April 13 stops include Christiana, Cookeville, Crossville, Harriman and Knoxville; LB Tulloch to join last stop of day
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch has been selected to lead Titans Caravan XII on Monday, April 13, the first day of the team's annual tour throughout Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama. Vanden Bosch will make appearances in Christiana, Cookeville, Crossville and Harriman and then will be joined by middle linebacker Stephen Tulloch for the final stop of the day in Knoxville.
Along with six-time Pro Bowl mascot T-Rac and the "Voice of the Titans" Mike Keith, Vanden Bosch will kick off the Caravan with a multiple-school stop hosted by Christiana Middle School at 9:00 a.m. The program is closed to the general public.
The school program, which will be performed a total of 14 times before an estimated 15,000 children on this year's Caravan, will emphasize the need to stay healthy by exercising. Through the NFL's "Play 60" program, the Titans will campaign throughout the 2009 season to get kids to spend at least 60 minutes each day in active play or exercise. The crucial message will be delivered in hopes of making the current youth the most active and healthy generation ever.
Following the program in Christiana, the Caravan then will make four public stops during the remainder of the day: an 11:30 a.m. stop at O'Charley's in Cookeville, a 1:00 p.m. appearance at VF Outlet in Crossville, a 3:45 p.m. visit to the Roane State CC Expo Center in Harriman and a 6:00 p.m. stop at the AT&T West Towne Mall in Knoxville. Fans will have an opportunity to get autographs from Vanden Bosch, T-Rac and Keith at all of the public stops in addition to Tulloch at the Knoxville event. Each public stop is free, open to the public and will last approximately one hour.
Vanden Bosch is entering his fifth season with the Titans and ninth overall NFL season. A hard worker who shows relentless effort on the field, he has registered a team-high 35.5 sacks since joining the team and has led the team's defensive linemen in tackles in three of his four seasons. Despite missing six games in 2008, Vanden Bosch still finished fourth on the team with 18 quarterback pressures and amassed 4.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 10 games.
Tulloch is entering his fourth season with the Titans after being drafted by the team in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2008, starting 12 games at middle linebacker and finishing second on the team with 98 tackles. He also tallied four tackles for losses, a sack, two fumble recoveries and two passes defensed last season.
Titans Caravan XII will make a total of 44 stops over a span nine travel days. In addition to using the Caravan as a way to thank the team's fans throughout the Mid-South, this year's Caravan will celebrate the organization's 50th season in professional football.
Over the last 11 years, Titans Caravan has made nearly 600 stops, traveled approximately 50,000 miles, visited over 200 schools and shaken hands with over 100,000 fans. The number of autographs signed and pictures taken is estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands.
Titans Caravan began in 1998 as a small effort to spread goodwill through the region. The current Caravan includes six full-time staffers that travel with Titans players, broadcasters and T-Rac throughout the Mid-South on a specially-decorated motor coach from Premiere Transportation.
To obtain a complete schedule and follow Titans Caravan XII, fans can go to the team's official website, TitansOnline.com.
TITANS CARAVAN XII SCHEDULE - MONDAY, APRIL 13
MONDAY, APRIL 13:
The following stops are CLOSED to the general public/open to the media:*
9:00 a.m. CT; Christiana; Christiana Middle School; Kyle Vanden Bosch
The following stops are OPEN to the general public:
*11:30 a.m. CT; Cookeville; O'Charley's (1401 Interstate Dr.); Kyle Vanden Bosch
1:00 p.m. CT; Crossville; VF Outlet (361 Sweeney Dr.); Kyle Vanden Bosch
3:45 p.m. ET; Harriman; Roane State CC Expo Center (276 Patton Lane); Kyle Vanden Bosch
6:00 p.m. ET; Knoxville; AT&T West Towne Mall (7212 Kingston Pike); Kyle Vanden Bosch, Stephen Tulloch
