and 2001 Cotton and a win in the 2002 Citrus Bowl, where Henderson earned outstanding defensive player honors. During his career Tennessee finished inside the top 10 in 1999 and reached No. 4 in the final polls in 2001.Henderson finished his career with 162 tackles and 20.5 sacks. His 12 sacks in 2000 rank fourth all-time for a single season in program history, while his 21 tackles for loss that year ranked third.In 2023 Henderson was inducted into the State of Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame and in 2024 the Tennessee Athletics Hall of Fame in 2024.

Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on X @MikeOrganWriter.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee's John Henderson explains path to College Football Hall of Fame

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos