Derrick Henry, Ryan Stonehouse Earn Player Of The Month Honors

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Derrick Henry. Photo: by Donald Page/Tennessee Titans

After a fantastic October, Derrick Henry has been named the AFC Offensive Player of the Month.

Henry rushed for 563 yards (140.8 per game) with five touchdowns in four games during the month of October and added nine receptions for 82 yards. His 563 rushing yards are the most in the NFL since Week 4. Henry was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week after his performance against the Texans, rushing for 219 yards and two touchdowns as Tennessee won 17-10.  It was the most rushing yards by a player in a game this season. It marked Henry’s sixth career game with at least 200 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns, the most in NFL history.

This is the third Offensive Player of the Month award for Henry (December, 2018 and October, 2020), the most in franchise history. He becomes the first running back since Todd Gurley to win the award three times.

So far this season, Henry has rushed for 755 yards in 166 attempts, third most in the NFL. He has seven touchdowns and 35 rushing first downs.

Along with Henry, Titans punter Ryan Stonehouse was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month.

Stonehouse recorded 20 punts with an average of 51.7 yards per punt (45.0 net average), both the highest marks in the AFC during the month of October. Eight of his 20 punts were pinned inside the 20-yard line.

This is the first Special Teams Player of the Month award for Stonehouse, and he becomes the first Titans player to earn the award since kicker Stephen Gostkowski (September, 2020). Stonehouse is the first Colorado State alumni to earn the honor.

Tennessee Titans, The Dairy Alliance Award $10,000 To Murfreesboro City Schools

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Titans defensive back Amani Hooker with T-Rac and a Titans cheerleader at Black Fox Elementary. Photo: Cameron Faulkner/Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans, along with The Dairy Alliance, awarded a $10,000 grant for Murfreesboro City Schools to support initiatives in health and wellness. The grant is intended to assist the school district in promoting healthy eating and physical activity at several schools in the Murfreesboro City Schools district.

“For 15 years, The Dairy Alliance has championed health and wellness initiatives in our communities, especially by emphasizing the importance of nutrition for children and teens,” says Joan Benton, Manager of Business Development for The Dairy Alliance. “Joining hands with the Tennessee Titans continues to be a perfect way for us to amplify this mission and support more schools in our community.”

Students of Black Fox Elementary. Photo: Cameron Faulkner/Tennessee Titans

To honor this occasion, the Titans teamed up with The Dairy Alliance, providing an event at Black Fox Elementary School motivating kids to be active and eat healthy.

Titans mascot T-Rac shared his special School Show with the kids and offered tips on how to stay healthy. Titans Defensive Back Amani Hooker surprised students and offered advice and emphasis on the importance of physical activity.

The program walks students through a variety of activities, including “Minute to Win It” games, trivia contests, and a special speech from former Titans players about healthy choices and being a successful athlete. The initiative aims to educate students on ways to fuel up with healthy foods, such as dairy, and be active for 60 minutes a day.

Fuel Up to Play 60 (FUTP 60) is a leading national, in-school health and wellness program launched by the NFL and National Dairy Council (NDC), which was founded by America’s dairy farmers, in collaboration with the USDA. It is administered in the southeast, including the Tennessee Titans market, by The Dairy Alliance.

Titans mascot T-Rac at Black Fox Elementary. Photo: Cameron Faulkner/Tennessee Titans

Since its launch in 2009, more than 73,000 schools have enrolled in the program–accounting for three fourths of all schools in the United States–with the potential to reach more than 38 million kids. About a third of these schools are in large urban areas, where most at-risk kids reside and who have the most to gain from programs like FUTP 60. The program is offered to all schools with students in grades K-12 at no cost.

Nashville Voices: Vanderbilt’s Andrew Allegretta

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College football is in full swing and fans all around the country are tuning into games every Saturday as the voices behind our favorite teams continue to be so important to the identity to the team.

Vanderbilt’s Director of Radio Broadcasting Andrew Allegretta has been filling that job as the play-by-play voice for Commodore football and baseball since 2021.

Andrew Allegretta. Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

“Through individual experiences, what I saw, what I felt and what I was comfortable with, I gravitated to the play-by-play side of things,” he shared with The Sports Credential.

Allegretta’s passion for sports and sports broadcasting specifically, began when he was young. In middle school his passions grew with watching games and ESPN’s SportsCenter.

“I think I knew I had a bit of an interest for it at a young age,” he recalls. “About the time I was in seventh grade, it peaked my interest just by watching ESPN, SportsCenter and watching and listening to games. There was a gravitational pull there.”

