Tennessee Titans: Derrick Henry named Pro Athlete of the Year

The Tennessee Titans had an amazing season thanks to Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry, and Henry is being honored after a great year.

Derrick Henry led the NFL in rushing yards in 2019 and was the rushing champion for the 2019 season, and now the Tennessee Titans’ running back is being named the Pro Athlete of the Year by the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. 

Henry has spent four seasons in the NFL now, and all of them have been with the Titans. In his fourth season, he rushed for 1,540 rushing yards with 16 rushing touchdowns. That was the best in the league for the 2019 season.

He also rushed for 5.1 yards-per-carry average, which was the second-best in the league. There is no doubt that 2019 was Henry’s best season of his career, and he’s being recognized for it as the best professional athlete in Tennessee.

This is the first Titans player to receive this honor since Chris Johnson in 2010, and the last time the Titans were named Professional Team of the Year was 2008, so this is a rare occasion for Titans fans.

The Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2020 was announced earlier this year in February. The athletes being honored in the 2020 Class are Jeff Fisher, Tim Corbin, Heath Shuler, Tony Delk, DeAngelo Williams, Bruton Smith, Terry Crisp, Sonny Smith, Bettye Giles, Dick Horton, and Carl Torbush.

Dolly Parton is also being recognized as the 2020 Tennessean of the Year. She is a national treasure. The Hall of Fame’s annual induction on August 1st at the Omni Nashville Hotel.

It might not seem like a big honor for Henry to be named the Pro Athlete of the Year, but as I noted previously, there aren’t too many Titans players on the list, so the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame is recognizing a truly great season from Henry.