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THE RECOGNIZED DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING PROVIDER OF THE TENNESSEE TITANS
TEAM STATS ANNUAL STUDIES PERFORMED MRIs
72,000
CTs
66,000
Mammograms
42,000
X-rays
119,000
Ultrasounds
70,000
Tennessee’s Largest Outpatient Imaging Network
375,000+
studies performed each year
FAST FACTS Regional referring providers to Premier Radiology
16,000+
Locations near where you live and work
21
Board-certified, sub-specialized radiologists
50+
Belle Meade • Bellevue • Brentwood • Briarville • Clarksville • Cool Springs • Gallatin Hendersonville • Hermitage • Lenox Village • Mt. Juliet • Murfreesboro • Nashville New Salem • Saint Thomas Midtown • Saint Thomas West • Smyrna • South Nashville
PremierRadiology.com • 615.356.3999
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7/8/20 8:34 AM 7/14/20 12:32 PM
BUILDING A STRONG TEAM
Professional football players, members of the NFL Players Association, AFL-CIO, are supported by the more than 100,000 members and retirees of Region 8 International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace & Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW). Football players and UAW members understand the importance of safety. Whether on the job or on the field both fight for strong health and safety policies and regulations. Working families across the country deserve safe working conditions, access to health care, and a voice in decisions that affect their family’s well-being. As we continue to navigate a global pandemic, we are resolved to make the workplace safe for all workers. Working together we strive to tackle some of the biggest problems that plague our economy, from growing economic inequality, wage stagnation, and racial and gender inequalities to eroding democracy and barriers to civic participation. To join us or for more information on how to join the millions of union members fighting for working families, contact us: 1-800-2GET-UAW, 1-800-243-8829, UAW.org/organize
TENNESSEE TITANS
YEARBOOK 2020 7 8 10 12 14 16 18 24 26 28 118 120 122 123 124 125 126 128 130 138 139 140 142 144 146 148 149 150 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 160 162 163 164 166 167 168 170 171 172 174 175 176 177 178 180
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2020 Schedule Owner and Co-Chairman Amy Adams Strunk President and CEO Burke Nihill Executive Vice President/General Manager Jon Robinson Executive Vice Presidents Head Coach Mike Vrabel Assistant Coaches Titans Roster Titans Player Head Shots Titans Veteran Player Autograph Pages 2019 Season Review AFC Wild Card Round at New England AFC Divisional Round at Baltimore AFC Championship at Kansas City Derrick Henry NFL Rushing Champion Ryan Tannehill NFL Comeback Player of the Year Titans Pro Bowlers Free Agency Recap 2020 Draft Class Titans Community Mission We Stand For Amy Adams Strunk Changing Direction of Titans Franchise Steve Underwood Retires, Burke Nihill Named Team President and CEO Jersey Numbers Retired for Eddie George and Steve McNair Titans Homecoming Weekend Titans Tuesday Titans Caravan Youth Football Huddle for Affordable Housing Salute to Service Crucial Catch Giving Back During Holiday Season Helping Hands Living United My Cause, My Cleats Franchise Great Earl Campbell Visits Titans Ben Jones Titans Community Man of the Year Nashville Voted Best Sports City Titans Assist in Tornado Cleanup Former Titan Myron Rolle Serving in Frontlines of Corona Virus Nissan Stadium Lights Blue to Support Frontline Workers Blue Angels Fly Over Nashville and Nissan Stadium Mike Keith Inducted to TN Radio Hall of Fame Jeff Fisher Inducted to TN Sports Hall of Fame Tennessee Titans Cheerleaders Titans Drumline / T-Rac Titans Radio Titans All-Access Titans Digital Platforms Nissan Stadium Saint Thomas Sports Park
EDITOR Gary Glenn PHOTOGRAPHY Donald Page, AP Images, Staff Photos TENNESSEE TITANS COMMUNICATIONS STAFF Robbie Bohren, Jim Wyatt, Dwight Spradlin, Jared Puffer, Kate Guerra, Kim Smith, Arden Shirley TITANS ON THE WEB TennesseeTitans.com Twitter.com/titans Facebook.com/titans Instagram.com/titans YouTube.com/titans Snapchat: NFLTitans
TENNESSEE TITANS 2020 YEARBOOK IS PUBLISHED BY
PROFESSIONAL SPORTS PUBLICATIONS 519 8TH AVE., 25TH FLOOR NEW YORK, NY 10018 TEL: 212.697.1460 FAX: 646.753.9480 PSPSPORTS.COM FACEBOOK.COM/PSPSPORTS TWITTER.COM/PSP_SPORTS EXECUTIVE V.P. OPERATIONS Jeff Botwinick EXECUTIVE V.P. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Martin Lewis EXECUTIVE V.P. SALES Mitch Gibbs EXECUTIVE V.P. TEAM RELATIONS Dave Gerschwer EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT Julie Wanjon PRODUCTION MANAGER Allie Wassel ©2010 TENNESSEE TITANS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM THE TEAM IS EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED.
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If you have risk factors like heart disease or diabetes and raised triglycerides (≥ 150 mg/dL) Ask your doctor about game-changing heart protection from VASCEPA
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INDICATION AND IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION WHAT IS VASCEPA? VASCEPA is a prescription medicine used: • along with certain medicines (statins) to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke and certain types of heart issues requiring hospitalization in adults with heart (cardiovascular) disease, or diabetes and 2 or more additional risk factors for heart disease. • along with a low-fat and low-cholesterol diet to lower high levels of triglycerides (fats) in adults. It is not known if VASCEPA changes your risk of having inflammation of your pancreas (pancreatitis). It is not known if VASCEPA is safe and effective in children. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION WHO SHOULD NOT TAKE VASCEPA? • Do not take VASCEPA if you are allergic to icosapent ethyl or any of the ingredients in VASCEPA.
WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF VASCEPA? VASCEPA may cause serious side effects, including: • Heart rhythm problems (atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter). Heart rhythm problems which can be serious and cause hospitalization have happened in people who take VASCEPA, especially in people who have heart (cardiovascular) disease or diabetes with a risk factor for heart (cardiovascular) disease, or who have had heart rhythm problems in the past. Tell your doctor if you get any symptoms of heart rhythm problems such as feeling as if your heart is beating fast and irregular, lightheadedness, dizziness, shortness of breath, chest discomfort or you faint. • Possible allergic reactions if you are allergic to fish or shellfish. Stop taking VASCEPA and tell your doctor right away or get emergency medical help if you have any signs or symptoms of an allergic reaction. • Bleeding. Serious bleeding can happen in people who take VASCEPA. Your risk of bleeding may increase if you are also taking a blood thinner medicine.
VASCEPA is a registered trademark of the Amarin group of companies. ©2020 Amarin Pharma, Inc. Bridgewater, NJ, USA. All rights reserved. VAS-02805v2 08/2020
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Celebrate
25% risk reduction with VASCEPA when added to a statin* ®
*In a study, patients treated with VASCEPA had fewer cardiovascular events (17.2%) compared to those who took placebo (22%). Taking statins, exercising, and eating right can lower your risk of a heart attack or stroke, but not as much as you may think. Prescription VASCEPA can also reduce your risk.
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VASCEPA is clinically proven to offer 25% less risk from heart attack and stroke when added to a statin.
Ask your doctor about VASCEPA today. WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF VASCEPA? (cont.) If you have liver problems and are taking VASCEPA, your doctor should do blood tests during treatment. The most common side effects of VASCEPA include: • Muscle and joint pain • Swelling of the hands, legs, or feet • Constipation • Gout • Heart rhythm problems (atrial fibrillation) These are not all the possible side effects of VASCEPA. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report adverse events (i.e. side effects) or product complaints by calling 1-855-VASCEPA (1-855-827-2372), emailing AmarinMI@druginfo.com, or calling the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. Tell your doctor if you take medicines that affect your blood clotting (anticoagulants or blood thinners). Please see next page for Patient Information or call 1-855-VASCEPA (1-855-827-2372).
Commercially insured patients can pay as little as
$9 for a 90-day supply.† Subject to availability. Restrictions apply. VASCEPA is covered without restriction for the majority of patients.
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May not be used to obtain prescription drugs paid for in part by Federal or State Healthcare Programs including Medicare, Medicaid, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, Tricare, and VA. Not for use by VT residents, VT licensed medical professionals, patients under 18, where prohibited by law or patient’s insurance plan, or where taxed or restricted. Maximum savings of $150 per month or $450 per 90 day supply. Eligible patients include those who participate in commercial insurance, through a healthcare exchange, or pay cash. Offer good through December 31, 2020.
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PATIENT INFORMATION VASCEPA® (pronounced vas-EE-puh) (icosapent ethyl) capsules What is VASCEPA? VASCEPA is a prescription medicine used along with certain medicines (statins) to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, and certain types of heart issues requiring hospitalization in adults with heart (cardiovascular) disease, or diabetes and 2 or more additional risk factors for heart disease. It’s also used along with a low-fat and low-cholesterol diet to lower high levels of triglycerides (fats) in adults. It is not known if VASCEPA changes your risk of having inflammation of your pancreas (pancreatitis). It is not known if VASCEPA is safe and effective in children. Do not take VASCEPA if you are allergic to icosapent ethyl or any of the ingredients in VASCEPA. See the end of this summary for a complete list of ingredients in VASCEPA.
VASCEPA can interact with certain other medicines that you are taking. Especially tell your doctor if you take medicines that affect your blood clotting (anticoagulants or blood thinners). How should I take VASCEPA? • Take VASCEPA exactly as your doctor tells you to take it. • Do not change your dose or stop taking VASCEPA without talking to your doctor. • Do not take more capsules than what is prescribed by your doctor. - If you are prescribed the 0.5 gram capsules, you should not take more than 8 capsules each day with food. - If you are prescribed the 1 gram capsules, you should not take more than 4 capsules each day with food. • Take VASCEPA capsules whole. Do not break, crush, dissolve, or chew VASCEPA capsules before swallowing. • If you miss a dose of VASCEPA, take it as soon as you remember. However, if you miss one day of VASCEPA, do not double your dose when you take it. • Your doctor may start you on a diet that is low in saturated fat, cholesterol, carbohydrates, and low in added sugars before giving you VASCEPA. Stay on this diet while taking VASCEPA. • Your doctor may do blood tests to check your triglyceride and other lipid levels while you take VASCEPA.
These are not all the possible side effects of VASCEPA. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. How should I store VASCEPA? • Store VASCEPA at room temperature between 68° to 77° F (20° to 25° C). • Safely throw away medicine that is out of date or no longer needed. Keep VASCEPA and all medicine out of the reach of children. General information about the safe and effective use of VASCEPA. Medicines are sometimes prescribed for purposes other than those listed in a Patient Information leaflet. Do not use VASCEPA for a condition for which it was not prescribed. Do not give VASCEPA to other people, even if they have the same symptoms that you have. It may harm them. You can ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider for information about VASCEPA that is written for health professionals. What are the ingredients in VASCEPA? Active ingredient: icosapent ethyl Inactive ingredients: tocopherol, gelatin, glycerin, maltitol, sorbitol, and purified water VASCEPA is a registered trademark of the Amarin group of companies. ©2019 Amarin Pharma, Inc. Bridgewater NJ, 08807. All rights reserved. PP00120M Revised: 12/2019 Distributed by: Amarin Pharma, Inc. Bridgewater, NJ, USA Manufactured for: Amarin Pharmaceuticals Ireland Limited Dublin, Ireland +1-855-VASCEPA (+1-855-827-2372) www.vascepa.com For more information, go to www.vascepa.com or call 1-855-VASCEPA (1-855-827-2372). This Patient Information has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
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Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and dietary or herbal supplements.
The most common side effects of VASCEPA include: muscle and joint pain; swelling of the hands, legs, or feet; constipation; gout; and heart rhythm problems (atrial fibrillation).
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Before taking VASCEPA, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions, including if you: • have diabetes. • have a low thyroid problem (hypothyroidism). • have a liver problem. • have a pancreas problem. • are allergic to fish or shellfish. It is not known if people who are allergic to fish or shellfish are also allergic to VASCEPA. • are pregnant, or planning to become pregnant. It is not known if VASCEPA will harm your unborn baby. • are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. VASCEPA can pass into your breast milk, and may harm your baby. Talk to your doctor about the best way to feed your baby if you take VASCEPA.
What are the possible side effects of VASCEPA? VASCEPA may cause serious side effects, including: • Heart rhythm problems (atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter). Heart rhythm problems which can be serious and cause hospitalization have happened in people who take VASCEPA, especially in people who have heart (cardiovascular) disease or diabetes with a risk factor for heart (cardiovascular) disease, or who have had heart rhythm problems in the past. Tell your doctor if you get any symptoms of heart rhythm problems such as feeling as if your heart is beating fast and irregular, lightheadedness, dizziness, shortness of breath, chest discomfort, or you faint. • Possible allergic reactions if you are allergic to fish or shellfish. Stop taking VASCEPA and tell your doctor right away or get emergency medical help if you have any signs or symptoms of an allergic reaction. • Bleeding. Serious bleeding can happen in people who take VASCEPA. Your risk of bleeding may increase if you are also taking a blood thinner medicine. If you have liver problems and are taking VASCEPA, your doctor should do blood tests during treatment.
day
date
opponent
kiCKOFF+
tv
Monday
9/14
at Denver
9:20 p.m.
ESPN
Sunday
9/20
JACKSONVILLE
Noon
CBS
Sunday
9/27
at Minnesota
Noon
CBS
Sunday
10/4
PITTSBURGH
Noon
CBS
Sunday
10/11
BUFFALO
Noon *
CBS
Sunday
10/18
HOUSTON
Noon *
CBS
BYE Sunday
11/1
at Cincinnati
Noon *
CBS
Sunday
11/8
CHICAGO
Noon *
FOX
Thursday
11/12
INDIANAPOLIS
7:20 PM
FOX/NFLN/ Amazon
Sunday
11/22
at Baltimore
Noon *
CBS
Sunday
11/29
at Indianapolis
Noon *
CBS
Sunday
12/6
CLEVELAND
Noon *
CBS
Sunday
12/13
at Jacksonville
Noon *
CBS
Sat/Sun
12/19 or 20
DETROIT
TBD *
TBD
Sunday
12/27
at Green Bay
7:20 p.m. *
NBC
Sunday
1/3
at Houston
Noon *
CBS
+All Kickoff Times Central *Times Subject to Chang
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AMY
ADAMS STRUNK CONTROLLING OWNER AND CO-CHAIRMAN, BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Amy Adams Strunk assumed the role of controlling owner of the team in March 2015. She also serves as the co-chairman of the franchise's Board of Directors. In her time as controlling owner Strunk has transformed the franchise through her vision, commitment and decisions that have set the team on an ascending trajectory. She hired Jon Robinson as General Manager and Mike Vrabel as Head Coach, while installing Steve Underwood first and then Burke Nihill to the position of President/CEO. Additionally, she has annually committed significant resources to upgrade Nissan Stadium and the team's practice facility, Saint Thomas Sports Park. Strunk also continues to grow the administrative staff for the franchise with significant additions across all departments. All those changes translated to success on the field as the Titans went from a threewin team in 2015, to 9-7 records in each of the past four campaigns, playoff berths in two of the last three years and a trip to the AFC Championship game last year. It was the franchise’s first appearance in the AFC Championship game since 2002, and the streak of four consecutive winning seasons is
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the longest in the "Titans era� (1999-present). In the spring of 2018, she collaborated with Nashville city officials to secure the 2019 NFL Draft for downtown Nashville. By any measure, the 2019 NFL Draft was the most successful in NFL history, drawing a record 600,000 fans to downtown Nashville over the three-day event and setting television ratings records. The Draft resulted in $224 million in economic impact and $133 million in direct spending for the Tennessee economy, which were both NFL high-water marks. In June of 2019, Strunk was honored by the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame as the "Tennessean of the Year," for her role in bringing the NFL Draft to Nashville and her work to transform the franchise into a consistent winner. Two years ago, the Titans launched the "We Stand For" campaign, designed to bring attention to the causes that are important to the team's players, coaches and executives. In July 2019, Strunk presented $450,000 in grant funding to 10 local non-profit organizations to help aid their causes. Strunk also was a leader in the community following the tornado which struck Nashville and Middle Tennessee in 2020, stepping up to donate
$1 million from the Titans Foundation to the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee to help those affected by the disaster. One of the daughters of Titans franchise founder K.S. "Bud" Adams, Jr., Strunk was raised on football and is proud of her father's role in founding the American Football League as well as the decades of leadership he provided not only to the Titans franchise, but also to the National Football League. Her goal is to build upon that legacy and establish the Titans as one of the league's elite franchises. An independent businesswoman for more than 30 years, Strunk is the owner and president of both Kenada Farms and the Little River Oil and Gas Company. She has been significantly involved in the family's farming and ranching businesses, including serving as the vice president of Bud Adams Ranches, Inc. These ventures provided her valuable knowledge about customer service as well as the opportunity to manage a diverse range of employees and business operations, and these experiences have shaped her management style. "I believe in hiring good people and letting them do their jobs," said Strunk. "Everything should revolve around what's best for the Ti-
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tans and not around the owner. While I talk frequently with the leaders of the Titans as I do with all of our family's companies, the people in our football operations need the control and latitude necessary to create an exciting and competitive team. "Our business staff needs the same freedom in order for our organization to reach its full potential and to continue to create a first-class fan experience at Nissan Stadium. Decisions will always be made based on what is the best for the team to reach our goals of becoming one of the elite franchises of the NFL and enriching the communities of Nashville and middle Tennessee. "Nashville is one of the most dynamic and rapidly growing cities in the nation with a very promising future," said Strunk. "We are proud to be a part of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, and we want the Titans to be a leader in providing opportunities for people and businesses in the city and the region to achieve their dreams." Engaged in the process of improving all aspects of the franchise, Strunk has the best interest of the football team and the fans on her mind as she makes her decisions. As evidence of that engagement, the Titans have become one of the best home teams in the NFL, posting a 20-8 home mark in the last 28 games leading into the 2020 season. Last fall, the team also broke ground on a significant addition to Saint Thomas Sports Park, which will more than double the footprint and will allow all departments to be under one roof, after spending many years spread out over multiple locations. Additionally, the team will refurbish a number of football areas that have been untouched since the building opened in 1999. In 2016, Strunk was appointed to the NFL's Hall of Fame Committee. Her appointment continues a family legacy, as her father was a long-time member of the committee. Additionally, in 2017, Strunk was named to the Board of Trustees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In 2018, she added an appointment to the NFL's Super Bowl and Major Event Advisory Committee. A graduate of the University of Texas with a degree in history, Strunk is an avid horse enthusiast whose other interests include farming, ranching, tennis and a variety of other outdoor activities. She also served as a volunteer coach of both the boys and girls varsity tennis teams at her daughter's high school. Never one to turn down a challenge, during the 2017 offseason, Strunk accepted an invitation to skydive with members of the Army's Golden Knights to kick off draft week. Strunk is married to her husband Bill. She has three children — Tracy, Tommy, and Blanche, who are all avid sports fans and outdoor enthusiasts. T E N N E S S E E T I TA N S Y E A R B O O K 2 0 2 0
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BURKE
NIHILL PRESIDENT/CEO
Burke Nihill is in his fifth season with the Titans and his first as the team’s President/ CEO. Prior to becoming President/CEO in May of 2020, he was elevated in February to Senior Vice President/Business Operations & Chief Legal Officer. He originally joined the organization as General Counsel in 2016 and was elevated to Vice President and General Counsel in 2019. In his previous roles with the team, Nihill oversaw the club’s legal and human resourc-
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es functions and worked on club initiatives related to state and local government, company culture, and general business planning and strategy for both the Titans and Nissan Stadium. During his time with the Titans, he has participated in the negotiation of club contracts with team sponsors, media rights partners, stadium vendors, and major concert and event promoters. Nihill was instrumental in Nashville’s effort to secure and execute the 2019 NFL Draft. He also was tasked with overseeing the renovation and expansion of Saint Thomas Sports Park. Before joining the Titans, Nihill gained 15 years of professional experience in several industries. He held legal and management roles at VMware, an international software company based in Silicon Valley. Prior to VMware, he served as Associate General Counsel at OfficeMax Incorporated and as a private attorney at a Chicago law firm. Nihill received his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Illinois Wesleyan University and his law degree with honors from Chicago-Kent College of Law. Nihill resides in Franklin, Tenn., with his wife, Holly, and their three children, Emma, Jack, and Chase.
