Todd Helton has a strong case as the greatest player in Tennessee baseball history. Now, he stands in bronze outside Coors Field in Denver.
The Colorado Rockies unveiled a statue of Helton in front of their home stadium on Sept. 19. It depicts his celebration after catching the final out of 2007 National League Championship Series at first base.
Pop the confetti and play Springsteen 🎉 pic.twitter.com/I9YvpyNISZ
— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) September 19, 2026
"Seeing this statue here today outside of Coors Field is something I never could've imagined when I first put on a Rockies uniform," Helton said. "I never imagined that one day I would be standing here looking at myself, surrounded by so many people that helped make my career what it was. ... This statue may have my name on it, but it represents
so many people."
Helton became the first first Tennessee player inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2024. During his 17-year career with Colorado, he totaled 369 home runs, 592 doubles and 1,406 RBIs, all club records. He was a five-time All-Star, four-time Silver Slugger and three-time Gold Glove winner.
Helton grew up in Knoxville and starred in football and baseball at Central High School. In 1992, he was named Gatorade Player of the Year in both sports.
Although it was on the baseball diamond that Helton would make his name, he made 12 appearances for the Vols at quarterback. As a junior in 1994, he took over as the starter for three weeks before going down with an injury. His replacement: a promising freshman named Peyton Manning.
Helton's college baseball career was defined by dominance. He was All-American every year of his career from 1993-95, hitting .370 with 38 home runs and 238 RBIs — still a school record. He also pitched 193 innings with an ERA of 2.24, 172 strikeouts and 23 saves.
Helton was awarded the Dick Howser Trophy as the national player of the year in 1995 and was selected No. 8 overall by the Rockies in that year's MLB draft.
Helton has stayed connected with UT baseball since retiring in 2013. He was a volunteer on the coaching staff from 2017-18 and was part of the search committee when Tennessee searched for a new coach following Tony Vitello's departure in October 2025.
Helton's No. 3 was retired by UT in 2008, becoming the first number retired by the program. The road next to Lindsey Nelson Stadium is named Todd Helton Drive.
When Helton was inducted into the Hall of Fame, he wore a Power T pin on his jacket.
Emmett Siegel covers Tennessee baseball for Knox News. Email: emmett.siegel@knoxnews.com; X: @EmmettSiegel_
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Rockies unveil statue of Todd Helton, honoring Tennessee baseball great
