Titans Trim Down Team To 53 As 2021 Season Approaches

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Titans helmet and footballs during the game between the Tennessee Titans and the Cleveland Browns at Nissan Stadium on DECEMBER 06, 2020 in Nashville, TN. Photo By Alison P. McNabb/Tennessee Titans

With the Tennessee Titans first game of the 2021-22 season less than two weeks away, the team has cut over 17 players to slim the squad to just 53.

The Titans cut five players on Sunday (Aug. 29)  and an additional 17 on Tuesday (Aug. 31) before Tuesday’s NFL deadline. The Titans currently have nine players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list who aren’t counted in the 53 player squad, meaning that additional roster shuffling is to be expected.

On Sunday, veteran linebacker/defensive end John Simon was released, along with defensive back Clayton Geathers. The team also waived defensive lineman Freedom Akinmoladun, defensive back Nate Brooks and linebacker Cassh Maluia.

Some of Tuesday’s most notable cuts were wide receiver and 2021 NFL Draft fourth round pick Dez Fitzpatrick as well as receiver Mason Kinsey. Other players cut include WR Fred Brown, TE Jared Pinkney, RB Javian Hawkins, TE Miller Forristall, FB Tory Carter, DL Naquan Jones, OL Cole Banwart, OL Jordan Roos, LB Jan Johnson, LB Wyatt Ray, OL Christian DiLauro, OL Derwin Gray, DB Jamal Carter, DL Woodrow Hamilton, and DB Briean Boddy-Calhoun.

All teams are allowed to sign 16 players to their practice squads on Wednesday (Sept. 1).

Slim & Husky’s Pizza Beeria Opens Locations In Nissan Stadium

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Photo: By Donald Page/Tennessee Titans

Slim & Husky’s Pizza Beeria has opened multiple locations inside Nissan Stadium for all Titans home games and other major events. Slim & Husky’s has garnered national attention for its creative menu and commitment to community service, and features nine locations across Tennessee, Georgia and California.

“The S+H Team is excited about our new partnership with the Tennessee Titans organization and ready to serve the NFL’s greatest fans some true hometown flavor,” says Slim & Husky’s Chief Marketing Officer Clint Gray. “This collaboration is more significant than just pizza. It represents the power of what can be accomplished when an organization, such as the Titans, uses their platform to assist in the growth of a local small business. Titan Up!”

Slim & Husky’s, started by Tennessee State University alumni and childhood friends Gray, EJ Reed and Derrick Moore, opened its first location in North Nashville in 2017. Earlier this year, the local favorite opened Nashville’s first black-owned restaurant in its famous Broadway district, located in the new Fifth + Broadway complex downtown.

The Nissan Stadium menu will feature three pizzas, including the award-winning “Got 5 on It” cheese pizza. Other pizzas served will be the “Rony Roni Rone” pizza featuring three different types of pepperoni, and a Nashville Hot Chicken pizza. Each pizza will be served to customers in a special Titans-themed pizza box. Locations around the stadium will include the 100-level (near Sections 117, 130), club-level (near 214, 233) and 300-level (near 316, 331).

“Slim & Husky’s has quickly become one of Nashville’s fastest-growing businesses, and their mission to support the Nashville community is very in line with the Titans’ mission as well,” says Titans Sr. Vice President, Chief Marketing & Revenue Officer Gil Beverly. “We’re thrilled to have them joining us at Nissan Stadium this year and look forward to seeing them this Saturday.”

Slim & Husky is the second Nashville-based restaurant to add locations at Nissan Stadium so far, including the popular Nashville hot chicken spot Party Fowl.

Nashville’s Party Fowl To Open Locations In Nissan Stadium

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Photo: By Brad Moore/Tennessee Titans

Nashville-based hot chicken restaurant Party Fowl will find a new home at Nissan Stadium beginning this Saturday (Aug. 28) at the Bears vs. Titans preseason home game. The local staple will serve in two locations at the stadium for all Titans home games and other stadium events this season.

The restaurant’s Nissan Stadium menu will include their classic hot chicken tenders with the side option of fries or their well-known bourbon-glazed beignets. There will be one location on the 100-level concourse in the south end zone (near Section 121) and another on the west 300 level near Section 339.

“Bringing more ‘Nashville flavor’ to Nissan Stadium is a huge priority for us, and our fans have been asking for more local food offerings for quite a while now,” says Gil Beverly, Titans Sr. Vice President, Chief Marketing & Revenue Officer. “Hot chicken is certainly a must-have if you’re talking about Nashville flavor, and with Party Fowl’s reputation for excellent food combined with their passion for the Titans, we’re confident this partnership will be extremely successful and can’t wait to see them in the stadium.”

Party Fowl opened its first Nashville location in 2013 in the Gulch and has since expanded to multiple locations across Middle Tennessee and Chattanooga and has been one of the top hot chicken restaurants in Music City.

“To know that fans will be cheering on the best team in the world eating our Nashville Hot Chicken is a dream come true–honored is an understatement,” says Party Fowl owner Austin Smith. “We are truly so excited to bring our brand to Nissan Stadium and to partner with the Tennessee Titans.”