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AVAILABLE AT
“PlayStation”, “PlayStation Family Mark”, “PS5 Logo”, and “Play Has No Limits” are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
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JON
ROBINSON EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT/ GENERAL MANAGER
Jon Robinson enters his fifth season as the team’s general manager. He was hired in January of 2016 and was promoted in 2017 to executive vice president/general manager. Robinson’s work in his first four years helped the team go from three wins in the season prior to his arrival to four consecutive 9-7 seasons, earning playoff berths in two of the past three seasons and a spot in the 2019 AFC Championship Game for the first time since 2002. He became the fifth general manager in franchise history to have the team in the playoffs within his first two full seasons. Robinson also is the only general manger during the “Titans era” (1999-present) to oversee four consecutive winning seasons. The roster constructed by Robinson in 2019 featured the NFL’s leading rusher (Derrick Henry), the NFL’s leader in passer rating (Ryan Tannehill), the leading rookie receiver (A.J. Brown) and four Pro Bowl players (Henry, Tannehill, defensive tackle Jurrell Casey, punter Brett Kern). With this success, the 2020 offseason presented a number of
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challenges with 15 players reaching the end of their contracts. He was able to retain many key members, including Tannehill, Henry, tackle Dennis Kelly and outside linebacker Kamalei Correa. Additionally, he extended contracts with Kevin Byard and Ben Jones, who were scheduled to reach free agency following the season, prior to the 2019 season kicking off. In free agency the team added outside linebacker Vic Beasley, cornerback Johnathan Joseph and special teamer/linebacker Nick Dzubnar. In the draft, the Titans selected tackle Isaiah Wilson, cornerback Kristian Fulton and running back Darrynton Evans in the first three rounds. In the 2019 offseason, Robinson added key veterans to bolster the roster, engineering a trade with Miami that brought Tannehill to the team, while also adding guard Rodger Saffold, wide receiver Adam Humphries and outside linebacker Cameron Wake. Robinson also was able to keep two key contributors on the roster, re-signing S Kenny Vaccaro and Kern. On draft day, Robinson added Mississippi State defen-
sive lineman Jeffery Simmons in the first round and Brown from Ole Miss in the second round. Early in the 2018 unrestricted free agent signing period, Robinson targeted a pair of former New England Patriots: cornerback Malcolm Butler and running back Dion Lewis. During the 2018 NFL Draft, Robinson used trades to move up three times as he selected linebackers Rashaan Evans and Harold Landry. During the 2017 offseason, Robinson used free agency to address needs on defense and special teams. Most notably, he spearheaded deals for cornerback Logan Ryan (New England), safety Johnathan Cyprien (Jacksonville) and special teams Pro Bowler Brynden Trawick (Oakland). In the 2017 NFL Draft, Robinson spent firstround picks on wide receiver Corey Davis (fifth overall) and cornerback Adoree’ Jackson (18th overall). It marked the first time the franchise had a pair of first-round draft selections since 1987. Overall, the members of the 2017 draft class combined for 76 games played and 42 starts as rookies.
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In his first year as an NFL general manager, Robinson’s leadership and decision-making helped the Titans triple their win total from the previous season, finishing 9-7 in 2016 after a 3-13 finish in 2015. The six-win improvement tied for the most in franchise history (1967 and 1974) and doubled the previous club benchmark for the most wins in the first year under a new general manager (three by Bum Phillips in 1975). Within the first four months at his post, Robinson pulled the trigger on several key personnel decisions. On March 9, 2016, he made his first major acquisition, swapping fourthround draft picks with the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for running back DeMarco Murray. The trade provided major dividends in 2016, as Murray led the AFC and ranked third in the NFL with 1,287 rushing yards. Around the same time, Robinson began to work the free agent market. Ben Jones and wide receiver Rishard Matthews highlighted the haul, and both were instrumental in helping to transform the Titans offense into the 11th-ranked unit in the NFL in 2016. Jones started all 16 games and keyed a rushing attack that ranked third in the league, while Matthews set career highs with 65 receptions (tied for the team lead), a team-high 945 receiving yards and a team-high nine touchdown receptions. The latter number tied for sixth in the NFL and tied for ninth in franchise history. On April 14, 2016, two weeks before the NFL Draft, Robinson and the Titans dealt the first overall pick to the Los Angeles Rams in one of the biggest trades in recent NFL history. The Titans gave up the No. 1 pick and a fourth-rounder in order to receive the 15th overall pick, two second-rounders and a third-rounder in 2016, plus the Rams’ firstand third-round picks in 2017. From 1990– 2015, there were seven trades involving the No. 1 overall pick, but this was the first since 2004, when the San Diego Chargers selected Eli Manning with the first pick and dealt his rights to the New York Giants. The Titans had their hands at one point or another on 17 selections in the 2016 draft due to five different trades (including one trade in 2015), and in the end, they ended up with a class of 10 players, including four of the top 45 picks. Robinson swung a draftday trade with the Cleveland Browns to move back up to the eighth slot to choose Michigan State tackle Jack Conklin. All 10 members of Robinson’s first draft class played in at least one game in 2016. They accumulated a total of 110 games played and 38 starts, including 16 starts at right tackle by Conklin. The eighth-overall pick capped his successful rookie campaign by being named first-team All-Pro by Associated Press. Other rookies in 2016 who made significant contributions included Henry, Byard and fifth-round wide receiver Tajaé Sharpe.
Byard earned first-team All-Pro honors and a Pro Bowl berth in his second season. Robinson arrived in Tennessee with a wide range of experience from working his way up on the personnel side of the NFL. From 2014–2015, he served as director of player personnel for the Buccaneers and oversaw both college and pro departments as the team rebuilt its roster. The 2015 Buccaneers draft class made a significant impact, including four rookie starters: quarterback Jameis Winston, tackle Donovan Smith, guard Ali Marpet and linebacker Kwon Alexander. Prior to joining Tampa Bay, Robinson spent 12 years with the New England Patriots, including his last five years (2009-13) as the director of college scouting. In the five years heading up their college scouting, the Patriots added a number of key components to their roster that won the Super Bowl in 2014, including wide receiver Julian Edelman, defensive back Devin McCourty, tight end Rob Gronkowski, tackle Nate Solder and defensive end Chandler Jones. He joined the Patriots as an area scout in 2002, a role he
served for four seasons. Robinson then spent two years (2006-07) as a regional scout, before being promoted to assistant director of college scouting in 2008 and then director of college scouting in 2009. In his time scouting for the Patriots the team won 10 division titles, four conference titles and two Super Bowls (2003, 2004). Robinson played three years at Southeast Missouri State as a defensive lineman after starting his college career at the Air Force Academy. Following his college career as a player, he spent one season (1998) coaching at his alma mater and three years (19992001) coaching at Nicholls State. A native of Union City, Tenn., Robinson and his wife, Jaimie, have two daughters, Taylor and Bailey. He and his wife are deeply involved in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), as the disease affects their oldest daughter, Taylor. In 2018, the Robinsons chaired the JDRF Gala in Nashville which raised over 1.8 million dollars for diabetes research. T E N N E S S E E T I TA N S Y E A R B O O K 2 0 2 0
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GIL
BEVERLY
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT/ CHIEF MARKETING AND REVENUE OFFICER
Gil Beverly enters his second season with the Titans and his first as Senior Vice President/Chief Marketing & Revenue Officer. He joined the team in 2019 as team’s Vice President of Brand, Marketing & Communications. In this new role, he directs Ticketing, Marketing, Corporate Partnerships, digital Communications and Community Impact. In his first season with the Titans, Beverly challenged and guided departments to find new and innovative ways to engage with fans. Before joining the Titans, Beverly worked as Vice President, Partnership Solutions for Learfield IMG-College. Prior to his experience at Learfield, Beverly served as Vice President College Sports Marketing for ESPN.
ADOLPHO
BIRCH III
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT/ BUSINESS AFFAIRS AND CHIEF LEGAL OFFICER
Adolpho Birch is in his first season with the Titans as Senior Vice President, Business Affairs & Chief Legal Officer. He joined the organization in 2020 after spending 23 years at the NFL headquarters in New York. Birch’s responsibilities with the Titans include legal affairs, human resources, government relations, and business planning and strategy. As an advisor to Commissioners Paul Tagliabue and Roger Goodell, Birch served in many senior-level roles throughout his time at the league office. Most recently, from 2015 to 2020, Birch served as the NFL’s Senior Vice President of Labor Policy & League Affairs.
JENNEEN
KAUFMAN
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND CFO
Jenneen Kaufman is in her 24th season and her 12th as Senior Vice President/CFO for the Titans in 2020. Kaufman spent her first 11 seasons as the team’s controller before being promoted to Vice President/Controller in 2008. Kaufman is responsible for financial reporting, budgeting and the Collective Bargaining Agreement audit for the franchise. She also oversees the accounting of ticket and suite sales, sponsorships and broadcast revenues, player and staff payroll, while assisting with special projects. In addition, she oversees the accounting for Nissan Stadium, including concerts, Tennessee State University football games, the Music City Bowl and other events; and served as human resources liaison for all Titans employees in Nashville from 1999-2014.
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EXPERIENCE SUPERIOR CARE
CARE MAKES
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MIKE VRABEL’S COACHING TIMELINE 2018-20 Head Coach T e n n e s s e e T i ta n s
2017 D e f e n s i v e C o o r d i n at o r Houston Texans
2014-16 Linebackers Houston Texans
2012-13 Defensive Line O h i o S tat e
2011
MIKE
VRABEL HEAD COACH
Mike Vrabel heads into his third season with the Titans after being named head coach on Jan. 20, 2018. He became the 19th head coach in franchise history. Last year, Vrabel led the franchise to the AFC Championship game for the first time since 2002, after posting his second consecutive 9-7 mark in the regular season. His 20 wins over the first two seasons are the second highest in franchise history (Jack Pardee, 21 wins) and he became the first head coach to win multiple playoff games within the first two years. The 2019 Titans became just the third team since 1990 to start the season 2-4 or worse and reach the Championship Game (2002, Titans and 1996, Jackson-
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Linebackers O h i o S tat e ville). Last year’s team ranked in the NFL’s top 10 in scoring margin (eighth, +71), turnover margin (sixth, +6), offensive yards per play (fourth, 6.12), rushing offense (third, 138.9 yards per game), red-zone efficiency (first, 75.6 percent), total touchdowns (tied for third, 54) and third-down defense (eight, 36.3 percent). Individually, Derrick Henry led the NFL in rushing, Ryan Tannehill was the league’s highest rated passer and A.J. Brown was the NFL’s leading rookie receiver. In his first season as a head coach, Vrabel guided the Titans to a 9-7 record and to within one game of a playoff berth, all while navigating one of the NFL’s toughest schedules. The Titans played a league-high nine games during the regular season against seven eventual playoff teams, and their four wins against playoff clubs tied for the most in the league. Only New England, the Los Angeles Rams and Carolina had as many. The Titans committed only 82 penalties in 2018. Not only was that number the best in franchise history over a 16-game season, it was the lowest total by an NFL team since 2014. The Titans improved from having the 13thranked NFL defense in 2017 to an eighth-overall ranking in 2018 (333.4 yards allowed per game). They finished third in scoring defense at 18.9 points allowed per game, recording their best mark since 2008. The 2018 Titans defense also ranked second in the red zone
MIKE VRABEL’S PLAYING TIMELINE 2009-10 Linebacker Kansas City Chiefs
2001-08 Linebacker N e w E n g l a n d Pat r i o t s
1997-2000 Linebacker Pittsburgh Steelers
1993-96 Defensive End O h i o S tat e
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(44.7 touchdown percentage), 10th on third down (36.6 percent), sixth in passing defense (216.9 yards per game), second in touchdowns allowed (32) and first in fourth-quarter defense (65.9 yards per game). The 2018 Titans offense relied heavily upon a strong running attack. Averaging 126.4 rushing yards per game, the team upgraded from the NFL’s 15th-ranked rushing offense the year before he arrived to the seventh-ranked rushing attack in 2018. Vrabel ascended quickly to his position as a head coach following a 14-year playing career as a linebacker with the Pittsburgh Steelers (1997-2000), New England Patriots (2001-08) and Kansas City Chiefs (200910). He spent three years as an assistant coach at Ohio State (2011-13) and four years on the Houston Texans staff (2014-17), including 2017 as the defensive coordinator, before he was hired to his current post by Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk. Vrabel’s accomplishments as a player included three Super Bowl wins (2001, 2003 and 2004), one Pro Bowl selection (2007) and an All-Pro honor (2007). He appeared in 206 NFL games and totaled 57 sacks, 496 tackles, 11 interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), 20 forced fumbles and nine fumble recoveries. A cerebral and versatile athlete, he also saw action as a tight end and totaled 10 touchdown receptions. Additionally, his teams advanced to the playoffs eight times (20 postseason games), with Vrabel recording eight postseason sacks and two additional postseason touchdown receptions. Vrabel has spent his football life around accomplished leaders. After entering the NFL as a player in 1997, he played or coached under Bill Belichick, Bill Cowher, Romeo Crennel, Urban Meyer and Bill O’Brien. He gleaned attributes from each that helped form his philosophies as a head coach. Upon arriving in Tennessee, Vrabel stated: “We want to build a culture around winning, competitiveness and toughness. Everything we do is going to be geared towards winning
and being physical. We want to prepare our players so they know what to do, which will allow them to play fast and aggressive.” Vrabel likewise made his own indelible impression on the same group of coaches. Upon the trade of Vrabel from the Patriots to the Chiefs in 2009, Belichick, who coached Vrabel his entire time in New England, made this comment: “Mike Vrabel epitomizes everything a coach could seek in a professional football player: toughness, intelligence, playmaking, leadership, versatility and consistency at the highest level. Behind the scenes, Mike’s wit and personality is one of the things we have all enjoyed about coming to work every day. The toughest aspect of my job is the day I stop coaching people like Mike, who did everything in his power to contribute to team success. Of all the players I have coached in my career, there is nobody I enjoyed working with more than Mike.” Vrabel joined the Titans after four seasons with O’Brien at the Houston Texans, spending the first three seasons (2014-16) coaching linebackers and one year (2017) as the team’s defensive coordinator. During his time in Houston, the Texans built one of the top defenses in the NFL and experienced tremendous success as a team, earning division titles in 2015 and 2016. In 2017, Vrabel’s first year as a defensive coordinator, the Texans finished the campaign with 19 players on injured reserve. Despite the setbacks, he led the defense to the fifth-best third-down percentage in the NFL and a franchise-record 3.97 yards per carry by opponents. Houston also had 18 different players record at least half a sack and 26 players tally at least one tackle for loss. As the Texans linebackers coach from 2014-16, Vrabel helped mold several topnotch performers within his position group, including Jadeveon Clowney, Whitney Mercilus, Benardrick McKinney and Brian Cushing. During those three seasons, the Texans defense ranked third in the NFL in yards allowed per game (319.9) and net passing
yards (218.4). Houston also ranked first in third-down defense (33.6 percent), fourth in opponent completion percentage (59.5) and sixth in points allowed per game (19.8). The 2016 Texans ranked number one in the NFL – for the first time in franchise history – in total defense, surrendering only 301.3 yards per game. The defense also gave up the fewest first downs (17.0) per game and second-fewest net passing yards (201.6) per game in the league. Clowney, Mercilus and McKinney all earned second-team All-Pro honors, while Clowney was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career after posting then personal bests with 52 tackles, six sacks, 16 tackles for loss and 17 quarterback hits. Mercilus led the team in sacks for the first time in his career with 7.5 quarterback takedowns and tied for the NFL lead with four defensive fumble recoveries. McKinney led the team with a then career-high 129 tackles and became the second player in franchise history with over 100 tackles and five sacks in a season. The 2015 Texans had the top third-down defense in the NFL, allowing a 28.5 percent conversion rate, which was the lowest percentage in franchise history and the lowest by any NFL team since the 2003 Titans (27.7 percent). The 2015 defense also set a franchise mark with 45 sacks – 22.5 of which came from Vrabel’s linebacking corps. The 2015 squad also finished third in the NFL in net yards (310.2) and net passing yards (210.4) allowed per game and tied for seventh in points allowed per game (19.6). Cushing’s 110 tackles led the linebacking corps and were the third-highest mark of his career. Mercilus enjoyed the best year of his career as he set a personal high with 12 sacks. Prior to joining the NFL coaching ranks, Vrabel transitioned immediately from an NFL player to college coach. He started as the linebacker coach at Ohio State in 2011 and coached the defensive line from 2012–2013. In 2012, the Buckeyes finished the season undefeated at 12-0, and Vrabel was named Big Ten Recruiter of the Year by ESPN.com. That same season, he coached four Ohio State defensive linemen who were either drafted into the NFL or signed free agent contracts. Vrabel was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round (91st overall) of the 1997 NFL Draft after playing four years at Ohio State (1993-96). With the Buckeyes, he was a dominant performer, earning backto-back All-American honors and becoming the first two-time winner of the Big Ten Conference Defensive Lineman of the Year Award (1995 and 1996). He graduated from Ohio State with a degree in exercise science. A native of Akron, Ohio, Vrabel attended Walsh Jesuit High School. He and his wife, Jennifer, have two sons: Tyler and Carter. T E N N E S S E E T I TA N S Y E A R B O O K 2 0 2 0
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ASSISTANT COACHES 2020 TENNESSEE TITANS
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ARTHUR SMITH
CRAIG AUKERMAN
BRIAN BELL
SCOTT BOOKER
OFFENSIVE C O O R D I N AT O R
SPECIAL TEAMS
STRENGTH & CONDITIONING A S S I S TA N T
SAFETIES
SHANE BOWEN
KEITH CARTER
RYAN CROW
OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS
OFFENSIVE LINE
A S S I S TA N T SPECIAL TEAMS
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ASSISTANT COACHES 2020 TENNESSEE TITANS
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TONY DEWS
TODD DOWNING
MATT EDWARDS
MONDRAY GEE
RUNNING BACKS
TIGHT ENDS
DEFENSIVE A S S I S TA N T
STRENGTH & CONDITIONING A S S I S TA N T
JIM HASLETT
CHANDLER HENLEY
ZAK KUHR
INSIDE LINEBACKERS
QUALITY CONTROL
DEFENSIVE QUALITY CONTROL
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ASSISTANT COACHES 2020 TENNESSEE TITANS
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ANTHONY MIDGET
ROB MOORE
PAT O’HARA
FRANK PIRAINO
SECONDARY
WIDE RECEIVERS
QUARTERBACKS
STRENGTH & CONDITIONING
LUKE STECKEL
MIKE SULLIVAN
TERRELL WILLIAMS
OFFENSIVE A S S I S TA N T
A S S I S TA N T OFFENSIVE LINE
DEFENSIVE LINE
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COMING SOON LEGO.com/Games
© 2020 The LEGO Group. STAR WARS © & ™ Lucasfilm Ltd. ™ & © WBEI. (s20)
2020 TENNESSEE TITANS AS OF september 8, 2020
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NO. NAME
POS.
HT.
WT.
