Henry Joins MLS Ownership Group

The Tennessee Titans running back, along with actor Reese Witherspoon and investor Jim Toth, now has a small stake in Nashville SC.

Kirby Lee/USA Today Sports

NASHVILLE – Derrick Henry is ready to tackle another form of football – from a completely different perspective.

The Tennessee Titans running back was one of three high-profile individuals who became minority owners in Nashville SC, that team announced Tuesday. Nashville SC is a Major League Soccer franchise that began play in 2020.

Henry joined actor/producer Reese Witherspoon and technology investor Jim Toth as part of the ownership group. According to the team, the two-time rushing champion is the fourth NFL player involved in ownership of an MLS franchise.

“As a kid growing up in Florida, I imagined being a professional sports owner and the opportunity to do that with a Major League Soccer club is truly a dream come true,” Henry said via a release from the team. “My investment in Nashville SC is way more than financial, it’s truly an investment in the city of Nashville. The chance to be part of a club like Nashville SC, especially after seeing what they are accomplishing in the community, was an opportunity I did not want to miss.”

In its first two seasons, Nashville SC shared Nissan Stadium with the Titans while construction of its own soccer-specific venue was built. That facility, Geodis Park, opens Sunday when Nashville SC hosts the Philadelphia Union. All 30,000 seats for that game have been sold.

Nashville played its first eight matches of the current season on the road and went 3-3-2, good for eighth place in the Western Conference. Philadelphia (5-1-2) is currently in first place in the Eastern Conference.

“We meant it when we said we were doing this in Nashville, with Nashville and for Nashville,” principal owner John Ingram said. “Having Derrick, Reese and Jim join our group signals our commitment to being a club that is going to do things at the highest level and with the best Nashville has to offer.”