The Tennessee Titans are expected to announce other local restaurants heading to Nissan Stadium in coming days.

College Corner: Vanderbilt Upgrades, MTSU Fan Experience, UTK Trailblazers

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Vanderbilt Football Updates Game Day Fan Experience 

Photo: by Daniel Dubois/Vanderbilt Athletics

Vanderbilt has upgraded the fan experience for football game days heading into the 2021 season.

The univeristy has added live music and food trucks to the Vandyville experience. Located outside the stadium along Natchez Trace, Vandyville will feature close to 90 tailgating tents, food trucks and up to three stages of live music as only Nashville can provide it.

Other upgrades include previously announced concessions upgrades like the “Craft & Draft” stand and “End Zone Market” stations. Additionally, local and regional vendors have partnered with Vanderbilt Athletics for the upcoming season, including Slim & Husky’s, Daddy’s Dogs, Conecuh Sausage, IceCrown, Kernels Nashville Popcorn, Community Coffee, Puckett’s, Chick-fil-A Rivergate and Corner Pub.

Upgrades to the video board, team entrances, and the addition of polytechnics will also be new to fans this season.

 

 

MTSU To Welcome Back Beer Garden, Family Fun Zone To Floyd Stadium

Photo: by Sam Doughton/MTSU Athletics

MTSU is preparing to open Floyd Stadium at full capacity this football season and will be welcoming back a few fan favorites including the Blue Raider Beer Garden, partnering with Hop Springs Beer Park and Steel Barrel Brewery.

The beer garden will also include grilled food for fans to enjoy underneath the umbrellas and tables in the end zone alongside games like corn hole and giant Jenga. The Beer Garden opens with the gates to the stadium and will serve through the end of the third quarter. Entrance is free to fans 21 and up with their admission ticket to the game. Also returning after a successful 2019 debut is the Family Fun Zone, located behind Sections 1A-3A. Featuring inflatables, face painting, balloon animals and various carnival games throughout the season, the Family Fun Zone will also serve as the check-in for the Blue Raider Kids’ Club. New to the Family Fun Zone this season will be the inclusion of MTSU Creamery chocolate milk. The cafeteria tradition for generations of Blue Raiders will now be made available inside of Floyd Stadium.

“We’re extremely excited to welcome back our fans to Floyd Stadium,” says Director of Athletics Chris Massaro. “Fans can enjoy the return of game day traditions both before and after kickoff, there are more reasons than ever to cheer on the Blue Raiders this fall. I know our players and coaches are ecstatic to run out on the field before a full house of loud and proud Blue Raiders.”

 

 

Tennessee To Unveil Statues Honoring Football Trailblazers

The University of Tennessee will unveil a new and permanent tribute to four trailblazers from throughout the storied history of Tennessee football as a kickoff to Neyland Stadium’s year-long centennial celebration. They will be celebrating Lester McClain, Jackie Walker, Condredge Holloway and Tee Martin whose statues will be unveiled in the plaza outside Gate 21 at Neyland Stadium on Sept. 2 before the team’s season opener.

Tennessee has proudly led the way in providing opportunities for Black student-athletes to excel on the Southeastern Conference gridiron. Beginning in the 1960s, Tennessee’s progressive posture on racial equity led to legendary Volunteers recording several history-making firsts.

“It’s an honor for this university to be able to permanently recognize the impact of these men in such a powerful way,” says UTK’s Director of Athletics Danny White. “We are proud of what their names represent, and I believe this is a fitting tribute. They carried themselves with strength and grace as they led the way for so many others. I love that our football student-athletes will pass by this installation during every Vol Walk. I hope it serves as a reminder of those who came before them and paved the way for progress.”

Titans Raise $150,000 For Flood Relief

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Photo: By Danny Parker/Tennessee Titans

The Titans have raised over $150,000 for Middle Tennessee communities affected by the recent floods at the Kickoff Luncheon held on Wednesday (Aug. 25) at Nissan Stadium. The event featured presentations from Titans leadership and coaching staff, including team president and CEO Burke Nihill, general manager Jon Robinson, head coach Mike Vrabel, and others.

The luncheon was hosted by Titans play-by-play man Mike Keith, along with Amie Wells, and Dave “Coach Mac” McGinnis of Titans Radio. Titans safety and 2020 Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee Kevin Byard also made an appearance via video conference call.

“It is something that will get the fans excited,” Nihill shared in front of the sold out luncheon. “But just as importantly, it is something that gives us an opportunity to amplify what we do in the community. This is about raising funds for the Titans Foundation, and the Titans Foundation is a big part of who we are. First and foremost, we are a football team, but we also want to be good leaders and stewards in our community. This weekend is a reminder of the fact that this community always has needs, and the Foundation is going to be there to deliver on those needs.”

The Titans Foundation is a non-profit organization that supports communities within the Tennessee Titans region. Through its work, the Titans contribute to schools, non-profit organizations, community centers and other neighborhood assets. The team plans to make a $50,000 donation to those impacted by the floods, and Nihill revealed plans to offer the Waverly High football team a chance to play at least one home game at Nissan Stadium. More details will be revealed in the coming days, Burke said.