AGE EXP. COLLEGE
13 44 41 62 48 11 55 21 31 99 53 40 94 29 84 59 64 92 75 49 32 54 86 26 3 22 16 37 89 10 25 35 60 90 33 46 71 66 6 58 77 51 97 7 28 38 30 52 91 36 20 85 72 57 14 50 76 70 4 98 81 73 23 87 17 78 24 15 79 5
WR OLB FB/RB C LS WR LB CB S OLB LB OLB DL DB WR OLB OL DE G/C LB RB LB TE CB K RB WR DB TE WR CB DB C DL CB DB T T P OLB T LB DT K RB DB CB C DL CB RB TE OL OLB WR OLB G T QB DL TE NT CB TE QB DT S WR T QB
5-8 6-3 6-0 6-1 6-4 6-1 6-0 5-11 5-11 6-5 6-1 6-3 6-5 6-1 6-3 6-4 6-3 6-5 6-4 6-1 5-10 6-2 6-2 5-11 6-1 6-3 6-4 5-11 6-3 5-11 5-11 5-10 6-3 6-4 5-11 6-0 6-8 6-6 6-2 6-2 6-7 5-11 6-1 6-0 5-9 6-0 5-11 6-1 6-2 5-11 6-0 6-2 6-5 6-3 5-8 6-3 6-5 6-5 6-3 6-4 6-3 6-2 6-0 6-4 6-4 6-2 6-0 6-2 6-6 6-1
175 246 233 274 260 226 226 190 212 255 235 241 274 209 209 240 316 292 309 240 203 232 246 197 215 247 216 210 255 195 185 193 308 322 186 203 321 317 214 252 309 227 299 218 205 191 190 305 297 195 210 245 310 255 182 250 325 311 220 305 248 312 195 260 217 304 214 211 350 213
24 28 24 22 30 23 25 30 27 27 30 26 32 25 25 25 23 24 28 29 22 24 25 22 36 26 26 22 23 27 24 22 31 28 36 25 30 23 34 24 29 23 24 22 24 22 27 28 23 23 28 28 30 23 26 24 32 28 28 23 25 22 27 26 32 23 29 23 21 25
Batson, Cameron Beasley Jr., Vic Blasingame, Khari Brewer, Aaron Brinkley, Beau Brown, A.J. Brown, Jayon Butler, Malcolm Byard, Kevin Clowney, Jadeveon Compton, Will Correa, Kamalei Crawford, Jack Cruikshank, Dane Davis, Corey Davis II, Jamal Davis, Nate Dickerson, Matt Douglas, Jamil Dzubnar, Nick Evans, Darrynton Evans, Rashaan Firkser, Anthony Fulton, Kristian Gostkowski, Stephen Henry, Derrick Hollister, Cody Hooker, Amani Hudson, Tommy Humphries, Adam Jackson, Adoree’ Jackson, Chris Jones, Ben Jones, DaQuan Joseph, Johnathan Kalu, Joshua Kelly, Dennis Kemp, Brandon Kern, Brett Landry III, Harold Lewan, Taylor Long Jr., David Mack, Isaiah McCann, Tucker McNichols, Jeremy Miller, Chris Milton, Chris Munyer, Daniel Murchison, Larrell Orr, Kareem Perry, Senorise Pruitt, MyCole Quessenberry, David Ray, Wyatt Raymond, Kalif Roberson, Derick Saffold III, Rodger Sambrailo, Ty Siemian, Trevor Simmons, Jeffery Smith, Jonnu Smith, Kobe Smith, Tye Swaim, Geoff Tannehill, Ryan Tart, Teair Vaccaro, Kenny Westbrook-Ikhine, Nick Wilson, Isaiah Woodside, Logan
3 6 2 R 9 2 4 7 5 7 7 5 9 3 4 1 2 3 3 6 R 3 3 R 15 5 3 2 R 6 4 R 9 7 15 2 9 R 13 3 7 2 2 R 1 R 5 3 R 1 6 5 2 1 3 2 11 6 6 2 4 R 5 6 9 R 8 R R 1
Texas Tech Clemson Vanderbilt Texas State Missouri Mississippi UCLA West Alabama Middle Tennessee State South Carolina Nebraska Boise State Penn State Arizona Western Michigan Akron Charlotte UCLA Arizona State Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo Appalachian State Alabama Harvard Louisiana State Memphis Alabama Arkansas Iowa Arizona State Clemson Southern California Marshall Georgia Penn State South Carolina Nebraska Purdue Valdosta State Toledo Boston College Michigan West Virginia Chattanooga Missouri Boise State Baylor Georgia Tech Colorado North Carolina State Chattanooga Louisville Southern Illinois San Jose State Boston College Holy Cross Sam Houston State Indiana Colorado State Northwestern Mississippi State Florida International South Carolina Towson Texas Texas A&M Florida International Texas Indiana Georgia Toledo
HEAD COACH MIKE VRABEL
ASSISTANT COACHES
ARTHUR SMITH Offensive Coordinator CRAIG AUKERMAN Special Teams BRIAN BELL Strength and Conditioning Assistant SCOTT BOOKER Safeties SHANE BOWEN Outside Linebackers KEITH CARTER Offensive Line RYAN CROW Assistant Special Teams TONY DEWS Running Backs TODD DOWNING Tight Ends MATT EDWARDS Defensive Assistant MONDRAY GEE Strength and Conditioning Assistant JIM HASLETT Inside Linebackers CHANDLER HENLEY Quality Control ZAK KUHR Defensive Quality Control ANTHONY MIDGET Secondary ROB MOORE Wide Receivers PAT O’HARA Quarterbacks FRANK PIRAINO Strength and Conditioning LUKE STECKEL Offensive Assistant MIKE SULLIVAN Assistant Offensive Line TERRELL WILLIAMS Defensive Line
NUMERICAL ROSTER NO. NAME
POS.
NO. NAME
POS.
3 4 5 6 7 10 11 13 14 15 16 17 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 28 29 30 31 32 33 35 36 37 38 40 41 44 46 48 49
K QB QB P K WR WR WR WR WR WR QB RB CB RB CB S CB CB RB DB CB S RB CB DB CB DB DB OLB FB/RB OLB DB LS LB
50 51 52 53 54 55 57 58 59 60 62 64 66 70 71 72 73 75 76 77 78 79 81 84 85 86 87 89 90 91 92 94 97 98 99
OLB LB C LB LB LB OLB OLB OLB C C OL T T T OL NT G/C G T DT T TE WR TE TE TE TE DL DL DE DL DT DL OLB
Stephen Gostkowski Trevor Siemian Logan Woodside Brett Kern Tucker McCann Adam Humphries A.J. Brown Cameron Batson Kalif Raymond Nick Westbrook-Ikhine Cody Hollister Ryan Tannehill Senorise Perry Malcolm Butler Derrick Henry Tye Smith Kenny Vaccaro Adoree’ Jackson Kristian Fulton Jeremy McNichols Dane Cruikshank Chris Milton Kevin Byard Darrynton Evans Johnathan Joseph Chris Jackson Kareem Orr Amani Hooker Chris Miller Kamalei Correa Khari Blasingame Vic Beasley Jr. Joshua Kalu Beau Brinkley Nick Dzubnar
Derick Roberson David Long Jr. Daniel Munyer Will Compton Rashaan Evans Jayon Brown Wyatt Ray Harold Landry III Jamal Davis II Ben Jones Aaron Brewer Nate Davis Brandon Kemp Ty Sambrailo Dennis Kelly David Quessenberry Kobe Smith Jamil Douglas Rodger Saffold III Taylor Lewan Teair Tart Isaiah Wilson Jonnu Smith Corey Davis MyCole Pruitt Anthony Firkser Geoff Swaim Tommy Hudson DaQuan Jones Larrell Murchison Matt Dickerson Jack Crawford Isaiah Mack Jeffery Simmons Jadeveon Clowney
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2020 TENNESSEE TITANS
26
12
Cameron Batson
WR
44
Vic
Beasley Jr.
OLB
41 13
Khari Blasingame
31
Kevin Byard
59
FB/RB
62
Aaron Brewer
C
48
Beau Brinkley
LS
11
S
36
Ibraheim Campbell
DB
99
Jadeveon Clowney
Jamal Davis II
OLB
64
Nate Davis
OL
12
54
Rashaan Evans
LB
86
Anthony Firkser
TE
16
Cody Hollister
WR
37
Amani Hooker
90
DaQuan Jones
DL
33
Johnathan Joseph
A.J. Brown
WR
55
Jayon Brown
LB
21
Malcolm Butler
CB
DE/OLB
53
Will Compton
LB
40
Kamalei Correa
OLB
94
Jack Crawford
DL
29
Dane Cruikshank
DB
84
Corey Davis
WR
Rashard Davis
WR
92
Matt Dickerson
DE
75
Jamil Douglas
G/C
38
Kenneth Durden
CB
49
Nick Dzubnar
LB
32
Darrynton Evans
RB
26
Kristian Fulton
CB
47
Cale Garrett
LB
93
Reggie Gilbert
OLB
3
Stephen Gustowski
K
22
Derrick Henry
RB
83
Krishawn Hogan
WR
DB
89
Tommy Hudson
TE
10
Adam Humphries
WR
96
Joey Ivie
DT
25
Adoree’ Jackson
CB
35
Chris Jackson
DB
60
Ben Jones
C
CB
46
Joshua Kalu
DB
71
Dennis Kelly
T
66
Brandon Kemp
T
69
Zac Kerin
G
6
P
18
Mason Kinsey
WR
Brett Kern
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2020 TENNESSEE TITANS 58
Harold Landry III
OLB
77
Taylor Lewan
T
51
David Long Jr.
LB
97
Isaiah Mack
DT
39
Marcus Marshall
RB
7
Tucker McCann
K
28
Jeremy McNichols
RB
39
Doug Middleton
30
Chris Milton
CB
52
Daniel Munyer
C
91
Larrell Murchison
DL
36
Kareem Orr
CB
20
Senorise Perry
RB
85
MyCole Pruitt
TE
72
David Quessenberry
OL
57
Wyatt Ray
OLB
14
Kalif Raymond
WR
50
Derick Roberson
OLB
76
Rodger Saffold III
G
70
Ty Sambrailo
T
4
Trevor Siemian
QB
98
Jeffery Simmons
DL
81
Jonnu Smith
TE
73
Kobe Smith
NT
23
Tye Smith
CB
87
Geoff Swaim
TE
17
Ryan Tannehill
QB
78
Teair Tart
DT
24
Kenny Vaccaro
S
15
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine WR
19
Kristian Wilkerson
WR
79
Isaiah Wilson
T
Logan Woodside
QB
5
DB
T E N N E S S E E T I TA N S Y E A R B O O K 2 0 2 0
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CAMERON
BATSON PlayerPages_NEW.indd 1
NUMBER
13
POSITION
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CAMERON JAYON
BATSON BROWN PlayerPages_NEW.indd 6
NUMBER NUMBER POSITION POSITION HEIGHT HEIGHT WEIGHT WEIGHT NFL SEASON NFL SEASON BORN BORN COLLEGE COLLEGE ACQUIRED ACQUIRED
55 13 LB WR 6-0 5-8 226 175 4 3 2/26/95 12/20/95 UCLA TEXAS TECH D5-’17 FA - ’ 1 8
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Brown likes spending wasdogs, roommates T I TA N Stime T I DasBpossible I T S : Batson as much with his a mutt with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick named Lou and a Rottweiler named Kali. He Mahomes Texas Tech. also enjoysatpuzzles and watching movies.
9/4/20 3:46 PM
CAMERON MALCOLM
BATSON BUTLER PlayerPages_NEW.indd 7
NUMBER 21 NUMBER 13 POSITION CB POSITION WR HEIGHT 5-11 HEIGHT 5-8 WEIGHT 190 WEIGHT 175 NFL SEASON 7 NFL SEASON 3 BORN 3/2/90 BORN 12/20/95 COLLEGE WEST ALABAMA COLLEGE TEXAS TECH ACQUIRED U FA ( N E ) - ’ 1 8 ACQUIRED FA - ’ 1 8 T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Every offseason since was and roommates T I TA NButler S T I has D B Ihosted T S : Batson 2015, free skills multiwith City camps Chiefs quarterback Patrick sportKansas experience in his hometown of Mahomes at Texasfor Tech. Vicksburg, Miss., 500 boys and girls in first through 12th grades.
9/4/20 3:47 PM
CAMERON KEVIN
BATSON BYARD PlayerPages_NEW.indd 8
NUMBER
31
POSITION
S
HEIGHT
5-11
WEIGHT
212
NFL SEASON
5
BORN
8/17/93
COLLEGE
MTSU
ACQUIRED
D3-’16
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : In July of 2020, Byard was named the official spokesperson for the United Way of Greater Nashville. His first order of business was to participate in the organization’s virtual ‘Stuff the Bus’ school supply drive.
9/4/20 3:47 PM
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GSK Consumer Healthcare.indd 1
7/19/20 6:42 PM
CAMERON IBRAHEIM
BATSON CAMPBELL PlayerPages_NEW.indd 9
NUMBER
36
POSITION
DB
HEIGHT
5-11
WEIGHT
208
NFL SEASON
6
BORN
5/13/92
COLLEGE
NORTHWESTERN
ACQUIRED
FA - ’ 2 0
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Campbell enjoys spending time mentoring youth about the importance of education and also likes volunteering at local hospitals.
9/4/20 3:48 PM
Intel.indd 1
7/27/20 9:08 PM
JADEVEON
CLOWNEY PlayerPages_NEW.indd 10
NUMBER
99
POSITION
DE/OLB
HEIGHT
6-5
WEIGHT
255
NFL SEASON
7
BORN
2/14/93
COLLEGE
SOUTH CAROLINA
ACQUIRED
FA - ’ 2 0
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Clowney was selected first overall by the Houston Texans in the 2014 NFL Draft, joining David Carr and Mario Williams as the third player selected first overall by the franchise.
9/8/20 12:01 PM
WILL
COMPTON PlayerPages_NEW.indd 11
NUMBER
53
POSITION
LB
HEIGHT
6-1
WEIGHT
235
NFL SEASON
7
BORN
9/19/89
COLLEGE
NEBRASKA
ACQUIRED
FA - ’ 2 0
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Compton is the co-host of the popular podcast Bussin’ With The Boys with Titans offensive tackle Taylor Lewan. The podcast features hilarious, high-energy, and often heartfelt conversations with personalities across all industries.
9/8/20 12:06 PM
KAMALEI
CORREA PlayerPages_NEW.indd 12
NUMBER
40
POSITION
OLB
HEIGHT
6-3
WEIGHT
241
NFL SEASON
5
BORN
4/27/94
COLLEGE
B O I S E S TAT E
ACQUIRED
T (BAL)-’18
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : In the 2020 offseason, Correa incorporated boxing into his workout regimen to improve his hands and footwork.
9/8/20 12:07 PM
JACK
CRAWFORD PlayerPages_NEW.indd 13
NUMBER
94
POSITION
DL
HEIGHT
6-5
WEIGHT
274
NFL SEASON
9
BORN
9/7/88
COLLEGE
P E N N S TAT E
ACQUIRED
U FA ( AT L ) - ’ 2 0
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Crawford was born in London, England and moved to the United States in 2005. That year, as a junior in high school, marked his first year playing football.
9/8/20 12:18 PM
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DANE
CRUIKSHANK PlayerPages_NEW.indd 13
NUMBER
29
POSITION
DB
HEIGHT
6-1
WEIGHT
209
NFL SEASON
3
BORN
4/27/95
COLLEGE
ARIZONA
ACQUIRED
D5-’18
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Cruikshank’s nickname is ‘Smoove.’ He wore jersey No. 2 in high school, earning the nickname ‘2 Smoove,’ which was then shortened to Smoove.
9/4/20 3:51 PM
COREY
DAVIS PlayerPages_NEW.indd 14
NUMBER
84
POSITION
WR
HEIGHT
6-3
WEIGHT
209
NFL SEASON
4
BORN
1/11/95
COLLEGE
WESTERN MICHIGAN
ACQUIRED
D1A-’17
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : During his time at Western Michigan, Davis set an FBS all-time record with 5,285 career receiving yards.
9/4/20 3:52 PM
JAMAL
DAVIS II PlayerPages_NEW.indd 15
NUMBER
59
POSITION
OLB
HEIGHT
6-4
WEIGHT
240
NFL SEASON
1
BORN
7/9/95
COLLEGE
AKRON
ACQUIRED
FA - ’ 2 0
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Titans head coach Mike Vrabel has had familiarity with Davis dating back to Davis’ high school career. Vrabel originally recruited Davis when Vrabel coached at Ohio State.
9/4/20 3:52 PM
Skechers_Howie Long.indd 1
7/27/20 7:33 PM
NATE
DAVIS PlayerPages_NEW.indd 16
NUMBER
64
POSITION
OL
HEIGHT
6-3
WEIGHT
316
NFL SEASON
2
BORN
9/23/96
COLLEGE
CHARLOTTE
ACQUIRED
D3-’19
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Davis is a car enthusiast who has a knack for identifying the year, make and model of a car. He lists his dream car as a Rolls-Royce.
9/4/20 3:53 PM
RASHARD
DAVIS PlayerPages_NEW.indd 17
NUMBER
12
POSITION
WR
HEIGHT
5-9
WEIGHT
175
NFL SEASON
1
BORN
9/14/95
COLLEGE
JAMES MADISON
ACQUIRED
FA - ’ 1 9
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Davis was drafted No. 1 overall by the D.C. Defenders in the 2019 XFL Draft.
9/4/20 3:53 PM
MATT
DICKERSON PlayerPages_NEW.indd 18
NUMBER
92
POSITION
DE
HEIGHT
6-5
WEIGHT
292
NFL SEASON
3
BORN
11/9/95
COLLEGE
UCLA
ACQUIRED
FA - ’ 1 8
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Dickerson’s father, Clarence, played college football at Henderson State (Ark.).
9/4/20 3:54 PM
TN Titans YB20_Toyos Clinic-outlines-bleed-V6.pdf
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
1
7/20/20
5:15 PM
JAMIL
DOUGLAS PlayerPages_NEW.indd 19
NUMBER
75
POSITION
G/C
HEIGHT
6-4
WEIGHT
309
NFL SEASON
3
BORN
2/28/92
COLLEGE
A R I Z O N A S TAT E
ACQUIRED
FA - ’ 1 8
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Douglas was on the New England Patriots practice squad when the team won Super Bowl LI.
9/4/20 3:54 PM
KENNETH
DURDEN PlayerPages_NEW.indd 20
NUMBER
38
POSITION
CB
HEIGHT
6-1
WEIGHT
180
NFL SEASON
2
BORN
5/16/92
COLLEGE
YOUNGSTOWN S TAT E
ACQUIRED
FA - ’ 1 8
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : At Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Ga., Durden set the school record in the triple jump as a junior with a mark of 48-6.
9/4/20 3:55 PM
NICK
DZUBNAR PlayerPages_NEW.indd 21
NUMBER
49
POSITION
LB
HEIGHT
6-1
WEIGHT
240
NFL SEASON
6
BORN
8/15/91
COLLEGE
C A L P O LY SAN LUIS OBISPO
ACQUIRED
U FA ( L A C ) - ’ 2 0
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Dzubnar feels he was better at hockey than football in high school. He participated as a Junior Anaheim Duck in his youth.
9/4/20 3:56 PM
POWERS THROUGH
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RASHAAN
EVANS PlayerPages_NEW.indd 22
NUMBER
54
POSITION
LB
HEIGHT
6-2
WEIGHT
232
NFL SEASON
3
BORN
11/8/95
COLLEGE
ALABAMA
ACQUIRED
D1-’18
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Growing up in rural Alabama, Evans would chase wild horses to work on improving his speed and athleticism.
9/4/20 3:57 PM
ANTHONY
FIRKSER PlayerPages_NEW.indd 23
NUMBER
86
POSITION
TE
HEIGHT
6-2
WEIGHT
246
NFL SEASON
3
BORN
2/19/95
COLLEGE
H A R VA R D
ACQUIRED
FA - ’ 1 8
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Firkser volunteers with his former high school football coach to help train and give advice to aspiring young football players in his hometown community of Manalapan, N.J.
9/4/20 3:57 PM
STEPHEN
GOSTKOWSKI PlayerPages_NEW.indd 24
NUMBER
3
POSITION
K
HEIGHT
6-1
WEIGHT
215
NFL SEASON
15
BORN
1/28/84
COLLEGE
MEMPHIS
ACQUIRED
FA - ’ 2 0
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Gostkowski, who played both college football and baseball for the University of Memphis, was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He has won three Super Bowls with the Patriots and played in six.
9/4/20 3:58 PM
S:7.875"
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It takes a Titan to have your back. That’s why every 2020 Nissan TITAN is backed by America’s Best Truck Limited Warranty.1 And with advanced-standard technologies, like Blind Spot Warning,2 it can help cover you, yard after yard, and play after play. Nissan. Official auto partner of the Tennessee Titans. Claim based on years/mileage (whichever occurs first) covered under the New Vehicle Limited Warranty basic coverage. Ward’s in-market Large Pickup Segmentation and Small Pickup Segmentation v. 2020 TITAN. Nissan’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty basic coverage excludes tires, corrosion coverage and federal and California emission performance and defect coverage. Other terms and conditions also apply. See dealer for complete warranty details. Warranty claim is current at time of publication. 2Blind Spot Warning cannot prevent collisions and may not detect every object or warn in all situations. Driver should always turn and look before changing lanes. See Owner’s Manual for safety information. 1
DERRICK
HENRY PlayerPages_NEW.indd 25
NUMBER
22
POSITION
RB
HEIGHT
6-3
WEIGHT
247
NFL SEASON
5
BORN
1/4/94
COLLEGE
ALABAMA
ACQUIRED
D2C-’16
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Henry broke the 51-year-old national high school rushing record with 12,124 yards after compiling 4,261 rushing yards as a senior.