It was in high school when he was looking at colleges that this passion began to formulate and narrow down into something that he could see as a possible career path. He went on to attend Syracuse, one of the top broadcasting schools in the country that has produced numerous sportscasters such as Bob Costas, Mike Tirico and many more.

“I loved my time at Syracuse. Not just from a broadcasting standpoint, but because I met some of my best friends there,” he explains. “It’s hard to ignore Syracuse’s history and tradition within the broadcasting realm. I didn’t know it to the depths then that I do now, but I knew it enough to say to myself, ‘This is something you need to take pretty seriously.’ I’m certainly glad that I did.”

At Syracuse, he worked with the radio station Z98 which had a history of being the starting point for so many broadcasters, including Sean McDonough and Marv Albert. It was here where he began to focus on the play-by-play side of the sports broadcasting world.

“Just being in that environment really motivated me, grabbed my attention and sparked my passion,” Allegretta shares. “I loved being around the game, the performance of calling the game, and working with my classmates to produce those games. I fed off the energy of it.”

After graduating from Syracuse in 2010, he got a job–which was more of an internship, according to Allegretta–with the Walla Walla Sweets, a summer league baseball team in Walla Walla, Washington.

Being a native of Maine and going to school in New York, the Walla Walla Sweets were an opportunity go to the West Coast. This began his journey of traveling and working throughout different parts of the country, resulting in his growth as both a person and as a broadcaster.

Vanderbilt football stadium. Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics/Daniel Dubois

“Being on the West Coast was really valuable for me,” he notes. “I think one of the really neat things about my personal journey is that I’ve been able to travel the country and live in different part of the country. From a totally non-broadcasting standpoint, I do think that has helped me understand people from everywhere in America.”

After a summer with the Sweets, he spent time with Charleston Southern University doing play-by-play for their football and men’s basketball teams. In 2011, he got a job with Virginia Tech’s athletic department where he spent eight years.

“That was a really big grounding force for me to get in with a Power 5 school and really learn what it’s all about to be the voice of a team, a voice of a program and what it means to work within an athletic department,” he notes.

Allegretta went on to be the Director of Broadcasting for Digital Media and Olympic sports at Virginia Tech. He also served as sideline reporter and pre/post-game host for football broadcasts, as well as play-by-play broadcaster for the Hokies’ women’s basketball and baseball teams. Additionally, he anchored coverage of VT Olympic sports broadcasts on the university’s digital platforms.

Will Sheppard. Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

In 2018, he was honored by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association (NSSA) in as Sportscaster of the Year for the state of Virginia.

When first getting into broadcasting he wasn’t sure if he wanted to go down the path of college athletics or professional. However, his work for Syracuse really paved the way for his successful career in the world of college sports.

“It was just the way it unfolded for me,” Allegretta notes. “I kept moving toward college athletics and the voice of the team side of things, which I’m really thankful for. I think it suits who I am personally–trying to be part of a community and getting to know people.”

In 2019, Allegretta moved from Virginia Tech to Tulane where he was named Director of Broadcasting. In 2021, he made another move to Nashville to become Vanderbilt Athletics’ Director of Broadcasting. The 2022 effort marks his first full season with the Commodores.

“For me, personally, Vanderbilt is the No. 1 job in the country,” Allegretta offers. “My nature desires to be in and around collegiate athletics, in a community and to build that continuity of the fanbase, the players and coaches over the course of time.

“Now, from Tulane to Vanderbilt, I get to do it in the SEC–the best collegiate athletic conference in the country–at a place that has won two baseball national championships. They have all of this energy around it to push it forward with what [Vandy’s Athletic Director] Candice Storey-Lee is doing now.”

It was a really easy move for Allegretta as he saw the job at Vanderbilt as the crown jewel to move into the SEC and a growing athletic department. It was also a personal move, though, as his wife has family here.

“It’s hard to beat an opportunity like this, personally. It’s not going to be everybody’s No. 1 job in the country but, for me, it is.”

Being with Vanderbilt for just one year, Allegretta has had a lot of fun calling Clark Lea‘s first season as Vandy’s football coahc, as well as being a part of the Vandy Boys great baseball season. He’s also felt the freedom to create and try to take Vandy to new level.

“It’s really just a cauldron of energy and creativity and I’ve had fun with it,” he shares. “I get the true fortune of working with people who are passionate about Vanderbilt and who know the history and legacy. Whether its Kevin Ingram coming in and being our sideline reporter for football games, or our color commentator Norm Jordan who played here in the 1980’s, I’ve got a crew that is really fun to work with.”

