NASHVILLE, Tenn. –Titans running backs Dexter McCluster and Bishop Sankey joined linebacker Avery Williamson as the featured players on the Academy Sports + Outdoor Titans Caravan on Thursday, May 7, the fifth day of the team's annual trip through the Mid-South. The Caravan stopped Thursday in the communities of Memphis and Jackson, Tenn.
The day began with a public autograph signing at Academy Sports + Outdoors in Memphis and concluded with a public visit at the West Tennessee Healthcare Complex in Jackson.
McCluster joined the Titans on the first day of free agency in 2014, following his four-year stint with the Kansas City Chiefs. In his first season with the team, he played in 14 games and rushed 40 times for 131 yards and caught 26 passes for 197 yards with a touchdown. The 5-foot-8-inch, 170-pounder is a prolific return specialist that was named to his first Pro Bowl after a 2013 campaign in which he returned two punt returns for touchdowns.
The Titans selected Bishop Sankey as the first running back off the board with the 54th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. The 5-foot-10-inch, 209-pounder played in all 16 games with nine starts at running back during his rookie campaign and led the team with 551 rushing yards on 152 carries with two touchdowns.
The Titans used their fifth-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft on Kentucky linebacker Avery Williamson. The 6-foot-1-inch, 246-pound defender appeared in 16 games with 12 starts at linebacker and ranked third on the team with 107 tackles in his rookie campaign. He tied for third on the squad with three sacks and posted eight quarterback pressures, eight stops for loss, four passes defensed and two fumble recoveries.
Academy Sports + Outdoors Titans Caravan public stops are free events that allow fans to meet players, T-Rac and cheerleaders. Posters are provided at no cost to all Caravan attendees for autographs, and photos are encouraged. Public stops generally last one hour.
Titans Caravan began in 1998 as a small effort to spread goodwill through the region. Today, nine full-time staffers travel with Titans players and T-Rac through the Mid-South on a specially-decorated motor coach. Since 1998, the Caravan has made over 800 stops and allowed the team to interact directly with an estimated audience well in excess of 200,000 fans.
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ABOUT ACADEMY SPORTS + OUTDOORS: **Academy Sports + Outdoors is a premier sports, outdoor and lifestyle retailer with a broad assortment of quality hunting, fishing and camping equipment and gear along with sports and leisure products, footwear, apparel, patio sets, barbecue grills and much more. The $4 billion company operates 193 stores throughout Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas, where the company is based. The Academy Sports + Outdoors philosophy is to deliver an unparalleled shopping experience by providing convenience, offering a broad selection of quality products, delivering exceptional customer service and selling the right stuff at everyday low prices. For more information about Academy Sports + Outdoors visit academy.com, facebook.com/academy, twitter.com/academy, pinterest.com/academy, youtube.com/academy and instagram.com/academy.
Running backs Dexter McCluster and Bishop Sankey joined linebacker Avery Williamson on Day 5 of the Academy Sports + Outdoor Titans Caravan through the communities of Memphis and Jackson, Tenn. (Photos: Susanna Nickell)