9/4/20 3:59 PM
KRISHAWN
HOGAN PlayerPages_NEW.indd 26
NUMBER
83
POSITION
WR
HEIGHT
6-3
WEIGHT
217
NFL SEASON
4
BORN
5/12/95
COLLEGE
MARIAN
ACQUIRED
FA - ’ 2 0
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Upon capturing the attention of multiple NFL scouts during his college career, Hogan was the first ever player from Marian University to earn an NFL Combine invite.
9/4/20 3:59 PM
CODY
HOLLISTER PlayerPages_NEW.indd 27
NUMBER
16
POSITION
WR
HEIGHT
6-4
WEIGHT
216
NFL SEASON
3
BORN
11/18/93
COLLEGE
ARKANSAS
ACQUIRED
FA - ’ 1 9
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Hollister is a talented singer/songwriter, using social media to post several of his performances.
9/4/20 4:00 PM
PLEASE TOUCH Experience the world’s most amazing animals in one app. WWF TOGETHER — the free app from World Wildlife Fund. Download it today. worldwildlife.org/together
AMANI
HOOKER PlayerPages_NEW.indd 28
NUMBER
37
POSITION
DB
HEIGHT
5-11
WEIGHT
210
NFL SEASON
2
BORN
6/14/98
COLLEGE
IOWA
ACQUIRED
D4-’19
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : As a senior in high school, Hooker was selected Conference MVP, named firstteam All-State and was a finalist for “Mr. Football” after posting a school-record 11 interceptions and leading his team to a 9-3 record.
9/4/20 4:00 PM
ADAM
HUMPHRIES PlayerPages_NEW.indd 30
NUMBER
10
POSITION
WR
HEIGHT
5-11
WEIGHT
195
NFL SEASON
6
BORN
6/24/93
COLLEGE
CLEMSON
ACQUIRED
U FA ( T B ) - ’ 1 9
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Humphries was originally a rookie tryout invitee with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following the 2015 NFL Draft.
9/10/20 11:55 AM
JOEY
IVIE PlayerPages_NEW.indd 30
NUMBER
96
POSITION
DT
HEIGHT
6-3
WEIGHT
301
NFL SEASON
2
BORN
1/22/95
COLLEGE
FLORIDA
ACQUIRED
FA - ’ 1 9
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Ivie’s late sister, Jordan, passed away from injuries sustained in a car accident in 2015, a month before she would have graduated high school. Ivie uses her memory as motivation and has shared these moments on social media.
9/4/20 4:01 PM
ADOREE’
JACKSON PlayerPages_NEW.indd 31
NUMBER
25
POSITION
CB
HEIGHT
5-11
WEIGHT
185
NFL SEASON
4
BORN
9/18/95
COLLEGE
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
ACQUIRED
D1B-’17
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Jackson was a long jumper and sprinter on USC’s track team, earning All-American status after winning the Pac-12 outdoor long jump title in 2015 and 2016. He also placed 10th in the long jump during the U.S. Olympic Trials and second in the Pac-12 100 meters in 2016.
9/4/20 4:03 PM
BEN
JONES PlayerPages_NEW.indd 33
NUMBER
60
POSITION
C
HEIGHT
6-3
WEIGHT
308
NFL SEASON
9
BORN
7/2/89
COLLEGE
GEORGIA
ACQUIRED
U FA ( H O U ) - ’ 1 6
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : In 2017, Jones established The Jones Mission Fund at The Community Foundation to provide at-risk youth with opportunities they might otherwise not have through grants, additional resources and educational opportunities.
9/10/20 11:56 AM
DAQUAN
JONES PlayerPages_NEW.indd 33
NUMBER
90
POSITION
DL
HEIGHT
6-4
WEIGHT
322
NFL SEASON
7
BORN
12/27/91
COLLEGE
P E N N S TAT E
ACQUIRED
D4A-’14
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Jones is in the process of launching his own non-profit organization called “Create Your Legacy.” In June 2019, he hosted the DaQuan Jones Create Your Legacy Football Camp for more than 100 kids ages 11-18 at Johnson City (N.Y.) High School.
9/4/20 4:04 PM
HELPS CLEAN TEETH AND MAINTAIN HEALTHY GUMS
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JOHNATHAN
JOSEPH PlayerPages_NEW.indd 34
NUMBER
33
POSITION
CB
HEIGHT
5-11
WEIGHT
186
NFL SEASON
15
BORN
4/16/84
COLLEGE
SOUTH CAROLINA
ACQUIRED
FA - ’ 2 0
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Joseph established the Johnathan Joseph Foundation in December 2012 to create and support programs that emphasize character development, to promote academic excellence and to support and create initiatives for disadvantaged youth from single-parent homes.
9/4/20 4:05 PM
JOSHUA
KALU PlayerPages_NEW.indd 35
NUMBER
46
POSITION
DB
HEIGHT
6-0
WEIGHT
203
NFL SEASON
2
BORN
8/28/95
COLLEGE
NEBRASKA
ACQUIRED
FA - ’ 1 8
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Kalu spent time giving back to his hometown in Houston, Texas, partnering with local restaurants and handdelivering free meals to healthcare workers fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
9/4/20 4:06 PM
DENNIS
KELLY PlayerPages_NEW.indd 36
NUMBER
71
POSITION
T
HEIGHT
6-8
WEIGHT
321
NFL SEASON
9
BORN
1/16/90
COLLEGE
PURDUE
ACQUIRED
(PHI)-’16
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Kelly is an avid professional wrestling fan, taking in several WWE events and listing the ‘Undertaker’ as the one person in the world he would like to have dinner with.
9/4/20 4:08 PM
ZAC
KERIN PlayerPages_NEW.indd 37
NUMBER
69
POSITION
G
HEIGHT
6-5
WEIGHT
305
NFL SEASON
5
BORN
8/13/91
COLLEGE
TOLEDO
ACQUIRED
FA - ’ 2 0
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : While at Toledo, Kerin anchored an offensive front that helped block for former Titans running back David Fluellen, who was the nation’s 12th-leading rusher with 1,498 yards in 2012.
9/4/20 4:10 PM
BRETT
KERN PlayerPages_NEW.indd 39
NUMBER
6
POSITION
P
HEIGHT
6-2
WEIGHT
214
NFL SEASON
13
BORN
2/17/86
COLLEGE
TOLEDO
ACQUIRED
W (DEN)-’09
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Kern is an avid golfer, sporting a +1 handicap. He picked the game up late in high school and caddied for three summers at Inverness Golf Club while in college.
9/10/20 11:57 AM
HAROLD
LANDRY III PlayerPages_NEW.indd 39
NUMBER
58
POSITION
OLB
HEIGHT
6-2
WEIGHT
252
NFL SEASON
3
BORN
6/5/96
COLLEGE
BOSTON COLLEGE
ACQUIRED
D2-’18
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : In 2016, Landry set a Boston College record and led the nation with 16.5 sacks. His seven forced fumbles also ranked first nationally.
9/4/20 4:13 PM
Zagg.indd 1
6/14/20 7:34 AM
TAYLOR
LEWAN PlayerPages_NEW.indd 40
NUMBER
77
POSITION
T
HEIGHT
6-7
WEIGHT
309
NFL SEASON
7
BORN
7/22/91
COLLEGE
MICHIGAN
ACQUIRED
D1-’14
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Lewan is the co-founder of the popular podcast Bussin’ With The Boys with Titans teammate Will Compton. The two friends host guests on an old Monte Carlo Budweiser bus and discuss any and everything.
9/4/20 4:13 PM
DAVID
LONG JR. PlayerPages_NEW.indd 41
NUMBER
51
POSITION
LB
HEIGHT
5-11
WEIGHT
227
NFL SEASON
2
BORN
10/12/96
COLLEGE
WEST VIRGINIA
ACQUIRED
D6-’19
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Long’s father, David Sr., is a former professional boxer who went 125-2 as a heavyweight. He once fought future world champ Deontay Wilder.
9/4/20 4:14 PM
ISAIAH
MACK PlayerPages_NEW.indd 42
NUMBER
97
POSITION
DT
HEIGHT
6-1
WEIGHT
299
NFL SEASON
2
BORN
3/19/96
COLLEGE
C H AT TA N O O G A
ACQUIRED
FA - ’ 1 9
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Mack’s favorite hobbies include ‘going mudding’ in his pickup truck, hunting, fishing and cooking.
9/4/20 4:14 PM
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MARCUS
MARSHALL PlayerPages_NEW.indd 43
NUMBER
39
POSITION
RB
HEIGHT
5-10
WEIGHT
200
NFL SEASON
1
BORN
2/23/97
COLLEGE
JAMES MADISON
ACQUIRED
FA - ’ 2 0
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Marshall graduated from Milbrook High School with a 4.3 GPA and set a single-season rushing record with 2,198 rushing yards and 31 touchdowns as a senior.
9/4/20 4:15 PM
DOUG
MIDDLETON PlayerPages_NEW.indd 44
NUMBER
39
POSITION
DB
HEIGHT
6-0
WEIGHT
210
NFL SEASON
3
BORN
9/25/93
COLLEGE
APPALACHIAN STATE
ACQUIRED
FA - ’ 2 0
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : As an undrafted free agent with the N.Y. Jets in 2016, Middleton scored his first career NFL touchdown in Week 17 against the Buffalo Bills, recovering a kickoff in the end zone for the TD.
9/4/20 4:17 PM
CHRIS
MILTON PlayerPages_NEW.indd 46
NUMBER
30
POSITION
CB
HEIGHT
5-11
WEIGHT
190
NFL SEASON
5
BORN
9/15/92
COLLEGE
GEORGIA TECH
ACQUIRED
W (IND)-’19
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Milton is related to former NFL running back Tashard Choice, who played six seasons (2008-13) in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys, Washington, Buffalo Bills and Indianapolis Colts.
9/10/20 11:58 AM
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8/6/20 9:26 AM
DANIEL
MUNYER PlayerPages_NEW.indd 47
NUMBER
52
POSITION
C
HEIGHT
6-1
WEIGHT
305
NFL SEASON
3
BORN
3/4/92
COLLEGE
COLORADO
ACQUIRED
FA - ’ 1 9
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : As a senior at Colorado, Munyer was awarded the department of communication’s Academic Leadership Award for his dedication to learning and strong positive presence in the classroom.
9/10/20 11:59 AM
KAREEM
ORR PlayerPages_NEW.indd 47
NUMBER
20
POSITION
CB
HEIGHT
5-11
WEIGHT
195
NFL SEASON
1
BORN
1/2/97
COLLEGE
C H AT TA N O O G A
ACQUIRED
FA - ’ 1 9
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Orr is a big Liverpool soccer fan and enjoys playing FIFA in his spare time.
9/4/20 4:17 PM
SENORISE
PERRY PlayerPages_NEW.indd 48
NUMBER
20
POSITION
RB
HEIGHT
6-0
WEIGHT
210
NFL SEASON
6
BORN
9/19/91
COLLEGE
LOUISVILLE
ACQUIRED
FA - ’ 2 0
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Perry earned his shot in the NFL after a tryout with the Bears following the 2014 NFL Draft. He excelled on special teams in the preseason to seal his 53-man roster spot as an undrafted free agent.
9/4/20 4:18 PM
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8/26/20 2:24 PM
MYCOLE
PRUITT PlayerPages_NEW.indd 50
NUMBER
85
POSITION
TE
HEIGHT
6-2
WEIGHT
245
NFL SEASON
5
BORN
3/24/92
COLLEGE
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
ACQUIRED
FA - ’ 1 8
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Pruitt’s mother’s name is Colette. Cole means “people’s victory” in Greek baby names. She named him MyCole for My-Victory. MyCole is his mother’s victory.
9/10/20 12:00 PM
DAVID
QUESSENBERRY PlayerPages_NEW.indd 51
NUMBER
72
POSITION
OL
HEIGHT
6-5
WEIGHT
310
NFL SEASON
2
BORN
8/24/90
COLLEGE
S A N J O S E S TAT E
ACQUIRED
FA - ’ 1 8
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Quessenberry was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in June 2014. He returned to Houston’s practice squad in 2017 and made his NFL debut in Week 16 of the 2017 season.
9/10/20 12:00 PM
KALIF
RAYMOND PlayerPages_NEW.indd 52
NUMBER
14
POSITION
WR
HEIGHT
5-8
WEIGHT
182
NFL SEASON
3
BORN
8/8/94
COLLEGE
H O LY C R O S S
ACQUIRED
FA - ’ 1 8
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Raymond was a dualsport collegiate athlete, competing in football as well as track and field during his senior season at Holy Cross.
9/10/20 4:35 PM
It’s a winwin-win-win. Ranked #1 by consumers in the U.S. for network quality performance, and received more awards than any other carrier – 23x in a row.
Verizon Wireless received the highest score in the J.D. Power 2017-2019 (V1&V2) and 2020 (V1) U.S. Wireless Network Quality Performance Studiesof customers’ satisfaction with their network performance with wireless carriers. Visit jdpower.com/awards
DERICK
ROBERSON PlayerPages_NEW.indd 52
NUMBER
50
POSITION
OLB
HEIGHT
6-3
WEIGHT
250
NFL SEASON
2
BORN
11/15/95
COLLEGE
SAM HOUSTON S TAT E
ACQUIRED
FA - ’ 1 9
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Roberson led the FCS and tied a single-season school record with 15 sacks as a senior at Sam Houston State.
9/4/20 4:20 PM
RODGER
SAFFOLD III PlayerPages_NEW.indd 53
NUMBER
76
POSITION
G
HEIGHT
6-5
WEIGHT
325
NFL SEASON
11
BORN
6/6/88
COLLEGE
INDIANA
ACQUIRED
U FA ( L A R ) - ’ 1 9
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Saffold is the owner of competitive “Call of Duty” and “Fortnite” teams called Rise Nation. He invested in the video game industry in April 2014.
9/4/20 4:21 PM
TY
SAMBRAILO PlayerPages_NEW.indd 55
NUMBER
70
POSITION
T
HEIGHT
6-5
WEIGHT
311
NFL SEASON
6
BORN
3/10/92
COLLEGE
C O L O R A D O S TAT E
ACQUIRED
FA - ’ 2 0
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Sambrailo is an avid skier who, as a youth, earned USSA titles in the slalom, giant slalom and super-G events for his age group.
9/10/20 12:01 PM
Great nations are built by great people. The International Union of Operating Engineers trains and represents over 400,000 highly skilled construction and maintenance professionals across North America. Join us!
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Supporting our veterans
TREVOR
SIEMIAN PlayerPages_NEW.indd 55
NUMBER
4
POSITION
QB
HEIGHT
6-3
WEIGHT
220
NFL SEASON
6
BORN
12/26/91
COLLEGE
NORTHWESTERN
ACQUIRED
FA - ’ 2 0
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : A seventh-round pick by the Broncos in 2015, Siemian earned a Super Bowl ring as a backup his rookie season following Denver’s 24-10 victory over Carolina in Super Bowl 50.
9/4/20 4:40 PM
JEFFERY
SIMMONS PlayerPages_NEW.indd 56
NUMBER
98
POSITION
DL
HEIGHT
6-4
WEIGHT
305
NFL SEASON
2
BORN
7/28/97
COLLEGE
M I S S I S S I P P I S TAT E
ACQUIRED
D1-’19
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Simmons made his NFL debut against the Chargers, collecting his first career sack by dropping Philip Rivers, and later played a key role in Tennessee’s goal line stand to help win the game.
9/4/20 4:40 PM
JONNU
SMITH PlayerPages_NEW.indd 57
NUMBER
81
POSITION
TE
HEIGHT
6-3
WEIGHT
248
NFL SEASON
4
BORN
8/22/95
COLLEGE
FLORIDA I N T E R N AT I O N A L
ACQUIRED
D3B-’17
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Smith played a key role in Tennessee’s AFC Divisional Playoff victory at Baltimore, hauling in an acrobatic 12-yard touchdown pass in the corner of the end zone to give the Titans a 7-0 lead.
9/4/20 4:41 PM
443-360-9500 www.BravuraInc.com
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8/3/20 9:54 AM
TYE
SMITH PlayerPages_NEW.indd 58
NUMBER
23
POSITION
CB
HEIGHT
6-0
WEIGHT
195
NFL SEASON
5
BORN
5/3/93
COLLEGE
TOWSON
ACQUIRED
FA - ’ 1 7
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : In the spring of 2018, Smith hosted his first “Simple Greatness” youth football clinic at St. Augustine University in his hometown of Raleigh, N.C.
9/4/20 4:41 PM
GEOFF
SWAIM PlayerPages_NEW.indd 59
NUMBER
87
POSITION
TE
HEIGHT
6-4
WEIGHT
260
NFL SEASON
6
BORN
9/16/93
COLLEGE
TEXAS
ACQUIRED
FA - ’ 2 0
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Swaim was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the seventh round (246th overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft. He entered the 2018 season as the Cowboys’ starting tight end after the sudden retirements of Jason Witten and James Hanna.
9/4/20 4:42 PM
RYAN
TANNEHILL PlayerPages_NEW.indd 60
NUMBER
17
POSITION
QB
HEIGHT
6-4
WEIGHT
217
NFL SEASON
9
BORN
7/27/88
COLLEGE
TEXAS A&M
ACQUIRED
T (MIA)-’19
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Ryan founded the Tannehill’s A.C.E.S. (Achieving Community Educations Success) program which is focused on awarding scholarships to participating students who strive for good grades and take on an active role in their community.
9/4/20 4:42 PM
T:8.375" S:7.875"
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Every live game. Every Sunday afternoon.
KENNY
VACCARO PlayerPages_NEW.indd 61
NUMBER
24
POSITION
S
HEIGHT
6-0
WEIGHT
214
NFL SEASON
8
BORN
2/15/91
COLLEGE
TEXAS
ACQUIRED
FA - ’ 1 8
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Vaccaro traveled to Kenya during the 2016 offseason with former Texas and Saints teammate Alex Okafor and is involved in community and fundraising efforts to construct a school in the region.
9/4/20 4:43 PM
LOGAN
WOODSIDE PlayerPages_NEW.indd 63
NUMBER
5
POSITION
QB
HEIGHT
6-1
WEIGHT
213
NFL SEASON
1
BORN
1/27/95
COLLEGE
TOLEDO
ACQUIRED
FA - ’ 1 9
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : During his free time, Woodside enjoys playing golf and fishing in his hometown of Frankfort, Ky., just a threehour drive from Nashville.
9/4/20 4:43 PM
TEAM LOOKS TO CONTINUE MOMENTUM IN 2020 FOLLOWING AFC RUNNER-UP FINISH IN 2019 On Jan. 19, 2020, the final chapter was written on a memorable season for the Tennessee Titans. Appearing in the organization’s first AFC championship game in 17 years, the Titans’ storybook finish came up one win shy of a Super Bowl berth. When the Titans fell to the eventual Super Bowl LIV champion Chiefs in Kansas City, a season that began inauspiciously managed to end suddenly and prematurely. They had overcome a 2-4 start to finish 9-7 in the regular season and pave a path for a stirring playoff run. Along the way, they found a winning formula that made use of a dominant running game, a reborn quarterback in his
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first season with the club, and an opportunistic defense with a penchant for big moments. Approaching the regular season finale at Houston, head coach Mike Vrabel’s squad needed a victory to ensure the sixth seed in the playoffs. They got that win against the division-rival Texans, followed by road wins over the reigning Super Bowl champion New England Patriots and the No. 1 seeded Baltimore Ravens. Since the NFL’s current 12-team playoff format began in 1990, the Titans became only the third team to advance to a conference championship game after beginning the season with a record of 2-4 or worse (2002
Titans and 1996 Jacksonville Jaguars). The 2019 Titans also were the sixth No. 6 playoff seed ever to advance to a conference championship game and the first since 2010 (Green Bay Packers and New York Jets). Tennessee earned its fourth consecutive winning record and its second playoff berth in four seasons since controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk hired Jon Robinson as general manager. With 9-7 records every year since 2016, the Titans own the NFL’s fourthlongest active streak of winning seasons. Only the Patriots (19), the Seattle Seahawks (eight) and the Chiefs (seven) have longer such streaks.