As the Director of Broadcasting and the lead football voice, there can be a lot of preparation involved. Allegretta is very meticulous about the prep he and his team do on game day, doing a lot of work throughout the week to try and make every aspect the best. From the pregame, to the tailgate show, to the Monday night show, it’s a bigger process than just putting on his headset and calling a game.

Vandy United rendering

“There are a lot of layers to it that are more than filling in the data, putting it into a chart and saying it into a headset,” he explains. “It’s more like how can I make sure that the engineer who’s running our broadcast has all of the technical stuff that he needs? I try to be a positive force in every aspect of our operation.”

Allegretta is really looking forward to continuing to develop the relationship between the fans. He knows it takes time and is an uphill battle, but it’s something that is really important to him. He’s also really excited about how the Vandy United upgrades will continue to unfold.

“Personally, I’m looking forward to continue getting to know the fanbase here at Vanderbilt. It means a lot to me,” he shares. “On a macro level, I’m excited for people to get out here and to slowly start to see the physical fruits of our labor around here, like the physical construction. I know its a long time coming for people to see this place really take significant strides with its facilities and on a very real level.

“I think we’re all understanding of what Vanderbilt is trying to do and the fact that we’re all in that moment together is a fun moment to be at Vanderbilt,” he sums.

Nashville Sports Council Readies Major Event Plan To Support New Titans Stadium

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Rendering of new Titans stadium. Photo: Courtesy of the Tennessee Titans

Nashville Sports Council and TransPerfect Music City Bowl President/CEO Scott Ramsey has released a statement following the release of renderings earlier this week for a proposed new, enclosed Tennessee Titans stadium.

“Since its inception, the mission of the Nashville Sports Council has always been to recruit sporting events that have a positive economic impact on the Greater Nashville area,” Ramsey shares. “In our 30 years, the Sports Council has generated $1 billion in direct economic impact while simultaneously garnering national and international media coverage.

“A new enclosed stadium will only help expand on our mission and allow us to pursue sporting events like a Super Bowl, a CFP national championship, a men’s Final Four and other events that meet venue requirements we are unable to currently fulfill,” he continues. “The new stadium could also help the TransPerfect Music City Bowl position itself within the future structure of postseason college football.”

Ramsey also touched on the Nashville community at large, in particular the funding for the proposed $2.1 billion stadium. The new stadium will be funded through numerous sources: the Titans, NFL and PSL sales, a State of Tennessee $500 million contribution, additional 1% on hotel-motel tax and sales, and use taxes collected at the new stadium and its surrounding campus.

“We encourage our Sports Council members and the Nashville community at large to join us in supporting this project by working with their local representatives,” Ramsey adds. “The Sports Council looks forward to working with the Titans organization, Gov. Bill Lee’s office, Mayor John Cooper’s Office, the Nashville Metro Sports Authority and all local and state entities as we look forward to the opportunities to host additional major sports events in Nashville.”

Last week, the Mayor’s office and the Titans officially announced an agreement for a new stadium and new lease that wouldn’t force the city’s taxpayers to foot the bill for any upgrades on the stadium. Read more about it here.

Titans Sign WR Chris Conley As Injuries Continue To Pile Up

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The Titans have signed receiver Chris Conley off the Kansas City Chief’s practice squad after putting Kyle Phillips on the Injured Reserve (IR).

Conley, a third-round draft pick by the Chiefs in the 2015 draft, has played with the Chiefs, Jaguars and Texans during his NFL career. He joins receivers Robert Woods, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, and Cody Hollister on the active roster.

In 102 career games, Conley has 213 catches for 2,807 yards and 15 touchdowns. He played in two games for the Texans in 2022, but didn’t record a catch. Conley’s best season came in 2019 with the Jaguars, as he caught 47 passes for 775 yards and five touchdowns.

Philips joined fellow wideout and 2022 draft pick Treylon Burks on IR. Injuries are adding up on the Titans squad leaving gaps on the offensive line, defense and more. Linebackers Zach Cunningham, Joe Jones and Bud Dupree have all dealt with injuries so far this season, being sidelinesd for multiple games, including last Sunday’s performance against the Indianapolis Colts.

These defensive stars join guard Nate Davis and center Ben Jones on the IR. The Titans dealt with more setbacks as Ryan Tannehill suffered an ankle injury against the Colts and did not practice on Wednesday (Oct. 26). Defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, who’s also suffering an ankle injury, did not practice Wednesday either.

Despite the injuries, the Titans have found themselves in first place in the AFC South after winning four straight, including two over the Colts.

Tennessee heads to Houston to play the 1-4-1 Texans on Sunday (Oct. 30) at 3:05 p.m. CT.