“It’s really been unbelievable how often this community has had to dust itself off,” Nihill said. “As community leaders, we just feel like it is an absolute obligation on our part to be there when our community needs us. We are going to find ways to serve. We almost always will write a check to help out with monetary needs, but it is also important for us to find tangible ways to get out and get our fingernails dirty and serve in the community, because those are our neighbors, and we want to show leadership and hopefully inspire others in the community to get out and do the same, to serve when there is a need.”

Last year, the Titans helped with tornado relief in Nashville, and earlier this year the team volunteered with flood relief in the city.

Carrie Underwood Graces Sunday Night Football Show Open For 9th Consecutive Season

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Carrie Underwood. Photo: Courtesy of Chris Haston/NBC

On Sunday, Sept. 12, seven-time Grammy Award-winner and multi-Platinum recording artist Carrie Underwood will star in the 2021 debut show open for NBC’s Sunday Night Football. Shot at Industrial Light & Magic’s cutting edge LED sound stage and utilizing the StageCraft LED virtual production technology, the show open will feature a virtual football tailgate as a backdrop for Underwood’s performance of “Waiting All Day For Sunday Night.”

“Shooting the new show open for Sunday Night Football is one of the highlights of my year,” says Underwood, who headlines the SNF show open for her ninth consecutive season. “I just love the fact that we get to reinvent it every year.  The team behind these shoots is incredible and it’s always a really fun day, especially this year getting to work with such amazing state-of-the-art technology.”

NBC’s Sunday Night Football has been primetime television’s No. 1 program for an unprecedented 10 consecutive years and will now utilize the same cutting edge technology recently used in “The Mandalorian.” The show open will also highlight user-generated cameos from some of the NFL’s biggest stars, as well as fans’ self-recorded video from NFL tailgates.

“We are excited about this year’s new collaboration with Carrie, which utilizes virtual production technology to generate real-time environments for Carrie’s performance, including a ‘tailgate’ to salute this game’s great fans, who have been ‘waiting all day for Sunday night’ and will be incorporated with their own user-generated tailgate videos,” says Tripp Dixon, creative director of the SNF show open.

The first SNF game of the 2021-2022 season will be on Sept. 12 as the Chicago Bears take on the Los Angeles Rams at the SoFi Stadium in California.

Vanderbilt Stadium Updates Concession Options For 2021-22 Season

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Vanderbilt Stadium. Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics/Daniel Dubois

Vanderbilt Athletics is providing a new and improved lineup of food, drink and service options to Vanderbilt Stadium for the 2021-22 football season. The Commodores will host seven home games during the season. All payment transactions will be cashless, with vendors and concessionaires accepting cards only.

Patrons will also have the ability to place orders from their seats on mobile devices for quick pick-up at the nearest concession stand. The “Fan Favorite” concession stands will offer game day essentials like hot dogs, popcorn, pretzels, nachos and more. The reimagined “1873 Grille” station will provide burgers, hot chicken, sandwiches and fries, among other offerings. The “Craft & Draft” stand and “End Zone Market” stations will provide local craft beverages to fans, while self-service fountain stations featuring Pepsi products will provide free refills to decrease time spent in concession lines.

“When our fans return to Vanderbilt Stadium this season, they will enjoy new concessions offerings, including options that represent our great city of Nashville,” says Candice Lee, Vanderbilt’s vice chancellor for athletics and university affairs and athletic director. “We remain focused on enhancing the game day experience for our fans, and our partnership with Vanderbilt Campus Dining elevates those efforts in our venues.”

The stadium’s premium bridge seating area will feature full bar service. In-seat service, multiple walk-up bars and a chef-crafted, made-to-order menu will be available in the north end zone premium seating area. Additionally, local and regional vendors have partnered with Vanderbilt Athletics for the upcoming season, including Slim & Husky’s, Daddy’s Dogs, Conecuh Sausage, IceCrown, Kernels Nashville Popcorn, Community Coffee, Puckett’s, Chick-fil-A Rivergate and Corner Pub.

University Of Tennessee Radio Show ‘Vol Calls To Debut On Aug. 25

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The official statewide radio show for the Tennessee Volunteers “Vol Calls,” kicks off its 2021-22 season at 7 p.m. CT on Wednesday, Aug. 25, from the legendary Calhoun’s On the River in downtown Knoxville.

Tennessee Chancellor Donde Plowman, Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White, and head baseball coach Tony Vitello are scheduled to appear on Wednesday’s inaugural show, which will also include an interview with head football coach Josh Heupel.

Bob Kesling, the voice of the Tennessee Volunteers and UT’s director of broadcasting, serves as the show’s host and is joined by Vol Network veteran Brent Hubbs to answer questions and provide the latest news and information on Tennessee Athletics. Weather permitting, the show will be held outside each week during the fall on the restaurant’s large outdoor patio deck overlooking the Tennessee River and Neyland Stadium

The one-hour show can be heard on 50-plus radio stations across the state of Tennessee on the Vol Radio Network and all over the world through UTsports.com, the Tennessee Athletics App and SiriusXM.