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9/4/20 4:48 PM
VRABEL, TITANS PERSEVERE
Following an impressive 43-13 win at Cleveland in the season opener, the Titans lost four of their next five contests, including a shutout at Denver on Oct. 13. At 2-4, there was little indication that the Titans would be playing well into January. With a home date against the Los Angeles Chargers next on the schedule, Vrabel made the decision to insert eighth-year veteran quarterback Ryan Tannehill into the starting lineup for the first time since he arrived in Tennessee. The players responded, narrowly defeating the Chargers 23-20 in a game that came down to a last-minute goal-line stand. Tannehill passed for 312 yards and two touchdowns. Including the win over the Chargers, Tennessee earned six victories in a seven-game stretch, perhaps none more memorable than a 35-32 edging of the Chiefs on Nov. 10. In one of the most thrilling finishes in Nissan Stadium history, Tannehill completed a gamewinning 23-yard touchdown pass to Adam Humphries, and the outcome was preserved by Joshua Kalu’s block of Harrison Butker’s 52-yard field goal attempt as time expired. With three games remaining in the regular season, the Titans hosted the Houston Texans on Dec. 15 in a battle for first place in the AFC South. Running back Derrick Henry had just recorded his fourth consecutive 100- yard rushing performance but was limited during the practice week with a hamstring injury. The Texans took advantage, keeping Henry under the 100-yard mark (86) and winning 24-21 to provide Houston the momentum it needed to secure the division title. Two weeks later, it was Houston’s turn to host the Titans. With the Titans a win away from Vrabel’s first playoff berth as a head
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coach, Henry provided a signature 211yard, three-touchdown rushing performance on his way to the league rushing title, and rookie wide receiver A.J. Brown added 124 yards and a score. The Titans prevailed 3514 and claimed the AFC’s final playoff seed. With a win four weeks earlier at Indianapolis, it marked the first time since 2007 that the Titans went on the road and defeated the Colts and the Texans in the same season. In the wild card round, the Titans vanquished Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the third-seeded Patriots by a final score of 2013. Henry rushed for 182 yards, and the Titans defense shut out the Patriots in the second half. Cornerback Logan Ryan provided the exclamation point with a nine-yard interception return for a touchdown in the final minute of the fourth quarter. The following week, the Titans were tasked with going into Baltimore to clash with the 14-2 Ravens in the divisional round. Seemingly unfazed, they never trailed after scoring the game’s first 14 points, pulling away 28- 12 to clinch a spot in the AFC title game. Henry rushed for 195 yards, while Baltimore’s league MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson was victimized by the Titans defense for three takeaways. Only the Chiefs stood in the way of the Titans’ first trip to the Super Bowl in 20 years. The Titans took the initial matchup two months earlier, but this time they would have to win at Arrowhead Stadium. It began encouragingly, as they grabbed first-half leads of 10-0 and 17-7. But spearheaded by the play of quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs stormed back to take the lead late in the second quarter and ultimately spoiled the Titans’ quest by a 35-24 margin.
9/4/20 4:48 PM
JANUARY 4, 2020 TITANS 20, PATRIOTS 13 Derrick Henry rushed for 182 yards and a touchdown, powering the Titans to a 20-13 victory over the New England Patriots in an AFC Wild card matchup at Gillette Stadium. Henry set franchise post-season records for rushing yards, rushing attempts and scrimmage yards, accounting for 204 of the team’s 272 yards of total offense, as the Titans stunned the sold-out crowd that witnessed the end of Tom Brady’s era in Foxborough. Ryan Tannehill passed for 72 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown strike to tight end Anthony Firkser that gave the Titans a 7-3 lead in the first quarter. Henry ran for 49 yards on seven carries on the team’s opening drive, providing a sign of things to come. The Patriots regained the lead 10-7 on a five-yard rushing touchdown by receiver Julian Edelman early in the second quarter. The Titans were in danger of going into a doubledigit deficit before halftime, but the defense made three consecutive stops, holding the Patriots to another field goal after they had a first and goal at the Tennessee 1. Linebacker Rashaan Evans made a pair of stops near the goal-line, including one on a Sony Michel run on third down. Henry scored what proved to be the gamewinning touchdown on Tennessee’s next possession, capping a 7-play, 75-yard drive with a one-yard TD run to give the Titans a 14-13 lead with 35 seconds remaining in the first half. There had been no scoring in the second half when Brett Kern’s 58-yard punt that took up 10 of the final 25 seconds rolled down at the New England 1. Former Patriots cornerback Logan Ryan then intercepted a deflected Tom Brady Pass for a nine-yard touchdown to seal the victory with just six seconds remaining.
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Morristown, TN
T
here’s a reason Mountain Makins’ Festival has been put on for over 40 years. It’s a community tradition that is so unique it has become one of the Southeast’s most popular events. Awards are just one of those things that come with the territory. ith these things in mind, it is with much regret that we have decided to postpone our beloved festival of Southern makers until October 2021. We hope you will join us then, when we will return stronger, and healthier than ever!
W
www.rosecenter.org/mountain-makins
JANUARY 11, 2020 TITANS 28, RAVENS 12
A big underdog playing on the road against the AFC’s No.1 seed, the Titans took the fight to the Ravens and walked out of M&T Bank Stadium with a 28-12 win to advance to the AFC Championship Game for the first time since the 2002 season. The victory served as some payback for previous playoff losses to the Ravens. At the end of the 2000 and 2008 seasons, the topseeded Titans were knocked out of the playoffs by the Ravens. But this time Tennessee eliminated the Ravens after a 14-2 season in which they had an NFL-high 12 players voted to the Pro Bowl. They’d won 12 straight games before the loss to the Titans. The Titans took control of this one early. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill threw two touchdown passes, and he also ran for one in a game the Titans led 14-0 early. Running back Derrick Henry ran for 195 yards on 30 carries – and he also threw a touchdown pass, becoming the first player in NFL history to post three straight 180-yard rushing games. During their fast start, the Titans made some big plays early on offense, and defense. And it continued all night. First, safety Kevin Byard intercepted Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson on a tipped pass that ended up in Byard’s hands. After a 31yard return, and with penalty yards added to it, the Titans took over at the Baltimore 35.
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A quick drive had the Titans in position for an early score, but facing a third-and goal from the Baltimore 12, things didn’t look so good. But that’s when Titans tight end Jonnu Smith went up and made a remarkable juggling catch in the corner of the end zone to give the Titans a 7-0 lead. Smith’s touchdown capped an eight-play, 35-yard drive orchestrated by Tannehill. The Titans led 7-0 at the end of the first quarter. It was a good sign considering the Ravens outscored their opponents 128-31 in the first quarter during the regular season. The Titans delivered another one-two punch at the start of the second quarter. First came a defensive stop on 4th and 1, when the defense stopped Jackson short of the yard to gain. Rookie David Long got Jackson by the ankles, and the quarterback was then swarmed by Titans defenders. On the ensuing play, Tannehill connected with Kalif Raymond on a 45-yard touchdown pass, and it was suddenly 14-0. The play caused an eruption on the Tennessee sideline, and had Ravens fans at M&T Bank Stadium quiet, and shocked. The Ravens got on the scoreboard with 5:52 remaining in the first half on a 49-yard field by Justin Tucker, who added a 22-yard field goal on the final play of the half to make it 14-6 at intermission.
A big swing happened midway through the third quarter, once again with both sides of the ball stepping up. Harold Landy led a group of Titans defenders that stuffed Lamar Jackson on 4th and 1 at the Tennessee 18yard line. The Titans then produced a touchdown in an improbable way – a three-yard jump pass from Henry to receiver Corey Davis. Henry took the snap on the play, and found Davis breaking free in the back of the end zone. The touchdown was set up by a 66-yard run by Henry, and the score capped a six-play, 81-yard drive. Then came another one-two punch, with the defense setting the table for the offense. Jurrell Casey sacked Jackson, stripping the ball from his grasp in the process. Rookie defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons jumped on the loose ball, and the Titans were in business. Before long, they were back in the end zone on a one-yard touchdown run by Tannehill, which made it 28-6 with 4:16 left in the third quarter. The Ravens cut the lead to 28-12 on a 15yard touchdown pass from Jackson to tight end Hayden Hurst with 11:04 left in the game. But the Titans refused to be denied, putting the game away down the stretch. Casey had two sacks in the game, and the Titans made it tough on Jackson, who was later named the NFL’s 2019 MVP, all night.
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JANUARY 19, 2020 • CHIEFS 35, TITANS 24 A season filled with so many high moments ended one win away from a trip to Super Bowl LIV following a 35-24 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. With a win over the Chiefs, the Titans had a chance to join the 2010 Packers and the 2005 Steelers as the only No. 6 seeds to appear in the Super Bowl since 1990 when the NFL instituted the current 12-team playoff format. But after battling back from a 2-4 record at the beginning of the season and winning in must-win situations so many times, the Titans couldn’t finish the way they wanted to. The Titans saw an early lead evaporate on a cold day at Arrowhead Stadium, where the temperature was 17 degrees at kickoff with a wind chill of five degrees. Tennessee jumped out to an early 10-0 lead, but trailed 21-17 at the half and found itself digging out of a deeper hole in the second half. Henry, dominant in the first two games of the postseason, was held in check on a day he finished with 69 rushing yards on 19 carries, but ran the ball just three times for seven yards in the second half.
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Ryan Tannehill completed 21-of-31 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns in the contest. The Titans took a 3-0 lead in their opening possession on a 30-yard field goal by kicker Greg Joseph, which capped an eight-play, 58-yard drive. Tannehill completed passes of 37 yards (to A.J. Brown) and 12 yards (to Corey Davis) on the drive, but the Titans had to settle for a field goal after reaching the Kansas City 12. When the Titans got the ball back, Henry, who lined up in the “Wildcat” formation, finished off a nine-play, 58-yard drive with a four-yard touchdown run to make it 10-0. A 22-yard pass from Tannehill to tight end Jonnu Smith set up the Henry run. Tannehill’s three-yard pass to receiver Adam Humphries on fourth-and-two from the Kansas City 29 kept the drive alive. After the Chiefs cut the lead to 10-7 on an eight-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Patrick Mahomes to receiver Tyreek Hill, the Titans surged back ahead 17-7 on a one-yard touchdown pass from to Tannehill
to tackle Dennis Kelly, who lined up as an eligible receiver on the play. The touchdown capped off a 15-play, 75-yard drive that took 9:07 off the clock. It was Kelly’s second touchdown reception of the season. But the Chiefs responded with a pair of touchdowns to close out the first half, first scoring on a 20-yard pass from Mahomes to Hill to make it 17-14 with 4:03 remaining in the first half. When the Chiefs got the ball back, Mahomes scored on 27-yard touchdown run with 11 seconds left in the first half to give Kansas City a 21-17 lead. Mahomes tight-roped the sideline on the run and escaped past several Titans defenders to reach the end zone. The Chiefs extended their lead to 28-17 on a three-yard touchdown run by Damien Williams, which capped off a 13-play, 73-yard drive. The score came with 14:50 remaining in the contest. A 60-yard touchdown pass from Mahomes to receiver Sammy Watkins made it 35-17 with 7:33 left, and confetti filled the skies at Arrowhead Stadium. But the Titans kept fighting. A 22-yard touchdown pass from Tannehill to tight end Anthony Firkser with 4:18 left made it 35-24 with 4:18 left. It followed a perfectly executed fake punt by the Titans – a pass from punter Brett Kern to safety Amani Hooker. After a defensive stop, the Titans got the ball back again. But on this day, the celebration came to an end for the Titans. T E N N E S S E E T I TA N S Y E A R B O O K 2 0 2 0
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9/4/20 4:56 PM
2019 NFL RUSHING CHAMPION DERRICK HENRY NAMED FEDEX GROUND NFL PLAYER OF THE YEAR, SECOND TEAM ALL-PRO FOLLOWING 1,540-YARD RUSHING SEASON
Titans Running back Derrick Henry was named the FedEx Ground Player of the Year for 2019 after a season in which he led the NFL with a career-best 1,540 yards and was selected to his first Pro Bowl. Voted second team All-Pro by the Associated Press, Henry ranked third in NFL with 18 total touchdowns, and second in the AFC and fourth in the NFL with 1,746 yards from scrimmage. Henry was a workhorse in the postseason, setting a franchise playoff record with 182 rushing yards at New England (1/4/20) before resetting it with 195 rushing yards at Baltimore (1/11/20). Henry gained 69 yards on 19 carries in the AFC title game loss at Kansas City. Henry was the only running back in the NFL to average more than 100 rushing
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yards per game (102.7) this season. From Weeks 10-13, he joined Pro Football Hall of Famers Jim Brown (1985), Eric Dickerson (1984) and O.J. Simpson (1976), as well as Adrian Peterson (2012) as the only players to record at least 145 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in three consecutive games in NFL history. Running backs Nick Chubb (Cleveland Browns) and Christian McCaffrey (Carolina Panthers) were the other finalists for the 2019 FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Year. As part of the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Year program, FedEx donated $20,000 to the USO in Henry’s name, through FedEx Cares. These donations support the USO Pathfinder® program, which provides transition resources to assist service members and military spouses.
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9/10/20 12:03 PM
COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR RYAN TANNEHILL LED TITANS TO 9-4 MARK AFTER TAKING OVER AS TEAM’S STARTER IN WEEK 7
Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill was named the NFL’s 2019 Comeback Player of the Year after a season in which he led the Titans to within a game of the Super Bowl. “It’s an honor to be recognized for fighting through the adversity I’ve had to face over the past couple of years,” he said. “I am so thankful for everyone who voted for me, and all of my teammates. It wouldn’t be possible without a whole group of people that surrounds me and helps me on a daily basis. It feels good after a lot of hard work to get to this point.” Tannehill led the NFL with a 117.5 rating in 2019, guiding the Titans to a pair of playoff wins — at New England and Baltimore — and into the AFC Championship Game, where the Titans lost to the Chiefs. During the regular season, Tannehill threw for 2,742 yards with 22 touchdowns and six interceptions. He led the Titans to a 9-4 mark, including playoffs, after taking over as the team’s starter in Week 7. In January, Tannehill was selected as both the 2019 NFL Comeback Player of the Year
and the 2019 Most Improved Player of the Year by the Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA). Tannehill became just the second player since the Most Improved Player of the Year award was instituted in 2000 to receive both the PFWA Most Improved and the Comeback Player of the Year awards in the same season, joining Bengals quarterback Jon Kitna (2003). Tannehill spent his first seven seasons with the Dolphins, where his highest passer rating in a season came during the 2016 season, when he posted a 93.5 rating. In 2018, Tannehill threw for 1,979 yards with 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions with the Dolphins, with a 92.7 rating, before being traded to the Titans in the 2019 offseason. T E N N E S S E E T I TA N S Y E A R B O O K 2 0 2 0
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9/4/20 4:58 PM
TITANS SEND FOUR TO
PRO BOWL RYAN TANNEHILL TOSSES 60-YARD TD IN NFL’S ANNUAL ALL-STAR GAME
Quarterback Ryan Tannehill, running back Derrick Henry, defensive lineman Jurrell Casey and punter Brett Kern represented the Titans for the AFC in the 2020 Pro Bowl, a week after their team’s season ended with an AFC Championship Game loss in Kansas City. The all-star game was a first for Tannehill and Henry, while it was Casey’s fifth Pro Bowl, and Kern’s third. Tannehill threw a 60-yard touchdown pass to Jaguars receiver DJ Chark on his first pass of the contest, capping a three-play drive, to give the AFC a 31-27 lead it never relinquished. Henry, who led the NFL in rushing yards in 2019, finished the contest with 17 rushing yards on four carries, and also had two catches for 22 yards, including a long of 15 yards. Kern punted once for 42 yards. He also held for extra points and a field goal for Ravens kicker Justin Tucker. Casey was credited with a tackle and a quarterback hit in the contest.
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9/4/20 4:59 PM
Your Home Field For
OFFICIAL TITANS GEAR
Visit our location at nissan stadium next to gate 1 Or shop online at TitansProShop.com Call (615) 565-4221 for store information
FREE AGENCY RECAP A LOOK AT THE INCOMING AND RE-SIGNED PLAYERS IN 2020
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OLB
DE/OLB
LB
OLB
CAMERON BATSON
VIC BEASLEY
JADEVEON CLOWNEY
WILL COMPTON
KAMALEI CORREA
(RE-SIGNED)
( U FA – FA L C O N S )
(FREE AGENT)
(FREE AGENT)
(RE-SIGNED)
DL
LB
TE
OL
OLB
JACK CRAWFORD
NICK DZUBNAR
ANTHONY FIRKSER
AVERY GENNESY
REGGIE GILBERT
( U FA – FA L C O N S )
( U FA – C H A R G E R S )
(RE-SIGNED)
(FREE AGENT)
(RE-SIGNED)
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FREE AGENCY RECAP A LOOK AT THE INCOMING AND RE-SIGNED PLAYERS IN 2020
CB
T
G
CB
RB
JOHNATHAN JOSEPH
DENNIS KELLY
ZAC KERIN
CHRIS MILTON
SENORISE PERRY
(FREE AGENT)
(RE-SIGNED)
(FREE AGENT)
(RE-SIGNED)
(FREE AGENT)
TE
OL
QB
DB
QB
MYCOLE PRUITT
TY SAMBRAILO
TREVOR SIEMIAN
TYE SMITH
RYAN TANNEHILL
(RE-SIGNED)
(FREE AGENT)
(FREE AGENT)
(RE-SIGNED)
(RE-SIGNED)
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2020
DRAFT CLASS RD.
SEL#
NAME
NO.
POS.
HT.
WT.
BIRTHDATE
COLLEGE
HOMETOWN
1
29
Isaiah Wilson
79
T
6-6
350
2/12/99
Georgia
Brooklyn, N.Y.
2
61
Kristian Fulton
26
CB
5-11
197
9/3/98
Louisiana State
New Orleans, La.
3
93
Darrynton Evans
32
RB
5-10
203
7/9/98
Appalachian State
Oak Hill, Fla.
5
174
Larrell Murchison
91
DL
6-2
297
4/24/97
North Carolina State
Elizabethtown, N.C.
7
224*
Cole McDonald
2
QB
6-3
215
5/20/98
Hawaii
La Mirada, Calif.
7
243
Chris Jackson
35
DB
5-10
193
4/13/98
Marshall
Tallahassee, Fla.
*Selection obtained in trade
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Family farms. Family meals.
U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish comes from local freshwater ponds, where our American farmers adhere to the strictest standards. It isn’t easy, but that’s what it takes to earn the U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish seal. Look for it in your grocery store freezer or local restaurants. Explore our recipes at UScatfish.com.
Luke Smelley
Will Nobile
2020 Alabama Catfish Farmer of the Year
2020 Mississippi Catfish Farmer of the Year
Terry Kruse 2020 Arkansas Catfish Farmer of the Year
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AFFILLIATED WITH AFL-CIO
Honored to represent the VA Employees of Middle & East Tennessee 56 Years. Union Employees proudly serve the Veterans! Support your VA Employees.
Representing workers from Hospital and Clinic Care, Vet Centers and National Cemeteries Nashville Area TVHS Hospital 1310 24th Ave S
Nashville Clinics Charlotte Ave Gallatin International Plaza Meharry Vet Center Cemetery
Knoxville Area
Clarksville Area
William C. Tallent Annex 1, 2, 3 Dannie A. Carr, Sevierville Campbell County
Main Clinic Dental Clinic Ft Campbell IDES Dover
Vet Center
AFGE Local 2400 4207 Lebanon Pike, Suite 200 • Hermitage, TN 37076 Phone 615-231-1023 • Email assistance@afgelocal2400.org
TO DO FOR ALL THAT NONE CAN DO FOR ONESELF
Chattanooga Area Debra Road Pointe Centre Athens Vet Center Cemetery
CAMERON ISAIAH
BATSON WILSON RookiePlayerPages.indd 1
NUMBER
79
POSITION
T
HEIGHT
6-6
WEIGHT
350
NFL SEASON
R
BORN
2/12/99
COLLEGE
GEORGIA
ACQUIRED
D1-’20
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Wilson enjoys watching cartoons, and he has a particular fondness for “SpongeBob SquarePants.” “I can really dissect it deeply and learn a lot from it,” he says.
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KRISTIAN
FULTON RookiePlayerPages.indd 2
NUMBER
26
POSITION
CB
HEIGHT
5-11
WEIGHT
197
NFL SEASON
R
BORN
9/3/98
COLLEGE
L O U I S I A N A S TAT E
ACQUIRED
D2-’20
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Fulton’s older brother, Keith Fulton, played wide receiver at LSU. Kristian and Keith were teammates in 2018.
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EVANS RookiePlayerPages.indd 3
NUMBER
32
POSITION
RB
HEIGHT
5-10
WEIGHT
203
NFL SEASON
R
BORN
7/9/98
COLLEGE
A P PA L A CH IA N STAT E
ACQUIRED
D3-’20
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Evans grew up with and went to high school with San Francisco 49ers running back Raheem Mostert, Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety D’Cota Dixon and Washington linebacker Cole Holcolmb.
