NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tandems of Titans hit the trail Tuesday to hand deliver season tickets, a personalized game ball and an oversized copy of a Titans ticket to thank fans for their continued support.
Jason McCourty and Michael Griffin, Akeem Ayers and Colin McCarthy, Andy Levitre and Delanie Walker and Brian Schwenke and Blidi Wreh-Wilson made multiple visits Tuesday morning.
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Above: Andy Levitre and Delanie Walker deliver tickets to Titans season ticket holders Ken and Donna Childress. Below: Marc Mariani and Justin Hunter surprised season ticket holder and "3HL" host Clay Travis at the studios of 104.5 The Zone.Click here for a slideshow of the Titans' deliveries. |
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The stops ranged from a downtown office building to residences in the suburbs and included a stop at a Papa John's in Smyrna and concluded with a special surprise delivery to Clay Travis of "3HL" of 104.5 The Zone. Marc Mariani and Justin Hunter surprised Tennessee Air and Army National Guard members in the locker roomof LP Field before stealthily stepping into the studio of Titans Radio's flagship station for another lively surprise.
The players said they enjoyed the opportunity to meet some of the fans who enable them to do what they love best and have helped sell out 144 straight games. Many of the fans have supported the team since the 1999 season when it changed its name to the Titans and capped it with a trip to Super Bowl XXXIV.
Levitre, who signed with Tennessee as a free agent after four seasons in Buffalo, and Walker, who joined the Titans this offseason after seven in San Francisco, said they had never participated in an event quite like Tuesday but enjoyed the opportunity to do so.
"It's good to be able to give back to the people who support you every week during the season and be able to introduce yourself to them," Levitre said. "They only get to see you in helmets, so to meet them in person, I think is good for us and good for them as well."
Levitre and Walker started their day with a visit to Jim Thompson, who was selected as a winner of a contest that was open to season ticket holders that punctually renewed tickets.
Thompson is in his second year as a season ticket holder and attended one of the tours of LP Field and a dinner in Murfreesboro that the Titans held for season ticket holders this offseason. He welcomed the players as they walked through the door of Palm Commodities, a plant in LaVergne that makes specialty chemicals and metals.
"Man, it's awesome," Thompson said. "I think the Titans' organization is second to none with what they do for the fans and what they did for me personally. To have Andy Levitre and Delanie Walker hand deliver me my tickets is awesome. I'm ready to go."
Thompson said he is most excited about the amount of changes the Titans made this offseason through free agency, the new additions acquired in the NFL Draft and the return of Gregg Williams as a senior defensive assistant.
Levitre and Walker then delivered to Ken and Donna Childress at their Brentwood home and saw Titans memorabilia that the Childress family (season ticket holders since 1999) has collected. Donna Childress welcomed each player with enthusiasm and a hug.
"I think it's tremendous," Ken Childress said. "My brother has PSLs in Baltimore and they don't do anything like this. This is just such a great thing. I was really excited when they called and said they were going to deliver our tickets."
Other stops included: McCourty and Griffin visiting Pinnacle Bank on West End Avenue, McCarthy and Ayers swinging by the Baker Donelson building before going to a Hendersonville residence, and Schwenke and Wreh-Wilson surprising Willie Wilson at Papa John's in Smyrna as the crew was preparing lunchtime pizzas.
Walker said he was glad for the opportunity to meet more Titans fans as his first season in Tennessee begins.
"Without them, we wouldn't be able to do this, so we're happy they're buying season tickets and I'm glad that I'm part of it to go out and deliver it to them," Walker said.
