Derrick Henry is stepping into the professional ownership box in Major League Soccer.
Recently, Nashville SC announced that the Tennessee Titans running back and Nashville native actress Reese Witherspoon are minority owners of the team. Witherspoon’s husband, Jim Toth, is also a part of the new minority ownership group.
“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,” said Henry in a statement.
Making More History In Tennessee
Henry is now only the fourth NFL player in history to serve as an owner of an MLS team, according to Nashville SC. In 2019, Russell Wilson became part-owner of the Seattle Sounders. Also, in 2021, Patrick Mahomes became a co-owner of Sporting KC.
Nashville SC made the playoffs in 2020 and 2021, losing in the conference semifinals both years.
“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.”
New Arena. New Energy. Who Dis.
The team plays in 30,000-seat GEODIS Park, the largest soccer-specific stadium in the U.S. or Canada. According to the club, the stadium’s construction is almost complete, and 49 percentt of the more than 6,000 people employed were women or people of color.
The club is an expansion team that became an MLS club in 2020. Initially, the team was hosted at the Titans’ Nissan Stadium. However, Nashville SC will have its inaugural match on May 1 against the Philadelphia Union.