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LARRELL
MURCHISON RookiePlayerPages.indd 4
NUMBER
91
POSITION
DL
HEIGHT
6-2
WEIGHT
297
NFL SEASON
R
BORN
4/24/97
COLLEGE
NORTH CAROLINA S TAT E
ACQUIRED
D5-’20
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Murchison loves everything music and enjoys playing the drums. His dad played drums in the church when he was younger, and he just followed in his footsteps.
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COLE
MCDONALD RookiePlayerPages.indd 5
NUMBER
2
POSITION
QB
HEIGHT
6-3
WEIGHT
215
NFL SEASON
R
BORN
5/20/98
COLLEGE
HAWAII
ACQUIRED
D7A-’20
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : McDonald is interested in visual and performing arts — “anything that allows people to express themselves.”
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CHRIS
JACKSON RookiePlayerPages.indd 6
NUMBER
35
POSITION
DB
HEIGHT
5-10
WEIGHT
193
NFL SEASON
R
BORN
4/13/98
COLLEGE
MARSHALL
ACQUIRED
D7B-’20
T I TA N S T I D B I T S : Jackson has a love of cars that he attributes to his father and uncle, the latter of which does competitive drag racing. Jackson lists his top three cars as a 1969 Camaro, a 1984 Buick Grand National and a Ferrari F40.
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OUR
MISSION The mission of the Tennessee Titans is to be considered among the elite franchises of the National Football League that excels on and off the field. We achieve this goal through our interaction with each other, our fans and the Nashville and Tennessee communities. The Tennessee Titans are committed to serving our communities and fans by enhancing and improving the communities in which we live and work, delivering the best possible service and product to Titans fans at games and all functions, and maintaining the highest possible moral and ethical standards, recognizing that we are not only stewards of the Tennessee Titans but also of the National Football League.
BY THE
NUMBERS $1,064,155 donated in 2019 to support area non-profits and community groups $307,300 charity event sponsorships $756,855
donations and grants
700+ items donated to aid area non-profits and community groups in their fundraising efforts students impacted through PLAY 60 and Fuel Up to PLAY 60 programming
11,219
10,350+ 50+
tickets donated
community events and programs in 2019
THE POWER OF
PARTICIPATION 175+
Current player appearances
100%
Current player participation
60+ 68 138
Alumni appearances
Cheer & mascot community appearances
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COMMUNITY TAILGATES
WE STAND FOR SUPPORTING CAUSES, CHARITIES IMPORTANT TO ENTIRE ORGANIZATION
We Stand For supports causes and charities that are important to our players, coaches and front office. Our hope is to foster positive dialogue around the community work of our players and executives and raise awareness for the associated causes. In addition, the Club will match the charitable contributions of our players up to $250,000. As part of the campaign, participants share testimonials in written pieces and in videos, providing a unique perspective on their lives, dating back to their childhood experiences, and share how they want to make a difference in the community. To learn more about the campaign, visit tennesseetitans.com/westandfor.
As an extension of the We Stand For campaign, participating players hosted nonprofits serving the Nashville community at nine of the 10 Titans home games this season. Each player was actively involved with the non-profit group he selected to host. The team provided tickets and a private tailgate, including pregame field passes. Each nonprofit and community group invited children and parents from the communities they serve to participate.
GRANT REVEAL LUNCHEON
In July of 2019, owner Amy Adams Strunk announced $450,000 in grant funding to 10 local non-profit organizations. The grants ranged from $25,000 to $100,000 and supported organizations in the spaces of education, African American history and culture, social justice, diversionary and re-entry programs, immigrant outreach and domestic violence and sexual assault awareness and prevention. Prior to the presentation of grants, head coach Mike Vrabel and general manager Jon Robinson hosted a community engagement panel with community leaders and three Titans players including Wesley Woodyard, Jurrell Casey and Delanie Walker. $100,000 GRANT RECIPIENTS • National Museum of African American Music • NAACP Freedom Fund $50,000 GRANT RECIPIENTS • Community Achieves by Metro Nashville Public Schools • Nashville GRAD $25,000 GRANT RECIPIENTS • Project Return • Davidson County Drug Court Program (DC4) • Thistle Farms • Sexual Assault Center • Nashville International Center for Empowerment • Conexion Americas
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“SHE’S AN AMAZING WOMAN” CONTROLLING OWNER AMY ADAMS STRUNK CREDITED WITH CHANGING DIRECTION OF TITANS FRANCHISE By Jim Wyatt When Houston Oilers owner Bud Adams first made plans to move his NFL franchise to Nashville, there was plenty of uncertainty surrounding how things might work out. Among the curious was his daughter, Amy, who had never been to Tennessee. “I knew it was a pretty city, and I knew that my dad would be drawn to a southern city, that’s just how he thought,” she said. “When we did come to visit – before the team ever moved here -- we came on the 4th of July and we saw the fireworks and did a few other things around town. I knew then this would be a great place.” Fast-forward a few decades plus and now it’s Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk who has taken her late father’s vision and done her part to make it even grander.
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Today, the Titans are a team on the rise, coming off an AFC Championship Game appearance last season, with four straight winning seasons heading into 2020 for the first time since the move. And the city is in the NFL spotlight after hosting the most successful NFL Draft in league history. Strunk was recognized as the 2019 Tennessean of the Year by the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, and she has plenty of folks singing her praises for her work in jump-starting a franchise that just six years ago had the worst record in the NFL. “A lot of times, when you own a franchise, you often get taken for granted,” NFL Network analyst Charles Davis said of Strunk. “People think: ‘You’ve got money, and you
can do this and you can do that.’ But what she has done in her time at the head of the Titans organization, pulling everything together, has been impressive, and that is because of her leadership and it is because of her guidance and because of her demanding accountability. “I think this state is very fortunate to have her leading the Tennessee Titans.” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell credited Strunk for her role in bringing the 2019 NFL Draft to the city. It came on the same day Strunk donated $100,000 to a pair of Nashville non-profits charged with fighting hunger in the community. The 2019 draft easily shattered records for attendance, as over 600,000 fans fill the streets of Nashville for the three-day event.
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It generated a record $133 million in direct spending -- a 79 percent increase over the $74 million at the 2018 Dallas event. The economic impact was another record-breaker at $224 million, also a 79 percent increase over the $125 million in 2018. “I’ve gotten to know Amy,” former University of Tennessee and long-time NFL quarterback Peyton Manning said of Strunk. “She has carried on her father’s legacy and done some things unique with her leadership style and has the Titans in a great place. “Bringing the draft here tells you everything you need to know about how serious the NFL is about the Titans and their fan support here. … Amy deserves a lot of credit.” When Strunk announced plans to retire the jersey numbers of Titans greats Eddie George
and Steve McNair, George also praised the Titans owner, who took over as the team’s controlling owner in 2015. Back then, Ken Whisenhunt was the team’s head coach, and Ruston Webster was the general manager. George said Strunk has taken the team’s ownership to another level on the field, and off. “She’s an amazing woman, and she’s doing it the right way,” George said. “Bud had his ways, and he did it the way he wanted to do it and he was very successful. But what she is doing and how she is investing into the players and creating a culture here, and giving back to the community of Nashville, becoming a strong pillar in Nashville. “Bringing in former players with open arms -- you don’t get that nowadays. Most owners and most organizations and most programs
around the country, including college, are really standoffish. But to constantly pull us back in and ask our opinions on certain issues or to soak up knowledge. … She is a gracious woman, a very successful businesswoman.” Before thanking Tennesseans – from organizers to volunteers to fans – for doing their part to make the 2019 NFL Draft a success while accepting the TSHOF Tennessean of the Year award, Strunk smiled when asked about how much has changed over the years. Strunk has not only made some big decisions on the football side – HC Mike Vrabel and GM Jon Robinson replaced former coaches and GMs – but she’s also changed the look inside the building at Saint Thomas Sports Park and at Nissan Stadium, with upgrades and additions. She even changed the team’s uniforms. Along the way, she’s also restored the passion and the confidence in the team’s fan base. “It just feels great,” she said. “I know when I took over five years ago, some people were probably like: Who is she? What is she going to bring to our team? Is she capable? I just decided I was going to put my head down and go to work and hopefully get things straightened out and all that would take care of itself.” Needless to say, those questions have since been answered. And the appreciation is on full display as Strunk is regularly swarmed by fans when she makes her way onto the field prior to games, or at team functions. Strunk admits, however, she still navigates through the aisles at supermarkets in town, where she owns multiple homes, undetected on most days. “Very few people recognize me,” she said with a smile. “I bet I’ve had two people ever in the grocery story recognize me, so I am still kind of incognito. “I think if there’s anything to do with the football, I’m recognized right away. But when I’m just grabbing oranges, limes and lemons, I’m just there as a shopper, too.” In the future, Strunk would like to bring something else to the city. She’d love to see the Titans on center stage. “Who would have ever thought 20 years ago this is what (Nashville) would look like?,” Strunk, thinking back to the success of the NFL Draft, said. “But I am so proud of it, and so happy to see the city of Nashville in the spotlight. “This success will lead to bigger moments in the future,” she said, “moments that hopefully include a Lombardi Trophy, and a championship parade sometime real soon.” T E N N E S S E E T I TA N S Y E A R B O O K 2 0 2 0
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UNDERWOOD RETIRES BURKE NIHILL NAMED TEAM PRESIDENT/CEO
Steve Underwood has just about seen it all during his long career in the National Football League. A self-described problem solver, the respected Titans executive has worked in a number of roles with the franchise, and to hear him tell it, he’s loved every minute of it. Now Underwood, who’ll turn 69 in October, is ready to step away from his full-time role as President/CEO of the Titans. He’s excited about what’s ahead in his life, and about the man who will step in to replace him. Burke Nihill, in his fifth season with the team, is being elevated to President/CEO of the Titans. Back in February, Nihill was promoted to Senior Vice President/Business Operations & Chief Legal Officer with the franchise. “When I am asked what’s the most important thing that I’ll remember from the time I’ve spent in the National Football League, it will be all the great people that I have gotten to work with,” said Underwood, who will remain with the team as a Senior Counselor. “Stepping away from something you love is never easy. But sooner or later, even something this good has to come to an end. “I think Burke is a great choice for us to make. He’s going to do a fantastic job. I really think he’ll be just perfect.”
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Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk, whose father “Bud,” first hired Underwood to work for the franchise back in 1991, thanked Underwood for his commitment, loyalty, and professionalism. Underwood initially began working with Mr. Adams back in 1977, when he did legal work for him in Houston. Adams eventually convinced Underwood to join the franchise. Strunk also expressed great confidence in Nihill, who held the title of Vice President and General Counsel for the team before his promotion earlier this year. Underwood informed Strunk last month he’d be retiring from a full-time role. “Steve’s remarkable 40-year Oilers/Titans career places him among the titans of professional sports executives. His dedication to our franchise is unmatched and I am glad he will remain with us as a Senior Counselor,” Strunk said of Underwood. “When Steve informed me that he was ready to step away from a full-time role, it was immediately clear to me that Burke was the best choice for the job. Since starting with the club as the General Counsel, Burke has continued to take on additional responsibilities to the point that he has become an invaluable resource and an absolute superstar for
our organization. I have great confidence in him and his leadership, and I know that the future is bright for the team.” During his time with the Titans, Nihill been involved in many different facets of the organization. As Vice President and General Counsel, Nihill was responsible for the organization’s legal, human resources and government relations functions. Following his promotion earlier this year, he also began overseeing stadium and facility operations. In addition to his core responsibilities, Nihill has also taken the lead on other strategic projects for the team. He was instrumental in the effort to secure and execute the 2019 Draft in Nashville and is currently overseeing the renovation and expansion of Saint Thomas Sports Park. Nihill joined the Titans in 2016 with 15 years of professional experience working as an attorney and strategic business counselor with companies ranging from technology startups to Fortune 500 businesses. “I am exceedingly grateful for and humbled by this opportunity,” Nihill said. “I am inspired by Amy’s vision for our franchise and look forward to collaborating with my talented colleagues to serve our fans, partners, and communities. From the NFL Draft on Broadway to a magical run to the AFC Championship, last year was a special season for Titans fans, but as an organization we believe the best is yet to come. “I also want to offer my congratulations to Steve Underwood on his retirement. Steve has been an extraordinarily generous mentor and friend to me, and I’m thankful that we will continue to benefit from Steve’s experience and wisdom in his role as Senior Counselor.” Underwood’s history with the team dates back four decades, and he steps away from a full-time role at a time when the franchise has climbed back into the national spotlight, fresh off a trip to the AFC Championship Game. “To leave what’s been a lifelong endeavor in good standing, it’s a status few obtain in our business,” Underwood said. “I’ve loved so many things about it, from the people to the variety of the work. I will be forever grateful for the opportunities and the experiences I’ve had. I’m not sure what more I could have asked for. “For me, I think it is just a good time to make the transition. It is a good time for the club, it’s a good time for our owners, and it’s a good time for me and for my family more importantly. And, one of the things that makes stepping back easier, is knowing there is someone like Burke, who will do a great job, and he has great relationships of his own with other leaders. “Any time you leave something that you love, sure (I’ll miss it). But I think I’ll enjoy the next chapter.”
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230 Wilson Pike Circle Brentwood, Tennessee 37027 P. 615-254-7160 www.shaubconstruction.com
TITANS LEGENDS STEVE MCNAIR AND EDDIE GEORGE HAVE JERSEY NUMBERS 9 AND 27 RETIRED DURING HALFTIME CEREMONY AT NISSAN STADIUM
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It was a special day at Nissan Stadium during the team’s 2019 home opener against Indianapolis when franchise legends Steve McNair and Eddie George had their jersey numbers 9 and 27 retired at halftime. Former teammates served as the Honorary 12th Titans for the game, while Taj George, Eddie’s wife, performed the National Anthem prior to the game. “Steve and Eddie will be forever linked as two of the driving forces for our team in the late 90’s and early 2000’s,” Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk said. “This is the highest honor that we can bestow on a Titans player, and both of them are deserving for their significant contributions to our franchise.”
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FEELS LIKE HOME TITANS WELCOME BACK 85-PLUS FORMER PLAYERS FOR HOMECOMING WEEKEND
The Titans welcomed back over 85 former players for homecoming weekend on October 27, 2019. As part of the weekend, the Titans celebrated the 20th anniversary of the franchise’s Super Bowl appearance during the 1999 season, as well as the 10th anniversary of running back Chris Johnson’s 2,006-yard season in 2009. Johnson and former Titans receiver Derrick Mason served as the Honorary 12th Titans at the team’s game vs. the Buccaneers at Nissan Stadium. During homecoming weekend, the former players met in Nashville at a Friday night function, attended a walkthrough practice on Saturday at Saint Thomas Sports Park, then reconvened at a reception the Saturday night before the game. The players were then recognized at halftime of the team’s game against the Buccaneers.
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Discover Your destination for abundant beauty, history, and family fun.
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TITANS
TUESDAY
TITAN UP FOR OUR COMMUNITY
Tuesday is traditionally the only day off for NFL players during the season, but Titans players use the day to make special appearances throughout the community including visits to local schools and Saint Thomas hospitals. The Titans school program – implemented at both the middle and elementary school level – is focused on promoting the NFL’s PLAY 60 and Fuel Up to PLAY 60 campaign. • 7 hospital visits with 43 current Titans players • 8 middle school visits with 24 current Titans players • 5,060 students participated • 13 elementary school visits • 6,159 students participated • 11,219 – total number of students reached through the 2019 PLAY 60 and Fuel Up to PLAY 60 school visits.
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TITANS
CARAVAN
IT’S ALL ABOUT SAYING ‘THANK YOU’
The Tennessee Titans conduct an annual Caravan that travels throughout Tennessee, southern Kentucky and northern Alabama. We’ve visited nearly 400 cities in four states and made nearly 500 total stops. We’ve traveled more than 52,000 total miles and taken thousands of pictures. Our players have signed tens of thousands of autographs and shaken more than 250,000 hands at no cost to our fans. Why? Because we absolutely love our fans! That’s the story behind the long history of the Tennessee Titans Caravan. It’s about bringing the Tennessee Titans out to the fans of the mid-south to say thank you for your support.
2019 CARAVAN STATS
AL TN KY
9 DAYS 3,000+ FANS 13 PLAYERS 16 CITIES 3 STATES 1,407 MILES TRAVELED
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TITANS SUPPORT YOUTH AND HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL HIGH SCHOOL COACHES CLINIC The Titans hosted roughly 280 coaches from 52 high schools at the fourth annual Tennessee Titans High School Coaches Clinic in 2019. Coaches watched the team’s OTA practice, while also spending time at the facility with Titans coaches, including head coach Mike Vrabel and general manager Jon Robinson. “I think that if they can take away something that can help their players, if they can help their players develop and help a kid maybe go from third team to seeing some reps, or going from second team and realizing that they can be better. It’s really just trying to develop the players.” – Coach Vrabel
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7-ON-7 PASSING TOURNAMENT & LINEMAN CHALLENGE. The Titans welcomed more than 400 high school football players and their coaches to the practice facility for the fifth annual 7-on7 Passing Tournament & Linemen Challenge in July. The annual tournament provides a platform for student-athletes to sharpen their athletic skills and prepare for the upcoming season in a non-contact environment. The event also includes a character development session and Linemen Challenge. “These kinds of things don’t happen everywhere. This, the (Titans) Recruiting Fair, the Coaches Clinic the team does, it’s awesome and so important to high school athletics.” – Trey Perry, Mt. Juliet Head Coach
EQUIPMENT DONATION The Titans donated brand-new helmets and shoulder pads to East Nashville Magnet High School’s football team and tickets to the home opener with a private tailgate for players and coaches.
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL RECRUITING FAIR Titans partnered with the Tennessee Football Coaches Association to host the fifth annual Tennessee Titans High School Football Recruiting Fair at Nissan Stadium. “We’ll go on the road next week and come back to these high schools, now we’ve already got some background information on them. It really speeds up the recruiting process and gives these kids the best opportunity to be seen and be marketed by the high school coaches.” – Jason Simpson, UT Martin Head Coach
YOUTH FOOTBALL JAMBOREE The Titans welcomed 33 youth football teams to Nissan Stadium for the team’s fifth annual Youth Football Jamboree. As a fundraising event, a portion of stadium concessions and gate receipts were donated back to the youth leagues whose teams participated.
TITANS YOUTH FOOTBALL DAY CAMPS The Titans hosted four football day camps that included 253 campers, 33 coaches and 12 former Titans players over four cities.
HONORING THE BEST Hosted at Nissan Stadium each November, the Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Awards are presented to the top high school players – and one kicker – in nine classifications of the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA). More than 400 people – including the 30 finalists, their families, coaches, school administrators and members of the media from all parts of the state – attended the 2019 dinner and awards presentation.
HIGH SCHOOL GAME OF THE WEEK, COACH OF THE WEEK AND COACH OF THE YEAR Now in its fifth year, the High School Game of the Week initiative brings schools and communities together by inviting fans to participate in the selection of the High School Game of the Week. Each week of the high school football season, four of the most competitive games across the state are nominated for Game of the Week. The matchup with the most votes is dubbed Game of the Week, with the winning head coach named the Coach of the Week. Each Coach of the Week receives a $1,000 grant to benefit his football program. The Coach of the Year, selected from a pool of nine finalists, receives a $2,000 grant. More than $230,000 has been donated to date through the Coach of the Week program, with more than 3.88 million votes cast in the five years of the Game of the Week program.
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HUDDLE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING Through a $100,000 donation to Habitat for Humanity for its 2019 Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project, the Titans helped build 21 new homes for deserving families. The build was the centerpiece event for the Titans’ Huddle for Affordable Housing, the second event hosted under the Huddle for 100 initiative. More than 40 cheerleaders, staff and volunteers contributed to the build over the course of the week.
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OUR SALUTE
TO SERVICE It’s a different kind of uniform. Supporting the military is woven in the fabric of the NFL and the Tennessee Titans. We take pride in supporting military personnel and raising awareness for the sacrifices they make on our behalf.
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A CRUCIAL CATCH TITANS SUPPORT NFL’S CAMPAIGN SUPPORTING EARLY DETECTION, RISK REDUCTION OF CANCER Members of the NFL family are impacted by all types of cancer. The National Football League’s Crucial Catch campaign supports the American Cancer Society (ACS), and addresses early detection and risk reduction for multiple types of cancers, to increase its impact in the fight against the disease. The Titans showed their support during the team’s Week 5 game against Buffalo at Nissan Stadium with Ron Hollis, a cancer survivor and former business colleague of the team, honored as the 12th Titan. Offense is the best defense against cancer - and THE DEFENDER is a digital tool that provides fans with personalized tips to reduce their cancer risk. Visit TheDefender.cancer.org to get your personalized game plan today.
