| The Titans are coming.
Well, a few of them anyway.
The Academy Sports and Outdoors Titans Caravan will visit Lake Road School as part of its 44-stop tour through Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama beginning Monday and lasting through May 10.
The stop at Lake Road — set for 1 p.m. May 3 — is part of the Tennessee Titans’ school programs, 22 in all on the caravan, and is closed to public.
Making their Titans’ debut will be two of the team’s newest members — tight end Delanie Walker and safety George Wilson. Both signed with the team in the off-season, Walker from San Francisco and Wilson, a product of Paducah Tilghman High School, from Buffalo.
Those school programs will reach about 12,000 students and is based on the NFL’s Play 60 initiative, which encourages youngsters to get at least 60 minutes of active play each day.
The school program delivers a high-energy, educational message from eight-time Pro Bowl Titans’ mascot T-Rac, host Rhett Bryan and representatives from Tennessee State Parks. A Titans’ player usually appears at the school program as well.
In addition to the Play 60 elements, audience members get a message about making good choices in all parts of their lives, an up-close look at Tennessee wildlife in the care of the state’s parks and information on nearby state parks.
The Titans have announced that quarterback Jake Locker will kick off this year’s caravan Monday in Bowling Green, Mount Juliet and Smyrna.
Last year, cornerback Jason McCourty participated in the school event at Martin Elementary School.
The Titans’ stop at Lake Road will be the third out of five stops on the day, following school programs at Alamo and Dyersburg. The day will conclude with programs open to the general public at Martin (3 p.m.) and Paducah (5:30 p.m.).
The public stops are free events where fans can meet players, T-Rac and “Voice of the Titans” Mike Keith. At those stops, which generally last one hour, free posters are provided for autographs, and photographs are encouraged.
The Titans Caravan began in 1998 and has made over 750 stops, visited more than 300 schools and has been attended by an estimated 120,000 fans.
Tennessee finished 6-10 last year and will open the 2013 preseason at home against Washington on Aug. 8, kickoff set for 7 p.m. The Titans will also host Atlanta in the preseason, 7 p.m. Aug. 24, and the regular season home opener will be Sept. 22 against the San Diego Chargers with kickoff at noon. Published in The Messenger 4.24.13 |
