2021 Titans Community Impact Report

COMMUNITY IMPACT REPORT

SPELLING BEE

In 2015, the Titans became the first professional sports organization to sponsor and host a regional spelling bee through the Scripps National Spelling Bee program. In the first year, the program covered schools and school districts in the 41 counties representing Middle Tennessee. Now in the seventh year of the partnership with Scripps, the program has expanded to schools and districts in both west and east Tennessee for a total of 81 counties across the state. The 6th Annual Tennessee Titans Regional Spelling Bee was hosted at Nissan Stadium in March 2021, with

the top two spellers advancing to the Scripps National Spelling Bee at Disney’s Wide World of Sports. Under the newly expanded program, the Titans will host two spelling bees in March 2022, sending three winners to the national competition – the 7th Annual Tennessee

Titans Regional Spelling Bee at Nissan Stadium for students in middle and west Tennessee, and the inaugural Tennessee

Titans East Tennessee Regional Spelling Bee for the newly adopted counties in the eastern part of the state. The latter will be hosted in partnership with the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences at the University of Tennessee Knoxville.

NISSAN

METRO NASHVILLE’S

LARGEST ONE-DAY COVID VACCINATION EFFORT

As early as 4:30 a.m., staff and volunteers for Tennessee’s largest single-day vaccination effort were arriving at Nissan Stadium to prepare for the day ahead. Ten thousand people were expected to drive through the eastside parking lots from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the one-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, among the largest oneday efforts in the United States to date.

Appointments for the event were completely full two hours after they opened, spaced out in time blocks to assist with traffic flow.

Cars weaved their way through parking lots A – D, directed by volunteers and the Metro Nashville Police Department.

In attendance at the event were Nashville mayor John Cooper, Metro Nashville Coronavirus Task Force chair Dr. Alex Jahangir and Tennessee Department of Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. Tim Jones. Also present

to greet those waiting in line were Titans cheerleaders and mascot T-Rac, as well as mascots from Nashville SC, the Nashville Sounds and Nashville Predators. In addition, the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp. arranged for live bands to perform throughout the day.

THE TOTAL NUMBER OF VACCINES DISTRIBUTED: 10,107.

Nissan Stadium joins several other NFL stadiums using their facilities as vaccination sites, as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell pledged in a letter to President Biden that all 30 NFL stadiums would be available for vaccination efforts in coordination with local, state and federal governments.

WAVERLY FLOOD RELIEF

On Thursday, Sept. 16, Nissan Stadium played host to the White House Blue Devils and Waverly Central Tigers homecoming game, as the Waverly Central community continued to recover from the late August flooding that destroyed its football facilities, more than 500 homes, countless businesses and resulted in 20 deaths.

The entire Titans Radio broadcast team, including recent Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame inductee Mike Keith and veteran NFL coach Dave “Coach Mac” McGinnis, called the game on Titans Radio’s flagship station, 104-5 The Zone.

In addition to hosting their homecoming game, the Titans Foundation provided the football program with new equipment courtesy of league and team partners, plus a $50,000 grant to assist with field and facility refurbishment.

TENNESSEE TITANS,

COUNTY SPORTS

LAUNCH GIRLS FLAG FOOTBALL LEAGUE

In June 2021, the Titans and Williamson County Sports Conference announced the firstever interscholastic girls flag football league in the state of Tennessee. The sport will be offered to female high school students in Williamson County’s nine public schools in the spring of 2022.

Teams will play each other once throughout a six-week, eight-game season beginning in March. All nine teams will qualify for the league championship, tentatively scheduled to occur at Nissan Stadium in May.

The league will begin in partnership with the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) as a pilot program, with the potential to expand to other counties as an official TSSAA-sanctioned sport in future years. TSSAA will advise in the area of game officials, championship planning, tournament format, rules interpretations, and any other areas that may be helpful in setting a framework for Girls’ Flag Football to grow in Tennessee. NFL FLAG, which has led efforts to expand women’s flag football across the U.S. at the youth, high school, and collegiate levels, will also partner with the program to provide training and guidance.