TITANS SPELLING BEE In 2015, the Tennessee Titans became the first professional sports organization to bsponsor a spelling bee, signing a contract with Scripps National Spelling Bee to host a regional bee for Middle Tennessee students at Nissan Stadium. On February 16, 2019, the Titans hosted the fourth annual regional spelling bee at Nissan Stadium. The top two spellers earned an all-expenses paid trip to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.
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TITANS HELP HOLIDAY SEASON SHINE BRIGHTER FEEDING HOMELESS AMONG SEVERAL TEAM AND PLAYER INITIATIVES OVER HOLIDAY SEASON
For the sixth year in a row, the Titans teamed up with The Bridge Ministry to feed the homeless a Thanksgiving meal. Roughly 100 members of the organization – from players to coaches to members of the front office – took part in the event. So did other staff members, along with the Titans cheerleaders, members of the Blue Crew drumline, and T-Rac. Family members joined the group as well. An estimated 500 men, women and children from the homeless community turned out to also receive clothing, toiletry items and non-perishable items. “Outside of us winning ballgames on Sundays, this is one of my favorite nights of the year,” Titans GM Jon Robinson said. Added head coach Mike Vrabel: “I learned last year that under this bridge there’s faith, there’s hope and there’s love. I am proud of our organization, our players,
for what they do off the field,” he said to those in attendance. “We want to share this holiday season with you guys and wish you a happy Thanksgiving. Each year, the Titans host several community events and programs designed to help the holiday season shine a little brighter for those less fortunate. Along with the Bridge Ministry, the Titans conducted two toy drives benefitting Toys for Tots and Metro Nashville Police Christmas Charities, and joined in a partnership with the Northwest Family YMCA to provide gifts to families on their angel tree. In addition, the team hosted a Christmas shopping trip for 65 East Nashville High School football players, while four Titans players also hosted their own holiday-related charity events. Players also brightened the spirits of patients at Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital over the holiday season. T E N N E S S E E T I TA N S Y E A R B O O K 2 0 2 0
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HELPING HANDS THROUGHOUT THE 2019 SEASON, THE TITANS HOSTED SIX GAME DAY CHARITY DRIVES BENEFITTING LOCAL NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
LP PENCIL FOUNDATION 9,995 school supply items (value: $6,000) SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK Food and cash donations equivalent to 15,024 meals for food insecure families in Nashville AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY $2,000 in gas cards and donations to fuel ACS Hope Lodge shuttle vans (= 14,000 miles of patient transportation) FILL THE BOOT $9,533 raised for the Muscular Dystrophy Association COAT DRIVE 650 coats donated to six local non-profit organizations TOYS FOR TOTS 2,133 toys and $4,436 in monetary donations
MUSIC CITY BLITZ TITANS PROMOTING SOCIAL INCLUSION THROUGH SHARED SPORTS EXPERIENCES
This year, the Titans partnered with Special Olympics Tennessee to host the third annual Music City Blitz, a 5v5 flag football tournament at Nissan Stadium with nearly 400 participants. Proceeds raised through the tournament – more than $60,000 – helped fund the 2019 Special Olympics Summer Games, providing the opportunity for more than 1,000 Special Olympics athletes to compete in seven sports.
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LIVING UNITED A cornerstone community partner of the NFL and the Titans, United Way brings people and organizations together to create a community where individuals, families and neighborhoods thrive. The Titans and United Way of Metro Nashville teamed up to host the fifth annual Titan Up for Tots Community Baby Shower. At team headquarters, players, coaches, staff and cheerleaders assembled 2,000 diaper bags to distribute to at-risk mothers throughout the Nashville community. A total of 8,500 diaper bags have been delivered since the inception of the event in 2015. Last year’s Stuff the Bus campaign provided roughly 11,000 Metro Nashville public school students with brand new backpacks to start the school year off right. Prior to distributing the backpacks, 1,200 volunteers gathered at Nissan Stadium to fill the backpacks with brand new school supplies. Teachers also received boxes full of supplies for the school new year.
T-RAC, PLUS BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE This past season, Titans mascot T-Rac partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee on a new gameday initiative to bring awareness to the importance of mentorship and recruit new mentors and bigs. At each Titans home game, a big and little duo were introduced with T-Rac during his pregame intro. The initiative helped recruit nearly 100 potential new bigs to their program. T E N N E S S E E T I TA N S Y E A R B O O K 2 0 2 0
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MY CAUSE MY CLEATS TITANS PLAYERS SHOWCASE CAUSES IMPORTANT TO THEM WITH CUSTOM CLEATS
Every Cleat Tells a Story. Tennessee Titans players’ passions go beyond the game and several showcased causes last season that are important to them with custom cleats as part of the NFL’s My Cause My Cleats campaign. Here’s a look at the players who took part in the My Cause My Cleats campaign, and their causes. Discover the stories behind the players’ cleats and learn how they’re making a difference in their communities.
RUNNING BACK KHARI BLASINGAME Cause: Turner’s Heroes Shoe size: 14 Titans running back Khari Blasingame lost a teammate, and a friend, while at Vanderbilt. He paid tribute to him – and Turner’s Heroes -- with his cleats. Blasingame honored his late Vanderbilt teammate, Turner Cockrell, through his cleat design. During Cockrell’s sophomore year at Vanderbilt, he started to notice two lumps growing on his neck. It turned out that Cockrell had melanoma, a type of skin cancer. After a year-long battle of extensive surgeries, radiation and immunotherapy treatments, Turner passed away on November 28, 2018.
the YMCA. Now, he wants to give back to kids who are starting their own path, in the YMCA. Brown’s cause is the YMCA Community Action Program (aka YCAP), which his recently-announced MVP Program is a part of in Nashville. The student Y-CAP program helps at-risk and underserved youth in the Metro Nashville/Davidson County area achieve the brightest future possible by closing the opportunity gap.
SAFETY KEVIN BYARD Cause: The Byard Family Legacy Fund Foundation Shoe size: 11 ½ Safety Kevin Byard has made a big difference on the field since joining the Titans back in 2016. Now, he wants to make an even bigger difference off the field. Byard and his wife, Clarke, recently started the Byard Family Legacy Fund Foundation. He brought awareness to the cause with his cleats, and by his work in the Middle Tennessee area.
LINEBACKER JAYON BROWN Cause: YMCA Community Action Program (aka YCAP) Shoe size: 13 As a youngster growing up in California, Jayon Brown learned a lot of life lessons at
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LINEBACKER RASHAAN EVANS Cause: Razor Foundation Shoe size: 14 On the field, Titans linebacker Rashaan Evans makes a living making tackles. Off the
field, he wants to tackle help mental illness, and bring awareness, through his Razor Foundation. Mental health awareness is his cause for My Cause My Cleats.
RECEIVER ADAM HUMPHRIES Cause: Vertical Sports Shoe size: 11 Titans receiver Adam Humphries has his buddy’s back – on his shoes. In making Vertical Sports his cause, Humphries wants to bring awareness to an endeavor started by his childhood friend from Spartanburg, South Carolina. The project is an important one, as it reaches out to the broken, whether it’s through prison visits or after school programs for underprivileged kids.
RUNNING BACK DERRICK HENRY Cause: Two All Foundation Shoe size: 14 Running back Derrick Henry has made a huge difference for the Titans on the football field. He also wants to make a difference off the field, using his foundation – Two All Foundation, which exists to level the playing field for today’s youth. It is a resource that impacts communities and equips young people to reach their full potential by instilling strong core values and providing support to all adolescents in need.
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CORNERBACK ADOREE’ JACKSON Cause: American Cancer Society / Breast Cancer Awareness Shoe size: 11 Titans cornerback Adoree’ Jackson said his mother inspires him daily. So it’s no surprise she’s the inspiration for his cleats. Jackson’s cause is the American Cancer Society. His mother, Vianca Jackson, is a breast cancer survivor.
CENTER BEN JONES Cause: The Jones Mission Shoe size: 15 Titans center Ben Jones wants to make a difference in the lives of today’s youth. Jones established The Jones Mission Fund at The Community Foundation back in 2017 to provide at-risk youth with opportunities they might otherwise not have through grants, additional resources and educational opportunities. He raised awareness with his cleats.
TACKLE DENNIS KELLY Cause: FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education) Shoe size: 17 Titans tackle Dennis Kelly had heard stories about people living with food allergies.
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When his young daughter was diagnosed with a food allergy, it really opened his eyes to the issues surrounding the condition. Kelly’s cause for My Cause My Cleats is FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education). He wants to bring more attention to everything surrounding food allergies in an effort to help those dealing with allergies.
grandmother to breast cancer. But she remains in his memory, and he honored her with his cleats. Milton’s cause is the Edith Marie Foundation. It’s a foundation started by his family to honor a woman who was dear to everyone.
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Cause: Special Operations Warrior Foundation Shoe size: 15 Titans offensive lineman David Quessenberry wants to bring even more awareness to a cause that’s important to him, and someone he cares a lot about. Special Operations Warrior Foundation provides a post-secondary education to the surviving children of fallen special operations service members.
Cause: The Chris Long Foundation (Waterboys) Shoe size: 14 Titans left tackle Taylor Lewan wants to make a difference in an area he believes is overlooked. A few years back, Lewan was approached by long-time defensive end Chris Long to help him his efforts in an endeavor called “Waterboys.” Lewan got involved, and it’s his cause for My Cause My Cleats. Waterboys unites NFL players from across the league in service. As Waterboys, players team up with fans in support of a single shared cause: providing clean, accessible drinking water to communities in need.
DEFENSIVE BACK CHRIS MILTON Cause: Edith Marie Foundation Shoe size: 12 1/2 Titans defensive back Chris Milton lost his
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CORNERBACK TYE SMITH Cause: Metro Nashville Public Schools Shoe size: 11 1/2 Titans cornerback Tye Smith wants to do his part to help kids in the Metro Nashville Public School system. He’s partnered with ABC Food Tours, which was started up by a friend. He brought attention to the cause with his cleats. T E N N E S S E E T I TA N S Y E A R B O O K 2 0 2 0
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A VERY SPECIAL VISITOR FRANCHISE-GREAT EARL CAMPBELL VISITS TITANS PRACTICE
Houston Oilers great Earl Campbell is 64 years old, but he experienced a first last season. Campbell gave a motivational message to the Titans during his first visit to Saint Thomas Sports Park, but that’s not all. “Heck, this is the first time I’ve ever been in Tennessee,” Campbell said as he watched practice. “People say they can’t believe it as much as I love country music -- Willie Nelson is one of my best friends. But this is my first time in the state of Tennessee. “I like it here. I like the air, I like the hills and I’m enjoying watching this practice, putting faces to what you see. This setup kind of reminds me of my days with the Oilers. I hope they like me because I plan on hanging around.” It’s safe to say the Titans enjoyed having Campbell, in town for an autograph signing, around. Titans coach Mike Vrabel introduced the Hall of Fame running back to the football team at the end of practice, and Campbell delivered a message to the players before they introduced themselves to the rushing legend. Campbell watched practice in a golf cart before being driven into the middle of the team’s huddle. “We talk about being physical,” Vrabel said as he introduced Campbell, “and I said, ‘We have one of the most physical players ever (right here).”
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Campbell had a message for the Titans as he addressed the team. “You get in a habit to win,” Campbell told the players. “You are here because you are a winner -- win more. It takes a lot to be just a football player, and it takes a lot to be a pro football player. It takes a hell of a lot to be great, and the way you get to be great is because the whole team wants to be great. It is a team effort. I wish you guys the best.” Campbell found Derrick Henry and congratulated him on his success. With a smile, he also instructed Henry to use his stiff-arm more. “I’ve been watching Derrick Henry since he was at Alabama,” Campbell said. “I like what he does. He’s a big-time running back. That dude can play some football, I’ve seen him do it.” One by one Titans players introduced themselves to Campbell, a five-time Pro Bowler, Pro Football Hall of Famer and Heisman Trophy winner who ran for 8,574 yards and 73 touchdowns while playing from 1978-84 with the Oilers. Campbell played his final two NFL seasons with the Saints and finished his career with 9,407 yards and 74 touchdowns. Campbell kidded Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill about his success vs. Texas A&M, and how it helped him win the Heisman back in 1977. He chatted with rookie A.J. Brown and wished him luck as well.
Equipment manager Paul Noska showed Campbell a photo of the two from way back 1983. After reuniting, Noska gave Campbell two bags of Titans gear to wear back in Texas. Campbell said he’s a fan of the Titans and wished the team well. He was also happy to see the team retire the uniform numbers of Titans greats Eddie George and Steve McNair, joining a select group that includes Campbell. “Both are very deserving,” Campbell said. “And Eddie has become a close friend.” Campbell believes the Titans are on the verge of something special in Tennessee. “I think they have some quality players on this football team, and I really do think they’re on the verge of getting over the hump,” Campbell said of the Titans. “They are not that far away -- I think the Tennessee Titans are real close to making that next step. And I like the head coach, too -- he has played the game and he has the respect of the guys and that’s important. I can see that by watching.” “By all means I support the Titans, even though they are not in Houston any more. … A lot takes place in life and at some point you have to get over it. Even though the franchise moved, they are in Tennessee and they’re the Tennessee Titans, it’s still the organization I used to play for, and the Adams family.”
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TOP COMMUNITY HONOR BEN JONES NAMED TITANS NOMINEE FOR WALTER PAYTON NFL MAN OF THE YEAR AWARD
Titans center Ben Jones was the team’s 2019 nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award. Considered one of the league’s most prestigious honors, the award recognizes an NFL player for outstanding community service activities off the field, as well as excellence on the field. Ben Jones and his wife, Alex, established The Jones Mission in 2017 to provide at-risk youth with opportunities they might otherwise not have through grants, additional resources and educational opportunities. Each year they host the Ben Jones Celebrity Clay Shoot, a skeet shooting tournament, to raise money for local non-profit organizations that serve the youth. Through the 2019 clay shoot, The Jones Mission was able to donate $40,000 to Endure Athletics and $45,000 to Preston Taylor Ministries, the latter of which was able to open a new location for afterschool programs.
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Additionally, each year Jones sponsors a trip to a Titans game for the seniors on the football team of his former high school, Bibb County High School, in Centreville, Ala. The experience includes round-trip transportation, tickets, a private tailgate, swag bags, a meet-andgreet with Jones, as well as a tour of the Titans practice facility. Jones also hosts a free ‘Friday Night Lights’ youth football camp in Centreville every June for kids ages eight through 14, and sponsors Christmas shopping events for families in Centreville and in Nashville. “It’s an honor to be nominated as the Titans’ Water Payton Man of the Year,” said Jones. “It’s incredibly important to me to help kids in need and to show them that anything is possible through hard work, determination and prayer. I have been fortunate that my foundation has been able to impact the lives of kids in Nashville and Alabama.”
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BEST SPORTS CITY NASHVILLE SELECTED #1 BY SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL FOR 2019
In December, Sports Business Journal selected Nashville as the Best Sports City in the country for 2019. The announcement came off the heels of the NFL Draft, widely considered the most successful draft in NFL history. Nissan Stadium, home of the Titans, also hosted the CONCACAF Gold Cup Semi-final game in July, the She Believes Cup in March, two USL games for Nashville SC, the Western Kentucky/Louisville football game and TSU football games. NASCAR Awards Week was also held in Nashville for the first time. And in addition to the NFL’s Titans and NHL’s Predators, local colleges like Vanderbilt, Belmont, David Lipscomb and Tennessee State have also helped put the city on the map and make it a destination city for sports. T E N N E S S E E T I TA N S Y E A R B O O K 2 0 2 0
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TITANIC EFFORT TITANS ORGANIZATION HITS STREETS OF NASHVILLE TO HELP NEIGHBORS AFFECTED BY DEVASTATING TORNADO
The Titans loaded into buses at Saint Thomas Sports Park in early March, heading in the same direction as Nissan Stadium. But on this day, their destination wasn’t a football stadium. Instead, it was the North Nashville neighborhoods ravaged by the deadly tornado, which displaced many of their neighbors and changed their lives forever. On these streets, Titans head coach Mike Vrabel drove a truck full of water and supplies to those in need, general manager Jon Robinson standing on the vehicle’s side running board, and Kenneth Adams IV from the ownership group crowded with other members of the organization in the bed of the white Nissan Titan. On these streets, safety Kevin Byard stepped onto the porches and chatted with the homeowners without power, their homes severely damaged, with roofs covered by tarps. Some of the homes were completely gone.
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On these streets, Titans players went to work, cutting down trees and stacking up piles of brush. On these streets, Titans receiver A.J. Brown delivered pizzas to hungry Nashvillians. Earlier in the week, Brown experienced the storm himself while with terrified family members in his Germantown residence not far away. Brown is still without power, but he considers himself lucky. “Your heart really goes out to the people affected,” Brown said. “My heart goes out to these families.” On a Tuesday morning, tornadoes ripped across Nashville and areas to the East. At least 25 people were killed across the state, including two in Nashville. The Titans partnered with Hands on Nashville to encourage volunteer efforts. Titans players, staff and their families volunteered on Friday, starting off just down the road from the team’s facility. Later in the day, some in the
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organization traveled to Hermitage, another area hit by the storm, to drop off supplies. Earlier in the week, the Titans Foundation and controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk made a donation of $1 million to The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee (CFMT) following the devastation of the EF-3 tornado that swept through Nashville and surrounding areas that early Tuesday morning. “(The coaches and players), they went to work,” said Tina Tuggle, Senior Director of Community Relations. “They didn’t go out there as Tennessee Titans, they went out there as members of the community who wanted to do their part while making a difference in restoring and beginning the process of rebuilding, and that was awesome to see. “This is our community, and we want to help.” “It’s people helping each other,” Vrabel said. “We are just a small part of a large community that’s trying to help people wherever we can.” In Nashville, the twister’s path was mostly north and east of the heart of downtown, hitting areas in Bordeaux and North Nashville. Germantown and East Nashville took a direct hit, along with Donelson and Hermitage. Tennessee State University suffered major damage, along with Donelson Christian Academy. The storm then devastated areas in Mount Juliet before eventually making its way to Putnam County, where the largest death tolls were recorded. Titans defensive lineman Austin Johnson’s Hermitage home suffered major damage. The devastation in North Nashville was eye-opening, players said. “It is incredible (to see),” Byard said. “It is like being in a movie a little bit. You see one house on this side of the street that is completely fine, and one that is not there anymore. So to see these type of things, I have only seen it on CNN. To see the destruction … it is incredible. “It has been truly humbling. It is truly devastating to be honest with you. My condolences to all the people who have been affected. People lost loved ones, they lost homes, they lost businesses. If you actually get out here in the streets and to walk around and talk to some of the people that live in this area, you have no choice but to be moved, emotionally and spiritually.” Academy Sports + Outdoors and Lowe’s donated water, blankets, gloves, tarps and tents that were loaded into the back of Vrabel’s truck and transported across the area. In back yards, players put their gloves on and worked. Some of them brought their own rakes, and shovels. Harold Love, pastor at Lee Chapel, lives in the district. He’s also the state representative for District 58. Standing in the parking lot of his church, Love expressed his appreciation to Vrabel
and Robinson, and he also chatted with Byard, thanking him. “The Titans mean so much to Nashville and Tennessee, so to see them here, says to the residents they are concerned about them and that they are willing to come down and lend a hand and get their lives back together,” Love said. “It is a blessing. You cannot put a measure on how significant that was today. We are really grateful.” Robinson, who was born and raised in West Tennessee, said the team was happy to help any way it could. He called the scene “gut-wrenching.”
