Stops include Thompson's Station, Shelbyville, Fayetteville, Huntsville and Florence; Recent signee Nate Washington to join last stop of day
Click here for the complete schedule
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Along with six-time Pro Bowl mascot T-Rac and the "Voice of the Titans" Mike Keith, Collins will start the day with a 9:00 a.m. public stop at the Kroger in Thompson's Station. Following the appearance, the Caravan will make a 11:00 a.m. visit to the Thomas Intermediate School in Shelbyville. The session 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 Shelbyville, the Caravan then will make three public stops during the remainder of the day: a 12:30 p.m. appearance at Town Square Gazebo in Fayetteville, a 3:00 p.m. visit to the Shoe Carnival in Huntsville, Ala., and a 5:30 p.m. stop at the Regency Square Mall in Florence, Ala. Fans will have an opportunity to get autographs from Collins, T-Rac and Keith at all of the public stops in addition to Washington at the Florence event. Each public stop is free, open to the public and will last approximately one hour.
Collins is entering his fourth season with the Titans and 15th overall NFL season. In 2008, the veteran signal caller earned his second career Pro Bowl selection after starting the final 15 games and leading the Titans to the NFL's best record. Collins finished the season with an 80.2 passer rating, the third-best mark of his career, and he became just the 15th player in NFL history to surpass 35,000 career passing yards. Having played in 178 career games with 164 starts, Collins' knowledge and big-game experience make him an invaluable asset for a young Titans' offense.
Washington is entering his first season with the Titans after being signed as an unrestricted free agent on March 2. The 6-1, 185-pounder appeared in 49 games with seven starts during his four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers and collected 104 career receptions for 1,705 yards with 12 touchdowns. Washington has the ability to stretch the field having led the Steelers in yards per catch in two of the last three seasons. His most successful campaign came last year when he recorded career-highs with 40 catches and 631 receiving yards, while also scoring three touchdowns.
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.
**TITANS CARAVAN XII SCHEDULE - THURSDAY, APRIL 16
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The following stops are CLOSED to the general public/open to the media:
*11:00 a.m. CT; Shelbyville; Thomas Intermediate School; Kerry Collins
The following stops are OPEN to the general public:*
9:00 a.m. CT; Thompson's Station; Kroger (4910 Highway 31); Kerry Collins
12:30 p.m. CT; Fayetteville; Town Square (Gazebo); Kerry Collins
3:00 p.m. CT; Huntsville, Ala.; Shoe Carnival (6275 University Dr.); Kerry Collins
5:30 p.m. CT; Florence, Ala.; Regency Square Mall (301 Cox Creek Pkwy.); Kerry Collins, Nate Washington