Darius Rucker’s Passion For Sports Is More Than Just A Hobby [Interview]

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Darius Rucker. Photo: Jim Wright

Nashville’s sports scene continues to grow and, along with this growth, comes the inevitable crossover of country music and sports.

In recent years, more and more country music stars have started showing off their sports team pride, whether they’re teams in Nashville or around the country. Dierks Bentley and Carrie Underwood have been Preds superfans for years, Scotty McCreery has shown off his Carolina Hurricane pride and Kane Brown is been one of the University of Georgia football’s biggest cheerleaders.

However, for Darius Rucker, his fandom precedes his music career and is so much more than a hobby. Its part of his life.

“Sports have been so important to me. Especially football,” Rucker shares with The Sports Credential. “I’ve been a football and a Miami Dolphins fan since I was five-years-old. I remember the day I became a fan, it feels like it was yesterday. For so many years I’ve just lived and died with them, and I’ve lived and died with the Gamecocks [from the University of South Carolina].”

He sums, “Sports, they just mean everything to me.”

Rucker, a product of the University of South Carolina, has been an avid Gamecocks fan for decades, being one of the school and the team’s biggest supporters. His band, Hootie & the Blowfish, was founded on the campus of South Carolina and have become synonymous with the university, signaling that Rucker’s musical roots with the school run deep.

Pending his touring schedule, Rucker is either at or watching every South Carolina game, but his passion and knowledge doesn’t stop with the Gamecocks. Rucker is a serious college football junkie.

Rucker was the guest picker on ESPN’s College GameDay when the show visited the school in 2012 before the heated rival matchup between South Carolina and the Georgia Bulldogs. He came prepared to to the show, knowing more than just a super fan and impressing hosts Kirk Herbstreit and Lee Corso.

Watch Rucker’s appearance as the guest picker on College GameDay in the video below:

“One of my favorite things I’ve ever come up with is that there are two times of the year for me. There’s football season and there’s waiting for football season,” he notes cheekily.

His passion for football and for the Miami Dolphins pushed the multi-Platinum entertainer to move into the world of clothing as he partnered with Fanatics to start his own line of NFL gear. With the collection, fans can buy shirts, hoodies and jackets for their favorite NFL teams that were made in partnership with Rucker.

NFL x Darius Rucker Collection by Fanatics.

“I didn’t think I’d have a chance to have a clothing line with the NFL, so it was huge for me,” Rucker explains. “Getting the clothing line meant the world to me, and it did so well last year that they wanted to do it again this year. I’m loving the clothes this year more than I did last year. It’s pretty cool so I’m excited.”

Rucker sees the Fanatics collection as another way to be part of the sports community. Just like music and his love for South Carolina football, the community is what makes these things so much more special.

In 2020, Rucker became involved in another sports community, joining Music City Baseball LLC’s (MCB) Music Advisory Board in an effort to bring Major League Baseball to Nashville. MCB has teamed up with a number of artists and country singers, including Luke Combs, Justin Timberlake and Brown.

MCB is also partnered with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, naming this potential team the Nashville Stars, honoring the Negro League teams that have played in the city under the same name.

“Nashville’s really becoming a big city and with that comes sports,” Rucker shares. “Being a part of the Nashville Stars and trying to bring a baseball team here is awesome.

Darius Rucker. Photo: Courtesy of Music City Baseball LLC

“I think Nashville and baseball is a no-brainer. It’s a great city for it, and it would be support more than a lot of teams are,” he continues. “Bringing the history and the legacy of the Nashville Stars, and keeping the old Negro League team at the forefront, is an important ingredient for me. I’m honored to be a part of it.”

Since 2016, Rucker has also been a partner with MGC Sports Agency where he offers insight and help in the recruiting process. In this role, he offers a perspective of what it’s like being in the entertainment industry, a Grammy award-winner, and an active, worldwide touring artist since the 1990’s.

With NIL exploding in the college football world, and as someone who began their career path in college, he offers a different perspective than most agents.

“I love the small role that I do have at the company,” he says. “I’m just over the moon, I can’t believe I get to do this, I have so much fun. When you sign the No. 1 NFL Draft pick in Trevor Lawrence, who plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars, it can’t help but be fun.”

Between College GameDay, South Carolina Women’s Basketball winning the National Championship, 18 SuperBowls and countless golf tournaments, it would seem hard to pick one game or one moment that stands out the most. For Rucker, though, singing the national anthem in front of a sea of fans at the World Series or the NBA Finals takes the cake.

“For me the thing that stands out the most is singing the anthem at the World Series, NBA Finals and the NCAA Finals,” Rucker explains. “Getting to do the anthem at those great events means the world to me. Being American and the sports fan that I am, every time I get to do the anthem is something very special.”

