Big John. Big Hen. Or as his close Nashville friends call him, Joe.
He’s only one of the most accomplished football players in Tennessee history. An All-Pro NFL defensive tackle, John Henderson is now an Oakland Raider after eight seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Playing a position that does not get much attention- defensive tackle- Henderson has made a name for himself, especially in his home town and state, Nashville, Tennessee.
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| Big John loves football (courtesy of Oakland Raiders) |
“I just love this game,” said Henderson. “Some people think it’s about the money. It’s not that at all. I love football. When I stop loving the game, I’ll hang my cleats up.”
Big John is certainly one of the most decorated football players ever from Tennessee. He is a workhorse, too. In his eight seasons, he has played in 124 of 128 games. He has missed only four games in his career.
In college, he was an All-American and won the Outland Trophy his junior year. The Outland is presented to the nation’s top interior lineman. He helped lead the Vols to greatness during his four years there.
Henderson was an integral part of the Vols remarkable run from 1998 to 2001. Playing in the brutal SEC, the Volunteers were 41-9 overall during those four years. They won the National Championship in 1998, going 13-0. In Henderson’s senior year, they were 11-2.
Big John is married and has four children. His close friends describe him as kind-hearted. He’s a nice guy, very polite and well-spoken, and fun-loving as well. He’s widely known for his pregame ritual of having a team staff member slap his face to get him fired up for the game.
“The guy who used to do it, he had small hands,” said Hen. “There’s a lot of people in line for it now [with the Raiders], so I need to make sure I find the right person.”
In a recent interview, he shed some light on his personal habits as wel- he is a self-described “neat freak.” Some fellow players call him the Martha Stewart of football.
“I like things in order,” he said. “You gotta have a clean house.”
His close friends the Fitzgeralds in Nashville know “Joe” about as well as anyone. Maurice was his longtime football and hoops coach, and Maurice’s son Buck has been best friends with John since they were in middle school. Buck played at Tennessee with John.
The elder Fitzgerald, longtime head football coach at Pearl-Cohn and now AD at Smithson-Craighead Middle, is certainly proud of Henderson. Fitzgerald is from Henderson’s days in the J.C. Napier Homes, at St. Pius Middle, then Pearl-Cohn and beyond. Back then and now, the Fitzgerald house was and is a gathering place for friends and family.
Fitzgerald also coached the championship AAU Music City Player teams, when Joe became known as “Baby Shaq,” dominating the national tournaments.
The public sees one side of Henderson, but Fitzgerald knows the complete story, describing Henderson as a “kind-hearted young man” who actually was shy and introverted as a youngster.
“His heart is here in Nashville,” said Maurice. “He’s a kind-hearted young man who is committed to helping his family and others. He’s helped out a lot at Pearl-Cohn and in Nashville during his pro career.” Henderson was just one of the guys back in the day.
“He was actually very shy and introverted when he was younger,” said Fitz. “I think he probably enjoyed high school more than college and the pro life, because it was simple, a simpler time. There’s always pressure and demands when you move up to the higher levels.”
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