Remembering Tommy Henry: A genuine, strong leader in Louisiana high school sports

I always had a pretty good idea that former Louisiana High School Athletic Association commissioner Tommy Henry was doing his job well.

That’s because most of the state association was unhappy with his performance.

Henry would give it to people straight, always acting in what he thought was in the best interest of the association.

In all the years this once young reporter called Henry, he always called back, even if the reporter didn’t like what he had to say.

Henry: Ed, why do you have JT Curtis on your show every week? It is a recruiting advantage.

Reporter: Tommy, I need someone who is accomplished, dependable, and who is very good on TV. If you were a football coach, it would be like changing quarterbacks every week. No continuity.

We agreed to disagree.

But the mutual respect was always there. He knew the reporter cared deeply about the high school game. That was good enough for him.

Henry once threatened a local network affiliate in New Orleans with a blackout of a Saturday NFL game because it was on the same day as the Superdome Prep Classic. He was merely applying an NFL rule available to every state association with an NFL team in its state.

A local restauranteur came to the rescue of the TV station, buying thousands of dollars of tickets to the Prep Classic.

Tommy Henry held his ground.

He did so on the playoff split that public schools pushed for years.

At the LHSAA convention, he spoke passionately to the principals, imploring them not to divide the playoffs in football.

They didn’t. At least, not then.

My guess is the split never would have happened if Henry continued as the leader of the LHSAA.

That’s no knock on anyone else who followed. Henry was just good with people. He could be tough on his people, but he always had their back. Whatever was said to staff at the LHSAA was said directly to them.

That criticism never left the building.

When Tommy Henry was commissioner, the Prep Classic set attendance records. High school football in the state, already very good, exploded. He understood that five championships, under one roof, made us as a state special.

Basketball also flourished, with thousands of fans flocking each night to the Cajundome for state championship games.

Those were the salad days for the LHSAA, and they came when he was in charge.

When he retired as commissioner, Henry invited my wife and I to Baton Rouge for his celebration. It was a tremendous honor to be asked.

The room was packed.

It was a testament to Mr. Henry. The overflow crowd told everyone there about the man they were paying tribute.

I pay tribute again to a fine man who left us this week at the age of 84.