Former Jaguars DL John Henderson Named to Tennessee Volunteers Hall of Fame

The legendary former Jaguars player is now a Tennessee Volunteer.

One of the best defensive linemen in Jacksonville Jaguars history has earned an important honor, with former Jaguars defensive tackle John Henderson has been named to the University of Tennessee’s athletics hall of fame. “A dominant interior defender and Nashville native, John Henderson earned back-to-back first-team All-America honors his junior and senior seasons by exploding off the defensive line. In 2000 – a year Tennessee set a school record for fewest rushing yards allowed with 817 – he won the Outland Trophy, was a Bronko Nagurski Trophy finalist and received SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors,” the university said in a release.

At that time, Henderson’s season total of 64 tackles, four forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, and 12 sacks was third-highest in UT single-season history. Despite a nagging ankle ailment, he was a finalist for the Outland Trophy and a semifinalist for the Lombardi Award in 2001 and helped lead the Vols to the SEC Eastern Division championship. He finished his career with six tackles in a 45-17 Citrus Bowl victory over Michigan, which earned him Defensive MVP honors. Henderson concluded his career with 162 total tackles and 20.5 sacks, which still ranks sixth in UT history. He was selected to the first team of the SEC two times. The Jacksonville Jaguars picked Henderson with the ninth overall choice in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He participated in ten NFL games overall.

According to the school, this year’s Hall of Fame weekend will take place April 26-27, with the induction ceremony set for April 26. Henderson anchored the Jaguars’s defense alongside Marcus Stroud for the early 2000s. In 2019, Henderson was ranked as the 10th-best player in franchise history. “He was the other half of that defensive tackle combination. In 2007, Henderson was unblockable. It was arguably the best performance by a defensive lineman in Jaguars history,” Vic Ketchman wrote.

The induction ceremony is scheduled on April 26, and the school reports that this year’s Hall of Fame weekend will run from April 26 to April 27. Alongside Marcus Stroud, Henderson served as the cornerstone of the Jaguars’ defense in the early 2000s. Henderson was listed as the tenth-best player in team history in 2019. “He was the defensive tackle combination’s other half. Henderson was unstoppable in 2007. Vic Ketchman stated, “It was probably the best defensive lineman performance in Jaguars history.”