FEARLESS Award – Derrick Tennant ’93

Derrick Tennant, a member of the Class of 1993, began his FEARLESS journey long before his Houghton story began. At the age of 14, Derrick was a gifted multi-sport athlete on the verge of beginning his high school athletic career. The night before starting high school football practice, Derrick laid down for a nap and didn’t wake up for three days. Paralyzed and in a coma, Derrick underwent emergency brain surgery, which saved his life but ultimately left him unable to move his left side. For anyone, the years of therapy alone would require daily acts of FEARLESS faith in a faithful God.

Derrick could have stopped there—he would have inspired all of us simply by persisting through the challenges brought by everyday life. But Derrick wasn’t satisfied to simply accept his limitations and proceed to make his life as “normal” as possible. Derrick finished high school and set off for college. At Houghton, Derrick majored in communication and paired his classroom learning with hands-on experience as a Phonathon caller, class officer and—perhaps most memorably—SPOT host.

An alumni update published in a 1997 edition of Houghton’s alumni magazine reported on Derrick’s work with urban youth in LA through Center for Student Missions, as a corporate trainer for Discovery Zone, Inc., and as public relations director and defensive coordinator for a semi-pro football team. Oh… it also mentioned that he’d played basketball internationally in both the Philippines and Mexico. What the note didn’t say was that Derrick still had the use of only his right hand.

In 2001, Derrick was ready to fearlessly follow God’s calling on his life by combining the things he’d learned through perseverance in the face of tragedy, the education he received at Houghton, and the experiences of his early career to launch his own business as a motivational speaker and comedian. Derrick’s many ventures include 14 Sleeves, named for his iconic wardrobe of only seven shirts (one for each day of the week; yes, they’re labeled); BleepFree Comedy (which is, indeed, bleep free, for which we are all grateful); and partnership with his sister, Julie, both as a public speaker with her through The Love Chromosome and in her business Julie’s Cool Shirts.