2011 First-round pick to appear in Blountville, Hampton, Mosheim and Knoxville; will be joined by Kenny Britt in Chattanooga
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| Tennessee Titans quarterback Jake Locker will headline Titans Caravan on Wednesday, May 9, Day 8 of the team's two-week annual tour through the Mid-South. |
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Titans quarterback Jake Locker will headline Titans Caravan on Wednesday, May 9, Day 8 of the team's two-week annual tour through the Mid-South. The 14th Caravan, sponsored by Grange Insurance, will stop on Wednesday in the communities of Blountville, Hampton, Mosheim, Knoxville and finally Chattanooga, where Locker will be joined by wide receiver Kenny Britt.
Locker will begin the day with an 8:15 a.m. visit to Holston Elementary and Middle School in Blountville (2348 Highway 75).
The Caravan school program features a high-energy, educational message from seven-time Pro Bowl Titans mascot T-Rac, host Rhett Bryan and at least one Titans player. The Titans use the opportunity to speak to the youngsters about the NFL's Play 60 program, which stresses the importance of getting at least 60 minutes of active play each day, and also the benefits of making good choices in all parts of their lives. T-Rac and the Titans school program are sponsored by Tennessee State Parks, which celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2012 and will provide several unique surprises to viewers during the program.
The Caravan then heads to Hampton Elementary School (408 Highway 321) for a 10:30 a.m. school visit, followed by a 1 p.m. school stop at Mosheim Elementary School (297 West School Street).
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The day concludes with consecutive public stops: 3:30 p.m. at Academy Sports Outdoors in Knoxville (145 Moss Grove Boulevard) and 6:30 p.m. at Academy Sports Outdoors in Chattanooga (2200 Hamilton Place Boulevard), where Britt will also attend.
The public events allow fans to meet the players, T-Rac and the "Voice of the Titans" Mike Keith. Posters are provided to all Caravan attendees for autographs, and photos are encouraged. Every Titans Caravan public event is sponsored by the Trusted Choice agents of the Insurors of Tennessee and is done at no charge to fans. Public stops generally last one hour.
Also for the first time, the U.S. Army will be joining the Titans Caravan public stops. Fans will have the opportunity take part in a cornhole competition, test their skills at a variety of team-building exercises and claim free commemorative Titans Caravan 2012 dog tags. U.S. Army representatives will be on hand to share the exciting opportunities available in today's Army.
The Titans used their 2011 first-round selection on Locker, who possesses the toughness, competitiveness and the pure athletic ability to succeed at the pro level. As a rookie in 2011, he appeared in five games as a reserve and completed 34 of 66 passes for 542 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. Locker's 282 passing yards against New Orleans (12/11/11) rank second in franchise history by a rookie quarterback and the most since the Oilers' inaugural 1960 season (Jacky Lee - 331 yards at Boston Patriots, 11/25/60).
Britt provides an explosive element to the team's passing game with his combination of size, speed and catching ability. Before suffering a season-ending injury in the third game of 2011, the former first-round pick had already amassed 17 receptions for 289 yards and three touchdowns on the campaign. In Britt's first two seasons (2009–2010), he led the team with a total of 1,476 receiving yards and tied for the team lead with 12 touchdown receptions.
Titans Caravan began in 1998 as a small effort to spread goodwill through the region. This year, six full-time staffers will travel to 50 total stops with Titans players and T-Rac through the Mid-South on a specially-decorated motor coach provided by Grand Avenue. Since 1998, Titans Caravan has made over 700 stops, traveled approximately 50,000 miles, visited close to 300 schools and allowed the team to interact directly with an estimated audience well in excess of 100,000 fans.
