John Henderson’s Tennessee career is getting another spotlight.
The former Vols defensive tackle, already a College Football Hall of Famer, has been named to the 2026 SEC Football Legends class, the league announced. Henderson will be honored alongside former standouts from around the conference during the SEC Football “Weekend of Champions” in Atlanta on Dec. 4-5, with the SEC Legends Celebration set for Friday, Dec. 4 at the College Football Hall of Fame.
The group will also be recognized before the SEC Football Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 5.
For Tennessee, Henderson’s selection adds another big name to a long line of program legends. He joins a list that includes Peyton Manning in 2022, Joey Kent in 2023, Eric Berry in 2024 and Kevin Burnett in 2025.
Henderson’s résumé at Tennessee is loaded. He was a two-time first-team All-American and a two-time first-team All-SEC selection from 2000-01.
In 2000, he won the Outland Trophy as the nation’s top interior lineman and was also a finalist for the Nagurski Trophy. That same season, he was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year and later finished as an Outland finalist again in 2001.
His impact went beyond individual hardware. Henderson helped lead Tennessee to the 2001 SEC East title and a 28-9 record during his career.
The Vols reached three straight bowl games, including the 2000 Fiesta Bowl, the 2001 Cotton Bowl and a win in the 2002 Citrus Bowl, where Henderson earned outstanding defensive player honors. Tennessee finished in the Top 10 in 1999 and climbed to No. 4 in the final polls in 2001.
On the field in 2000, Henderson was a force on a defense that set a school record by allowing just 817 rushing yards. He posted 12 sacks that season, which still ranks fourth in a single season in program history, along with 21 tackles for loss, third-best all-time at Tennessee for one year. Over his career, he finished with 162 tackles, 38.5 tackles for loss, 20.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries and seven pass breakups.
His Tennessee legacy was formally recognized last December, when he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Henderson went on to become the No. 9 overall pick in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft by Jacksonville. He played for the Jaguars from 2002-09 and the Raiders from 2010-11, earning two Pro Bowl selections and second-team All-Pro honors in 2006.
The 2026 SEC Football Legends class also includes Nick Saban, Felix Jones, Benji Roland, Chris Doering, Mark Richt, Randall Cobb, Patrick Peterson, Tony Bennett, Darius Slay, Sean Weatherspoon, Billy Sims, Sidney Rice, Ricky Williams, Sam Adams and Casey Hayward.
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