Dr. Doug Henderson, a founding member of the Tallahassee Orthopedic Clinic and team physician for Florida State athletics across four decades, died Thursday morning.
He was 85.
Henderson, who along with Dr. Tom Haney had a shared vision to establish a premier sports medicine clinic in his hometown, also battled Parkinson’s disease.
A graduate of Leon High, Henderson was a familiar, trusted face on practice and game fields at FSU, Florida A&M and across Big Bend high schools. He devoted countless hours to helping athletes of all ability levels return to competition.
Henderson and Haney founded TOC in 1974 as the first sports medicine orthopedic practice in North Florida dedicated exclusively to orthopedics. The two native Floridians met during their residency at Emory University Medical School in Atlanta.
The pair was inducted into the FSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010.
“Doug had grown up in Tallahassee and wanted to come back, and I went to FSU and wanted to come back,” Haney told the Tallahassee Democrat on Thursday.
“We tried to stay on the forefront of sports medicine, that was very important. He (Henderson) was very genuine, a good businessman, a good organizer. He knew and loved the community. It was always important because we wanted FSU to have the best possible care.”
Prior to returning to Tallahassee, Henderson served as a surgeon for the U.S. Air Force. He completed his cardiovascular residency at the Mayo Clinic in 1967, his orthopedic surgery residency at Emory University in 1973, and received his sports medicine knee fellowship in 1973.
Former FSU and Leon High quarterback Jimmy Jordan, 67, was saddened by Henderson’s death. They often fished and hunted together.
“To me, he was more than just a doctor, he was a good friend,” Jordan said.
“He’s one of those guys, like Dr. Haney, who don’t come along very often. It’s amazing how much he gave of his life to football, to Florida State and to Leon. He was there all the time. I thought the world of him.”
Jim Watson, a certified athletic trainer with TOC for four decades, said “Dr. Henderson was a legend around the Big Bend. It was a huge deal when he was on your sideline for a (high school) football game.”
TOC, which celebrated 50 years of service in 2024, is supported today by a team of over 400 professionals, including orthopedic surgeons, physician assistants, physical therapists, and more.
Dr. Matt Lee, a former Lincoln High athlete and the managing physician partner of TOC, said Henderson was admired for “unwavering passion” for Tallahassee and TOC.
“Years after he retired, Dr. Henderson often visited our clinic offices to share stories about the history of TOC and local healthcare,” Lee said. “Dr Henderson will be missed but his legacy as a local trailblazer will live on indefinitely.”
Dr. Floyd Jaggears, a former Godby High and FSU football player under legendary coach Bobby Bowden, credited Henderson for steering him into medicine.
“He was always that mentor for me,” said Jaggears, who retired in 2023 from TOC after 24 years. “Doug and Tom basically created sports medicine in Tallahassee. And they set that tradition for us to follow.”
The celebration of life service for Henderson will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 11, 2025, at Deer Lake Methodist Church with Rev. Bobby Brooks and Rev. Luanne Hunter officiating.
Jim Henry is the Tallahassee Democrat’s sports editor. He had multiple stints at the Osceola as a writer and columnist
Dr. Doug Henderson, a founding member of the Tallahassee Orthopedic Clinic and team physician for Florida State athletics across four decades, died Thursday morning.
He was 85.
Henderson, who along with Dr. Tom Haney had a shared vision to establish a premier sports medicine clinic in his hometown, also battled Parkinson’s disease.
A graduate of Leon High, Henderson was a familiar, trusted face on practice and game fields at FSU, Florida A&M and across Big Bend high schools. He devoted countless hours to helping athletes of all ability levels return to competition.
Henderson and Haney founded TOC in 1974 as the first sports medicine orthopedic practice in North Florida dedicated exclusively to orthopedics. The two native Floridians met during their residency at Emory University Medical School in Atlanta.
The pair was inducted into the FSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010.
“Doug had grown up in Tallahassee and wanted to come back, and I went to FSU and wanted to come back,” Haney told the Tallahassee Democrat on Thursday.
“We tried to stay on the forefront of sports medicine, that was very important. He (Henderson) was very genuine, a good businessman, a good organizer. He knew and loved the community. It was always important because we wanted FSU to have the best possible care.”
Prior to returning to Tallahassee, Henderson served as a surgeon for the U.S. Air Force. He completed his cardiovascular residency at the Mayo Clinic in 1967, his orthopedic surgery residency at Emory University in 1973, and received his sports medicine knee fellowship in 1973.
Former FSU and Leon High quarterback Jimmy Jordan, 67, was saddened by Henderson’s death. They often fished and hunted together.
“To me, he was more than just a doctor, he was a good friend,” Jordan said.
“He’s one of those guys, like Dr. Haney, who don’t come along very often. It’s amazing how much he gave of his life to football, to Florida State and to Leon. He was there all the time. I thought the world of him.”
Jim Watson, a certified athletic trainer with TOC for four decades, said “Dr. Henderson was a legend around the Big Bend. It was a huge deal when he was on your sideline for a (high school) football game.”
TOC, which celebrated 50 years of service in 2024, is supported today by a team of over 400 professionals, including orthopedic surgeons, physician assistants, physical therapists, and more.
Dr. Matt Lee, a former Lincoln High athlete and the managing physician partner of TOC, said Henderson was admired for “unwavering passion” for Tallahassee and TOC.
“Years after he retired, Dr. Henderson often visited our clinic offices to share stories about the history of TOC and local healthcare,” Lee said. “Dr Henderson will be missed but his legacy as a local trailblazer will live on indefinitely.”
Dr. Floyd Jaggears, a former Godby High and FSU football player under legendary coach Bobby Bowden, credited Henderson for steering him into medicine.
“He was always that mentor for me,” said Jaggears, who retired in 2023 from TOC after 24 years. “Doug and Tom basically created sports medicine in Tallahassee. And they set that tradition for us to follow.”
The celebration of life service for Henderson will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 11, 2025, at Deer Lake Methodist Church with Rev. Bobby Brooks and Rev. Luanne Hunter officiating.
Jim Henry is the Tallahassee Democrat’s sports editor. He had multiple stints at the Osceola as a writer and columnist