TITANS

OVER

TO YOUTH FOOTBALL

FULL LIST OF RECIPIENT ORGANIZATIONS:

ORGANIZATION

FB SPACE LOCATION

Backfield In Motion Flag Nashville, TN

Bearden High School High School Knoxville, TN

Boys & Girls Club of Carter County Flag Elizabethton, TN

Boys & Girls Club of Clinch Valley Youth Oak Ridge, TN

Bud Hudson Youth Football Youth Hopkinsville, KY

Chattanooga Central High School High School Soddy Daisy, TN

Cheatham Central High School High School Ashland City, TN Columbia Nailers Youth Lawrenceburg, TN

Cumberland County High School High School Crossville, TN

DuPont Hadley Middle School Middle School Old Hickory, TN

DuPont Tyler Middle School Middle School Nashville, TN

East Hickman High School High School Dickson, TN

East Nashville Middle School Middle School Nashville, TN

East Ridge High School High School East Ridge, TN

Elizabethton High School High School Elizabethton, TN

Emerald Youth Foundation Flag Knoxville, TN

Fairley High School High School Memphis, TN

Fayetteville High School High School Fayetteville, TN

Georgian Hills Middle School Middle School Memphis, TN

Germantown High School High School Germantown, TN

Glencliff High School High School Nashville, TN

Gordonsville High School

High School

Gordonsville, TN

Hardin County High School High School Savannah, TN

Hendersonville Flag Football Flag Hendersonville, TN

Hickman County High School High School Centerville, TN

Hillwood High School High School Nashville, TN

Hunters Lane High School High School Nashville, TN

Karns Football Club Youth Knoxville, TN

La Vergne High School High School La Vergne, TN

Lebanon High School High School Lebanon, TN

Macon County High School High School Lafayette, TN

Manchester Youth Football Youth Manchester, TN

McGavock High School High School Nashville, TN

Memphis Middle College HS High School Memphis, TN

Memphis Shelby PAL Flag Memphis, TN

MLK High School High School Memphis, TN

Monterey High School High School Monterey, TN

Oakland High School High School Murfreesboro, TN

Oliver Middle School Middle School Nashville, TN

Ooltewah Youth Football Flag Ooltewah, TN

Pearl Cohn High School High School Nashville, TN

Preston Taylor Ministries Flag Nashville, TN

Pride Athletics/Hub City Youth FB Youth Jackson, TN

Raising The Bar Community Dev. Flag Memphis, TN

Red Bank High School High School Chattanooga, TN

Ridgeway High School High School Memphis, TN

Riverdale High School High School Murfreesboro, TN

Rockvale High School High School Rockvale, TN

Rose Park Middle School Middle School Nashville, TN

South Fulton High School High School South Fulton, TN

Special Oylmpics Tennessee Flag Nashville, TN

Stratford High School High School Nashville, TN

Sweetwater High School High School Sweetwater, TN

Thurgood Marshall Middle School Middle School Antioch, TN

Tullahoma Parks and Recreation Flag Tullahoma, TN

Two Rivers Middle School Middle School Nashville, TN

West Creek High School High School Clarksville, TN

West End Middle School Middle School Nashville, TN

Whitehaven Raiders Youth Football Youth Memphis, TN

Whites Creek High School High School Nashville, TN

MR. FOOTBALL AWARDS

Tennessee’s best high school football players for 2021 were recognized at the Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Awards luncheon in December at Nissan Stadium.

2021 Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Award Winners

Division I, Class 1A

Khalik Ganaway, Peabody

Division I, Class 2A

Ty Simpson, Westview Division I, Class 3A Caden Buckles, Alcoa

Division I, Class 4A

Bari’On Brown, Pearl Cohn

Division I, Class 5A

De’Sean Bishop, Karns

Division I, Class 6A

Destin Wade, Summit

Division II, Class A Steele Haynes, USJ

Division II, Class AA

Alexander Broome, Lipscomb Academy

Division II, Class AAA Dallan Hayden, Christian Brothers Kicker of the Year

Justus Chadwick, Tullahoma

OILERS TRIBUTE WEEK

September 2021 marked the first team’s first-ever Houston Oilers Tribute Week.

Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk led the franchise in posthumously adding former Oilers head coach O.A. “Bum”

Phillips to the Titans/Oilers Ring of Honor in a ceremony at halftime of the Titans vs. Colts game at Nissan Stadium.

But the team celebrated its Oilers heritage throughout the week, hosting more than 80 former Oilers players and their families at five different events over the course of the weekend.

Later, in November, the Titans also posthumously added former General Manager

Floyd Reese and living legend/former head coach Jeff Fisher to the Ring of Honor.

SPIRIT

One State. One Section. The loudest student section in the NFL.

The team’s inaugural Spirit Week focused on engaging and celebrating high school students from the greater Nashville area, leading up to the Titans x Jaguars game on December 12. Each day of the week had its own theme with content produced by students from Williamson County Schools.

TITANS ART SHOW

A weekend of art, food, music, and culture benefiting the Titans Foundation, featured artists, and supporting non-profits

COMMUNITY TAILGATES

The 2021 community tailgate program concluded at the Titans vs. Dolphins game on January 2 with $40,000 invested into the community through four local non-profits.