Between careers, family and life in general, some people’s fandoms tend to fall off as they get older and more responsibilities pile up. This is maximized in a career in the music industry, but sports are such an integral part of Rucker’s life that in no way has his fandom taken a backseat.

“I’m in five fantasy leagues,” Rucker quips. “When you love something as much as I love sports, you’ll find time for it. You’ll make time for it.”

JUST IN: Titans Unveil Renderings Of Proposed New Stadium

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Rendering of new Titans stadium. Photo: Courtesy of the Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans have shared renderings of its potential new stadium, which would encompass 1.7 million square feet with a capacity of approximately 60,000.

The renderings follow last week’s announcement that the team and the city of Nashville had reached a proposed agreement for a new, enclosed stadium, which will be discussed by Metro Council and the Sports Authority in the coming weeks. The plan for the $2.1 billion stadium will be paid for by the Titans organization/NFL, bonds from the state of Tennessee as promised by Governor Bill Lee, and through a hotel occupancy tax as well as sale tax at Nissan Stadium, the eventual new stadium and the surrounding area.

Rendering of new Titans stadium. Photo: Courtesy of the Tennessee Titans

“We envision a potential new stadium that makes our community proud and enhances the reputation of our great city and state,” says Titans President and CEO Burke Nihill. “We’re focused on designing a stadium capable of hosting a prestigious international event on a Sunday and a steady flow of impactful community programming later that same week. This is a building that would serve Nashville and Tennessee for generations.”

The stadium designs were created by MANICA, a Kansas City-based architecture firm that has worked on projects such as Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas and Chase Center in San Francisco. The team commissioned MANICA to produce the concepts in order to inform site planning and cost estimates.

Hastings, a Nashville-based architecture firm, also participated in the design work, with a particular emphasis on reflecting Nashville’s spirit and character, and a focus on seamlessly integrating the building into the proposed neighborhood surrounding the stadium.

Rendering of new Titans stadium. Photo: Courtesy of the Tennessee Titans

The stadium architecture is inspired by the city of Nashville and is planned to be complementary to the broader East Bank development plan led by the city. The design gave specific attention to multi-purpose function, in order to maximize the number and types of events that could take place in the building.

Key features of the design include:

  • Exterior terraces and porches with panoramic views of Nashville that will serve as social space during event days
  • A circular-shaped, high-tech ETFE translucent roof
  • Improved sight lines for all spectators through diverse viewing experiences
  • High-tech and sustainable materials throughout the building

Other features of the building not pictured include a 12,000 sq. ft. dedicated community space that could be utilized year-round for educational opportunities, non-profit events and other community-minded purposes. The new stadium will set a goal of achieving a U.S. Green Building Council LEED Gold certification.

The Titans have not yet selected an architect of record for the building. A full architectural design process would begin at a later date.

Titans, Tito’s Handmade Vodka Announce First Annual Dog Day At Nissan Stadium

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The Tennessee Titans and Tito’s Handmade Vodka have announced they will host the first annual “Titans, Tito’s & Tails” Dog Day at Nissan Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 27.

The Halloween themed event will invite dog lovers and their furry friends to enjoy food and drinks for purchase, games, pet-friendly vendors, entertainment and more at Nissan Stadium. In keeping with the spirit of the season, attendees are encouraged to dress up their pups for Halloween.

“We are always looking for unique ways to invite the community into our stadium for family-friendly activities and events,” says Gil Beverly, Titans Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing and Revenue Officer. “Tito’s is an amazing teammate for the Titans because we hold so many of the same values, especially a love for animals. We look forward to working with them on this inaugural event.”

“Titans, Tito’s & Tails” will offer a special Halloween photo booth for pets and their owners, a Bobbing for Tennis Balls game, Paw Painting stations, a Pup-Casso Painting Party and special pupcakes and cookies. The event will also feature local vendors Miss Kitty’s Dog Resort, Pet Musings, Boss Lady Threads, Rolling Recipe, Daddy’s Dogs and Tennessee Cobbler.

“At Tito’s we love dogs, and we know their owners are always looking for fun activities to share with their furry friends, especially at iconic places like Nissan Stadium,” says Beth Bellanti-Pander, Vodka for Dog People Program Manager at Tito’s Handmade Vodka. “This event marks another facet to our newly established sponsorship with the Titans, and we can’t wait to host many more events together.”

The event will run from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. CT with gates opening at 4 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, but will have limited space. Attendees are encouraged to claim a ticket early at www.tennesseetitans.com/dogday.