Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame announced Dolly Parton will be honored as the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame 2020 Tennessean of the Year and Derrick Henry will receive the Pro Athlete of the Year Award. The honors will be formally presented at the Hall of Fame’s annual induction on Aug. 1, 2020 at Omni Nashville Hotel.
“This will come as a shock to most of you, but I’m not very athletic. Ha ha,” said Dolly Parton in a release. “I just couldn’t find tennis shoes, cleats, or blades with five-inch heels, so I gave up and settled for music. Seriously, I have always been a proud Tennessee girl and have supported all our athletics through the years; so, of course, I’m thrilled to be honored by the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.”
Other Honorees to be Recognized
Former Vanderbilt University and NBA Philadelphia 76ers basketball player Perry Wallace will be honored posthumously with the David Williams Significant Historical Achievement Award. Woody Hunt, 17-time Coach of the Year and Rawlings Coach of the Year Award winner, will receive the Pat Summitt Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Tennessee Titans will receive the Pro Team of the Year Award. The Titans had an exciting 2019 season. They reached the NFL playoffs as the No. 2 wild card with a 9-7 overall record. The Titans were lauded as true road warriors as they won against defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots 20-13 in Foxborough and then won against top seed Baltimore Ravens 28-12 in Baltimore. They reached the AFC Championship game before falling to eventual Super Bowl LIV champions Kansas City Chiefs.
Additional honorees include: Amateur Female Athlete of the Year winner Maria Bulanova; Co-Amateur Male Athletes of the Year winners Kumar Rocker and Trey Smith; Female Amateur Team of the Year winner University of Tennessee Swimming & Diving; and Male Amateur Team of the Year Vanderbilt University baseball.
The Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame is located at 501 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203 inside Bridgestone Arena.
