Tommy Hensley

Who was Tommy Hensley?

Thomas B. "Tommy" Hensley was an American football official in the National Football League from 1967 to 1987. During his time in the NFL, he was selected as the umpire for Super Bowl XIX in 1985. He wore uniform number 19 during his NFL career, which is now worn by Scott Green.

He attended Central High School in Knoxville, Tennessee where he was inducted into the Wall of Fame in November 2009. He played football at the University of Tennessee for the years. His teammates at UT included Doug Atkins and Johnny Majors.

Mr. Hensley was a lineman at Central High School, where he graduated in 1950. After graduation, he went to Virginia Tech on a football scholarship but returned to Knoxville to play tackle on the University of Tennessee football teams in 1952 and 1953. A Knoxville News Sentinel “Sports Brief” prior to his junior year said, “Tommy Hensley,age 20, 6 foot 190 pound junior, from Knoxville lettered last year as a defensive tackle. His performances on offense during the spring increased his potential value to the team. has good speed and is a conscientious worker ranked with the top tackle on the squad.” He graduated with a degree in marketing. Although he owned and operated a service station in Fountain City for 15 years and was a national-accounts director for a trucking firm for five, he was known for his association with football.