• 100 Black Men of Middle Tennessee

• Special Olympics Tennessee

CHARITY DRIVES

Fill the Boot Muscular Dystrophy Association

• Bibb Co. High School football program

• Nashville Food Project

Coat Drive

Homeless and domestic violence shelters

Toy Drive Toys for Tots

School Supply Drive

LP PENCIL Box

Snack Drive Bridge Ministry

Book Drive Book ‘Em

Food Drive

Second Harvest Food Bank

TITANS LAUNCH ISBELL-SHIRES KULTURECITY

SENSORY ROOM AT NISSAN STADIUM

I n April 2021, KultureCity and the Tennessee Titans announced the launch of a sensory room at Nissan Stadium to accommodate and welcome fans with sensory needs. The Isbell-Shires KultureCity sensory room, sponsored by music artists and husband/wife Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires, is the first sensory room in a Nashville sports venue.

COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS WITH BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS

SALUTE

DERRICK HENRY 2021 WALTER PAYTON MAN OF THE YEAR

Derrick Henry has made a name for himself on the football field.

The Titans running back has been a giant off the field as well.

In December 2021, Henry was announced as the team’s nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide.

Considered one of the league’s most prestigious honors, the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award recognizes an NFL player for outstanding community service activities off the field, as well as excellence on the field.

“The Walter Payton Man of the Year is a special honor and I’m truly humbled to be the Titans’ nominee,” Henry said. “Helping others in need is something I hold close to my heart, and I’m fortunate to be able to help level the playing field for today’s youth through my foundation, the Two All Foundation. It is a blessing to be a blessing.”

Titans head coach Mike Vrabel praised Henry for his work off the field.

“I am proud of the work our players do in the community and appreciate the opportunity to highlight that work,” Vrabel said. “Derrick has a passion for making a difference for those who are in need and the young people in our community. His leadership on and off the field is a great example of what it means to be a professional football player.”

Henry, a second-round draft pick of the Titans in the 2016 NFL Draft, has been one of the league’s most impactful players on the field.

Over the years, Henry has shown equal dedication and commitment to community efforts. In the spring of 2021, the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame named Henry the ‘Tennessean of the Year’ – reflecting not just his on-field accomplishments but his contributions to society, strong character and high-profile leadership.

HENRY HAD A BUSY YEAR GIVING BACK:

• $10,000 donation from his Two All Foundation to Jeremy Taylor, a Nashville firefighter who lost his family home and all their belongings in a fire

• Annual back-to-school events in his hometown of Yulee, Florida, donating school supplies, backpacks, and bicycles to 200+ kids

• Worked with the Boys & Girls Club of Middle Tennessee to host a backto-school event – 5,000 backpacks full of school supplies to children in need, including $50 gift cards to Burlington for 25 children the club identified as the most in-need

• Donated $20,000 to CORE Response to support their earthquake relief efforts in Haiti

• Paid a local family’s rent for an entire year and teamed up with Ashley Furniture to donate $12,000 to the family to furnish their home

• Donated to Covid relief efforts including: $25,000 to No Kid Hungry to support children across America, $25,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, -$25,000 to United Way of Greater Nashville’s Covid-19 Response Fund, $6,200 to the Community Resource Center in Nashville along with critical need supplies he purchased on his own, such as toilet paper and baby formula

• Donated $10,000 to Hurricane Laura relief in Haiti via the Red Cross

• Organized a zoom with 50 kids from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee, surprising them with $5,000 in Target gift cards and Nike shoes for the holidays

• Teamed up with a group known as “Pay Away the Layaway” to pay off more than $10,000 in layaways over Christmas for 20 families in the Nashville area

• Founded the “Two All” Foundation to level the playing field for today’s youth so that their future success is not limited by the circumstances of their upbringing, background, disability, or influence

CHEER AND MASCOT

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS:

• Record number of cheer and Blue Crew audition applicants

• First ever Tennessee Titans Cheerleader + Tennessee State University joint dance practice

• Established relationships with Warner Elementary Arts Magnet School and MOVE Inclusive Dance on two youth-facing community programs

• Reinstatement of T-Rac’s inperson school show program

Distributed Christmas presents to Waverly flood victims

T-Rac selected to his 12th Pro Bowl

APPEARANCES IN THE COMMUNITY

CREW:

HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

COVID-19 Vaccination Event at Nissan Stadium

Kentucky Tornado Clean Up

TSU Homecoming Parade

Rock & Roll Marathon

Franklin Christmas Parade

Tomato Art Fest Parade