“We want to try and bring them a little bit of hope, try and get them some supplies, and try and lend a hand wherever we can for this community, for this city, and the great people that live in it,” Robinson said. “That’s what Tennessee is all about, right? We’re the Volunteer state, we are family, we are here for each other. Growing up rural West Tennessee, the devastation in the city is brutal, but I can only imagine out in Putnam County, similar to an area where I grew up, where it is rural and you don’t have a whole lot of notice … out thoughts and prayers go out to everybody affected by the storm.” T E N N E S S E E T I TA N S Y E A R B O O K 2 0 2 0
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HOW FORMER TITANS SAFETY MYRON ROLLE PLAYED DEFENSE AGAINST CORONAVIRUS NEUROSURGERY RESIDENT VOLUNTEERED TO TAKE PART IN THE FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19
As a football player, former Titans safety Myron Rolle loved game days. These days, however, game days are much different for Rolle, a third-year neurosurgery resident at Boston’s Massachusetts General and Harvard Medical School. Rolle, 33, volunteered to take part in the fight against COVID-19. He was part of a massive redeployment effort at the hospital, where the neurosurgery floor he’s spent so much time in was transitioned to a COVID19-only floor. Rolle sent his wife of just four months to be with her family in Georgia so she’d be out of harm’s way. Meanwhile, he spent his days in the middle of the danger, helping patients any way possible while his work as a neurosurgeon took a backseat while working shifts in the COVID-19 surge clinic. “I am used to my daily life, going in, taking out a brain tumor, fixing a degenerative spine, doing the neurosurgical operations and interventions that I am passionate about, and studied and trained for,” Rolle said. “That’s on the backburner now because these elective cases have been canceled or postponed and now it’s about volunteering your time to be a part of the surge clinic and take care of these COVID-19 patients who are
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coming in off the streets, or being redeployed to different parts of the hospital to help COVID-19 patients, or taking care of our own neurosurgical patients who have COVID-19 or are being tested.” A sixth-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft by the Titans, no challenge has ever been too big for Rolle, who skipped his senior season at Florida State to study medical anthropology for a year at Oxford University. Rolle received the Rhodes Scholarship to attend the school. In 2010, Rolle was chosen as the second-smartest athlete in sports by the Sporting News. Rolle spent the 2010 season on Tennessee’s practice squad, and after playing in four games for the Titans in the 2011 preseason, he was released. Rolle finished his career with the Steelers in 2012. While he never played in a regular season game, Rolle said his memories with the Titans remain with him today. “My time with the Titans, it’s a time in my life I’ll never forget, that I’ll always cherish. I have so many great memories from my days as a Titan. Those guys, they’ll always have a special place in my heart.” A third-team All-America performer at Florida State, Rolle said he looks back at his football-playing days for mental and physical strength, and that’s what’s been needed dur-
ing some scary times at Massachusetts General, and across the world. Rolle said his new daily routine consisted of putting on a facemask and using hand sanitizer before being funneled through a security line similar to what he’s seen at airports. He was checked for COVID-19 symptoms each time he entered the building. He described floors at the hospital transformed into coronavirus units, and the efforts to protect staff from infection. Among other things, Rolle worked in the hospital’s surge clinic, triaging patients off the streets alongside other volunteers from all corners of the hospital. Rolle said he prayed at night for strength, and for the scientists searching for answers. “The hype is real, so people need to do their part: Stay at home, keep social distance, wear masks when you go outside,” he said. “People need to do their part while people in the healthcare world are doing their part.” And, of course, more prayers. “I ask God to continue to cover me as I go into the hospital every day and expose myself to potential harm and danger,” Rolle said. “And I also ask Him to let me continue to help people the best way I can, because that is what I want to do.
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#LIGHTITBLUE NISSAN STADIUM LIGHTS UP BLUE TO HONOR FRONTLINE WORKERS
Nissan Stadium joined more than 150 iconic U.S. buildings by lighting up blue in appreciation of first responders, healthcare workers and essential staff battling in the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Originating in the UK, the #LightItBlue volunteer effort was organized in the U.S. by leaders from the events and entertainment industry as a thank you to first responders, healthcare workers and essential staff battling the virus. Among the buildings participating included One World Trade Center and Madison Square Garden in New York City, Millennium Monument in Chicago, L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles and many other iconic venues, including several NFL and professional sports stadiums. Nissan Stadium lit up blue with a special thank you graphic on its video boards until midnight. Other Nashville venues participating included BNA Airport, Bridgestone Arena, Metro Courthouse, Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge and the AT&T Building. T E N N E S S E E T I TA N S Y E A R B O O K 2 0 2 0
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BLUE ANGELS FLY OVER NASHVILLE, NISSAN STADIUM INITIATIVE HONORED ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL SERVING ON FRONT LINES OF FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19
The Blue Angels flew over Nashville to salute and thank all healthcare workers, first responders and other essential personnel serving on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19 as part of the “America Strong” initiative. The flight in mid May started in Rutherford County in Silver Hill, through Walter Hill and down to Murfreesboro. From there, the jets made their way to Smyrna, through Nolensville and over to Franklin. Next, they went through Brentwood and made their way to Nashville, before circling back to Belle Meade, back again over Nashville and the Brentwood area before leaving Middle Tennessee.
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MIKE KEITH TO BE INDUCTED INTO TENNESSEE RADIO HALL OF FAME “VOICE OF THE TITANS” JOINS 2020 CLASS AFTER STELLAR CAREER WITH TITANS AND VOLS
Mike Keith thought he was walking into the studio at Saint Thomas Sports Park in March to interview Hall of Famer Steve Hutchinson. Instead, the Voice of the Titans got a surprise – Keith is heading into the Hall of Fame himself. The Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame announced Keith as a member of the Class of 2020. Bob Kesling, the voice of the Vols and TNRHoF Board Member, surprised Keith with the news with his family and friends watching. “To say I’m surprised would be an understatement,” Keith said. “To know that the people who pick this are the peers that I respect the most in the business, because they’re my colleagues in the state of Tennessee, that’s what means the most. Because of all the people that I’ve always sought approval of, it’s
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been the people in this state who are also in the business. So if they think enough of me for this, it’s beyond humbling. “There are a lot of great broadcasters that have come from this state, and there are a lot of them that are in this state now, and I respect them so much. When I drive, I listen to them and I marvel at how good they are. For them to think I do a good job is unbelievable special.” It’s just the latest honor for Keith, a Battle Ground Academy graduate who worked as a student for the University of Tennessee’s Vol Radio Network. Keith began working for the Titans (Houston Oilers) in 1996 and in 1999 became the play-by-play announcer. Keith has been named as Tennessee Sportscaster of the Year 11 times since
2000, has won over 20 Associated Press state awards and has captured two national honors, including the industry’s most prestigious award: the Edward R. Murrow Award for nationwide excellence in sports reporting. “I remember when you got started in Knoxville,” Kesling told Keith after delivering the news. “You were so eager to do anything. We did a lot of things together, and I watched you grow and grow. To come over and do this and be one of the best announcers in the NFL, and to do it in your hometown, it is really special. I am so proud of you, and so happy for you.” Keith’s parents, his wife, and his brother were on hand for the surprise, along with members of the Titans Radio team and members of the Titans organization. Keith joins other legendary broadcasters like Rick Dees, George Klein, Wink Martindale, Ralph Emory, Gerry House, Coyote McCloud, and the Vols’ legendary broadcasters John Ward and Bobby Denton in the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame, which was created in 2012 to honor all of the broadcasters who have contributed their talents over the years in the state. Pat Sajak was also inducted in 2013. Keith recently completed his 22nd season with the Tennessee Titans in 2019. In January of 2000, Keith called one of the greatest plays in NFL history, “The Music City Miracle,” a last-second touchdown that gave the Titans an improbable playoff win over Buffalo. ESPN named Keith’s description of the play as one of the 10 best radio calls in American sports history. In addition to his play-by-play duties, Keith hosts Mike Vrabel’s weekly radio show and the Titans All Access television show, provides extensive on-air coverage and analysis for TennesseeTitans.com, emcees all official Titans events and speaks to civic and business groups throughout the region. Keith also calls Tennessee state championship events as part of the Titans’ relationship with the TSSAA. In addition, he regularly hosts shows on Sirius XM NFL Radio and has done play-by-play for SEC-ESPN Network. “I started when I was 17 (years old) in 1984,” Keith said. “I am truly blown away that this happened in this way, wow, especially to be from Tennessee. This really means a lot.”
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JEFF FISHER INDUCTED INTO TENNESSEE SPORTS HALL OF FAME JOINED 2020 CLASS AFTER STORIED CAREER WITH TITANS FRANCHISE
Former Titans head coach Jeff Fisher was inducted into the 2020 Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in August. Fisher was formally enshrined during a two-hour Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame induction special. Fisher was featured during a two-hour television special that was broadcast throughout the state and on Periscope, with Titans playby-play announcer Mike Keith serving as the host of the show. “When the Titans moved to the Volunteer State, their head coach was Jeff Fisher,” Keith said. “He remained the coach for a total of 14 seasons, had a tremendous amount of success, won a lot of big games. But Jeff Fisher’s impact on Tennessee – all of Tennessee – was a lot more than just about wins and losses and other stats. In the process, Jeff Fisher became Tennessee’s NFL coach.”
Earlier this year, Brad Willis, Chief Advancement and Operations Officer for the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, surprised Fisher with the news on 104.5-FM’s Midday 180 as his long-time buddy, former Titans assistant and current Titans Radio analyst Dave McGinnis, looked on with a smile. Fisher’s wife, Julie, also surprised her husband in studio. “Thank you Mike so much for your contribution, and your part in this, to Brad Willis, to everybody with the Hall of Fame and to all the inductees and all the fans – it’s an honor,” Fisher said during the program. “I can’t wait to live it in person once things settle down. Clearly, I am honored and humbled, and thank you once again.” An NFL head coach for 22 seasons, Fisher coached from 1994-2010 with the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans. Under Fisher’s guidance, the Titans made six playoff appearances, won three division titles, played in two AFC Championship Games and in one Super Bowl. He posted a 142-120 record in 16 seasons with the Titans, and he guided the Titans into the franchise’s only Super Bowl appearance during the 1999 season. Along with Fisher, others inducted into the 2020 class included Tim Corbin, Terry Crisp, Tony Delk, Bettye Giles, Dick Horton, Heath Shuler, Bruton Smith, Sonny Smith, Carl Torbush and DeAngelo Williams.
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CHEERLEADERS 2020 TENNESSEE TITANS
ANNA
BRITTANY 172
ASHLEY
COURTNEY
BRENNA
DONIVOUS
ELIZABETH
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CHEERLEADERS 2020 TENNESSEE TITANS
MAKENZIE
MORGAN
MARI
ROBB
MARK
ZEPHANIE
T-RAC T E N N E S S E E T I TA N S Y E A R B O O K 2 0 2 0
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BLUE CREW
DRUMLINE T-RAC
The Blue Crew Drumline is the heartbeat of Titans fans. This high-energy entertainment drumline performs throughout Nissan Stadium before, during and after games.
Height: Real Tall Weight: Heavy
Age: Young at Heart Birthplace: The Parthenon, Nashville College: Tennessee Academy of Fine Arts and Hysteria Hometown: Nashville, TN Where Can You Find T-Rac? Frolicking in th Beautiful Tennessee State Parks Favorite Color: Titans Blue Favorite Team: THE TITANS! (Duh, do you even have to ask!) Favorite Number: #00 (T-Rac's number)
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TITANS RADIO When Titans fans want passion, excitement and information about their favorite football team, they turn to Titans Radio. Across the MidSouth for over 20 years, Titans Radio has consistently brought the action of Tennessee Titans football into radios everywhere. That same passion and excitement emanates from longtime “Voice of the Titans,” Mike Keith, regarded as one of the most talented and respected announcers in the NFL. The 2020 season marks Keith’s 23rd year as the play-by-play voice of the franchise. Keith is again joined by longtime NFL coach Dave McGinnis, adding more depth to the veteran broadcast crew that makes up Titans Radio.
LISTEN TO GAMES Titans Radio can be heard in Nashville on 104.5 WGFX-FM, with multiple affiliates across Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, and Mississippi (check titansradio.com for complete list). NFL games can be heard on NFL Game Pass, Westwood One, TuneIn, and SiriusXM.
TITANS RADIO SHOWS THE MIKE VRABEL SHOW Mondays 6 PM - 7 PM CT (Titans Radio Network - check local listings) Mike Keith joins Titans head coach Mike Vrabel to take questions from fans regarding the latest topics during the season.
TITANS TONIGHT Tuesdays 6 PM - 7 PM CT (Titans Radio Network - check local listings) Mike Keith, former Titans LB Keith Bulluck and Amie Wells host this hour-long show. Have Questions? Call us during the show at 877-848-2761 or Tweet us using #TitansTonight
MAC TALK Wednesdays 6 PM - 7 PM CT (only on 104.5 the Zone) Titans Radio game day analyst and former NFL head coach Dave McGinnis gets fans ready for the upcoming NFL weekend with his own show each Wednesday night. Titans Radio’s Rhett Bryan serves as McGinnis’ co-host.
THE OTP: OFFICIAL TITANS PODCAST Hosted by Mike Keith and Amie Wells, The OTP features contributions from Tennessee Titans senior writer/editor Jim Wyatt, Titans Radio analyst Dave McGinnis and various Titans players and guests each week throughout the season. Available at www.tennesseetitans.com/podcasts
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HOW TO WATCH NFL GAMES Watch NFL Games: Over-the-Air, Cable, Satellite TV CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, NFL Network, NFL Red Zone, NFL Sunday Ticket Watch NFL Games: Over-the-Top & Mobile Streaming
TITANS
ALL ACCESS
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Mike Keith and Amie Wells bring fans Titans features, game previews and game recaps throughout the season on WZTV Fridays (11:05 p.m.), WUXP Saturdays (10:30 a.m.), and WNAB Saturdays (3 p.m.) It also airs in Nashville on CW 58 and on MyTV 30. Titans All Access also has affiliates in Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis, Jackson, Huntsville, AL and Paducah, KY.
CBS All Access, Fox Sports Go, NBC Sports, ESPN, Amazon Prime Video, DirectTV NFL Sunday Ticket, NFL Sunday Ticket, NFL Game Pass, Yahoo Sports App, NFL Mobile App, Titans App (watch live nationally-televised and in-market games on iOS Mobile app), TennesseeTitans.com (available on Safari browser to in-market fans only)
THE MIKE VRABEL SHOW
TITANS BLITZ
Titans head coach Mike Vrabel joins Mike Keith to recap the latest game, while analyzing the upcoming opponent. The show airs throughout the season on Tuesday nights at 6:30 p.m. CT on WKRN Channel 2.
Former Titans running back Eddie George joins host Lance Smith to discuss the team’s latest hot topics, while previewing the upcoming game. The show airs throughout the season on FOX 17 10:35 Fridays start 9/11.
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ONNECT WITH THE TITANS
tay up-to-date all year long through the team’s official website, mobile app and social media outlets
CONNECT
TITANS APP FEATURES
Watch live in-market Titans games*
WITH THEWITH TITANS CONNECT THE TITANS
Manage your Titans mobile tickets
hance your gameday experience with the interactive stadium map - Watch live press conferences
l-time notifications for breaking news Stay up-to-date allallyear through team’s Stay up to-date yearlong long through the the team’s and score updates
official website,
official website, mobile app app and media outletsoutlets mobile andsocial social media
atch NFL Red Zone and game replays for free at Nissan Stadium
y Titans Pick‘Em during the game for ur chance to win — it’s free to play!
TITANS APP FEATURES
TITANS APP FEATURES
- Watch live in-market Titans games*
- Watch LIVE Titans games*
- Manage your Titans mobile tickets
notifiexperience cations forwith breaking news and scoring updates - Enhance- Real-time your gameday the interactive stadium map - LIVE Press Conferences
- Watch live press conferences
- Manage Your Titans Ticket Account
W THE TITANS ON SOCIAL MEDIA - Real-time notifi cations for breaking news
and to score updates - Free Play Games
- Watch NFL Red Zone and game replays *Geographic and device restrictions apply. Local and primetime games only. @Titans forData free at Nissan Stadium charges may apply.
tans
/Titans
itans
- Play Titans Pick‘Em during the game for your chance to win — it’s free to play! /Titans @Titans
#TITANUP TANSONLINE.COM
*Geographic and device restrictions apply. al and primetime games only. Data charges may apply
ESSEE TITANS GAMEDAY
FOLLOW THE TITANS ON SOCIAL MEDIA 10/25/19 5:02 PM
@Titans
/Titans
@Titans
NFLTitans
/Titans
@Titans
TENNESSEETITANS.COM #TITANUP
#TITANUP TITANSONLINE.COM *Geographic and device restrictions apply. Local and primetime games only. Data charges may apply
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@TITANS
/TITANS
NFLTITANS
/TITANS
TENNESSEE TITANS GAMEDAY
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NISSAN STADIUM HOME OF THE TITANS SINCE INAUGURAL 1999 SEASON
On June 25, 2015, the Titans and Nissan North America announced the formation of a 20-year, exclusive naming-rights partnership that rebranded Nashville’s downtown stadium as Nissan Stadium. Nissan Stadium hosts all Titans home football games, Tennessee State University home football games, the Music City Bowl, international soccer games, concerts, the CMA Music Festival and numerous other events. The procurement of naming rights to Nissan Stadium fit the automotive company’s ‘Fewer, Bigger, Better’ marketing strategy, which has included ongoing sponsorships of NBC’s The Voice, the Heisman House college football program and a major advertising presence at the Super Bowl. Nissan is also known as the official automotive partner of the Tennessee Titans. Nissan’s ever-growing footprint in Tennessee includes vehicle and powertrain manufacturing facilities in Smyrna and Decherd respectively, along with its North American headquarters in Franklin. The Nissan Smyrna plant began operations in 1983 and employs more than 8,400 people. In 2014, the Smyrna plant assembled more than 648,000 vehicles, making it the highest volume automotive assem-
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bly plant in North America. Nissan also has a major manufacturing presence in Canton, Miss., along with research and development groups in California, Arizona and Michigan. In total, the company employs more than 22,000 employees in the U.S. An important component of the Titans-Nissan partnership is assisting charitable organizations throughout Middle Tennessee in an array of community outreach programs. A centerpiece of this is the annual “Taste of Titans” charitable event, for which Nissan serves as presenting sponsor and which this year benefited the ALS Association, Tennessee Chapter. During the course of a 20-year relationship, a total of more than $1 million resulting from these annual events is anticipated to be distributed to local nonprofit organizations. Nissan Stadium is a city-owned venue that has housed the Titans since 1999. The naming rights agreement included the opportunity for Nissan branding on the exterior of the stadium, as well as stadium signage and other unique displays inside the stadium. LP Building Products previously held the naming rights to the stadium since 2006.
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TITANS/OILERS ALL-TIME REGULAR SEASON RECORD BY HOME VENUE: STADIUM
SEASONS
W-L-T
PCT.
Jeppesen Stadium
1960-1964
25-11-0
.694
Rice Stadium
1965-1967
11-10-0
.524
Astrodome
1968-1996
113-103-2
.523
Liberty Bowl
1997
6-2-0
.750
Dudley Field (Vanderbilt Stadium) 1998
3-5-0
.375
Nissan Stadium
95-73-0
.565
1999-2019
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BUILDING FOR SUCCESS TITANS BEGIN EXPANSION OF SAINT THOMAS SPORTS PARK
The Tennessee Titans began construction on an expansion project at Saint Thomas Sports Park, which will almost double its current footprint in Nashville’s MetroCenter neighborhood. They celebrated with an official ground breaking ceremony on Dec. 13. Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk was joined at the ceremony by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and U.S. Senators Lamar Alexander and Marsha Blackburn. The plan includes 60,000-square-feet in additions, including a new building situated along one of the practice fields, and major renovation of spaces within the existing 75,000-square-foot building. Improvements to Saint Thomas Sports Park, home to the team’s practice facility and corporate office since its inaugural season as the Titans in 1999, will continue to transform the space into a modern, first-class building aimed at enhancing the production of both its football and business staffs. Strunk, who assumed her role in 2015, has made a priority of ensuring that the team has the best tools at its disposal to perform on and off the field. In the past five years, the Titans organization has seen its staff grow by 50 percent. This increased headcount and the continuing evolution of the Titans’ overall business led to the decision to develop the building. Optimizing the workspace of the coaching staff and players is a key goal in the
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new office building. A revamped auditorium for all-team meetings, modernized meeting spaces for film study and a new draft room are among the items planned. These improvements come following Adams Strunk’s already completed renovations to the facility, which include a new cafeteria, weight room, locker room, training room and TV and radio studios. Also planned in the new development is a 2,000-square-foot event space that leads out onto a 2,300-square-foot rooftop deck. While this space will be used for day-to-day staff functions, it will also serve as a key en-
tertainment area for sponsors and other visitors to the facility. On the business side, the construction will allow the Titans to consolidate various departments that had been housed in multiple locations into the same building. Currently, the Titans lease additional space in MetroCenter to accommodate growth and houses its Ticket Sales group at Nissan Stadium. The new space will bring the vast majority of its staff under one roof. In addition to functional workspace, a twostory, 39,000-square-foot parking garage will add over 100 parking spaces to the facility.
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