Henton’s love for music has always been a pivotal part of his identity.
Knoxville, TN — If you’re over 50, you likely remember Sterling Henton as a quarterback at Tennessee.
If you’re a millennial, you likely know Henton as Sterl the Pearl the animated DJ.
The guy who could spin a football can spin records, too. And he’s dang good at it.
Henton makes a living nowadays as a disc jockey. He’s a legend in Las Vegas and Atlanta. He’s played in California, New York, Detroit, and Dallas. He’s made out-of-the-country trips – mostly alone – to Dubai, Mexico, Singapore, Indonesia, the Dominican Republic, St. Thomas Virgin Islands, and Canada.
All this from a guy who dreamed of playing in the NFL but is living his dream as a highly successful and much sought-after DJ.
Since Henton was 8 years old, he wanted to play. Not football. Music.
The Rewind with Jimmy Hyams
Henton has been a fan of Hip Hop since he first started spinning 45s in his mother’s living room and his uncle’s basement in the 1970s.
If Henton made good grades, his mother, Ellen, would take him to the record store where he would buy a 45.
“I’ve been loving music ever since,’’ Henton said.
Henton’s cousin Eddie was a disc jockey and showed young Sterl the ropes. When Henton was 14, he made his first public appearance as a DJ at a summer party in his hometown of Passaic, N.J.
“I’m just glad I didn’t clear the dance floor,’’ Henton said.
Henton has seldom – if ever – cleared the dance floor. That’s a DJ’s nightmare. A key is knowing your audience.
He didn’t clear the floor when he played at my retirement party on March 30, 2023.
He didn’t clear the floor when he played at my daughter’s wedding on Oct. 22, 2023.
He knew his audience and he played to it.
“Every time I get asked to DJ,’’ Henton said, “I don’t care if it’s at a 5-year-old birthday party or at Neyland Stadium, I’m thankful because there are millions of DJs out there.’’
Henton was confident in high school that he could make a living as a DJ. But he was a star quarterback who wanted to make a living in the NFL. He signed with Tennessee, in part because of the weather. He was a starter on a 1989 team that began the season 5-0 and was ranked in the top 10 before losing 47-30 at Alabama.
Henton lost his job to Andy Kelly, who guided the Vols to six straight wins and an SEC Championship.
Henton’s dreams of playing in the NFL faded, although, he says “I played in every league but the NFL.’’
Henton was asked if he was bitter when he got benched at Tennessee.
“Yes,’’ he said. “No player doesn’t want to play, and I think, if I wasn’t bitter, they’d have taken my scholarship away. It was a competitive world when we played.’’
Henton said a “different style of coaching’’ led to a QB change, but Henton had to hide his feelings.
“I wanted to make sure the team wasn’t divided,’’ he said. “I had a lot of friends on the team. It was my job as a teammate to make sure everybody gave their best for the man calling the shots because if he wins a ring, I win a ring, too.’’
But, he added, “I was always ready. And when I played, I didn’t lose.’’
Henton, now 56, doesn’t drink, smoke, or do drugs – an amazing feat since he grew up exposed to all three.
Henton learned a valuable lesson as an 11-year-old. A bunch of boys ages 17 to 18 took him out on the town. He said he drank two quarts of beer. He got homesick.
“I had posters on my wall of Walter Payton and Tony Dorsett, and I saw them coming at me,’’ he said. “And the room was spinning.’’
Henton didn’t make it to the bathroom. He threw up all over his room. His mother cleaned up the mess.
“I’ll never forget the disappointment in her face,’’ said Henton, who vowed at that moment never to drink, smoke, or do drugs.
While Henton was a DJ during his playing days, he turned it into a career when he hung up his spikes. In recent years, he has played music at Tennessee home football and basketball games.
What’s it like to get the Vol Nation revved up?
“There’s nothing like it, man,’’ Henton said. “That’s a moment in time, right there.’’
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