1 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:14,360 Speaker 1: This is the OTP presented by Farm Bureau Health Plans. 2 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:18,160 Speaker 1: You can plan on Farm Bureau Health Plans for better coverage, 3 00:00:18,200 --> 00:00:22,400 Speaker 1: better rates, and better customer service. They've been providing Tennesseean's 4 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:25,759 Speaker 1: with the home field advantage for almost seventy five years. 5 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:31,440 Speaker 1: I'm Mike Keith, joined by Titans Radio legend Larry Stone, 6 00:00:32,040 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 1: President and CEO of stonecom here in the Upper Cumberlands. 7 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:39,440 Speaker 1: Did I say that properly? You said that properly all right? 8 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:44,159 Speaker 1: Radio stations in the Cookeville, Tennessee area, to be exact. 9 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:48,800 Speaker 1: And Larry Stone the innovator of Titans Radio back in 10 00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:52,680 Speaker 1: the late nineteen nineties and stayed with us for nearly 11 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:57,080 Speaker 1: twenty years before embarking on his own thing radio ownership. 12 00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:00,840 Speaker 1: But as we visit on this holiday week end, we 13 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:05,520 Speaker 1: want to talk about something very special that was a 14 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:07,880 Speaker 1: big part that we've heard a lot about from fans 15 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:09,840 Speaker 1: over the last few months, and it sort of moved 16 00:01:09,959 --> 00:01:14,119 Speaker 1: me to say, let's do an official Titans podcast about 17 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:18,119 Speaker 1: Titans Caravan. And when you were involved with the Titans, 18 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:21,640 Speaker 1: Titans Caravan was one of your very favorite things. I 19 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:24,120 Speaker 1: would actually argue, Mike that it was my favorite thing 20 00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:26,840 Speaker 1: the thing that kept me going, and I'm sure we'll 21 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:29,200 Speaker 1: talk about during the course of the podcast. I mean, 22 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:31,960 Speaker 1: it's a lot of work. It was a lot of work, 23 00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:35,720 Speaker 1: and it was draining, but the thing that always kept 24 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:41,480 Speaker 1: me going was seeing the reaction on kids' faces. And 25 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 1: you know, as it evolved and we started doing school 26 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:48,120 Speaker 1: programs and here would come track running into the school 27 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:50,440 Speaker 1: and the kids their eyes would light up. And then 28 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:53,960 Speaker 1: those kids got to meet an NFL player And that 29 00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:56,520 Speaker 1: never happened to me as a kid, But to see 30 00:01:56,560 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 1: a big, tall, strong NFL player walk into your gym, Nay, 31 00:02:00,560 --> 00:02:02,640 Speaker 1: that was kind of what kept you going, especially when 32 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:05,600 Speaker 1: it was one of the big guys. Ye when in doubt, 33 00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:09,040 Speaker 1: pick a lineman, because even if you're making a public 34 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:12,960 Speaker 1: stop or a school stop or anything in between, when 35 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:16,520 Speaker 1: you walk in with one of those big individuals, it 36 00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:19,640 Speaker 1: certainly grabbed everybody's attention. And so many of those guys, 37 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:22,800 Speaker 1: especially the offensive lineman, you know, O lineman, don't want 38 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:25,640 Speaker 1: to be in the spotlight, but I think they enjoyed 39 00:02:25,919 --> 00:02:29,400 Speaker 1: getting that moment because they played their whole football career 40 00:02:30,080 --> 00:02:32,960 Speaker 1: not being the guy that threw the touchdown pass or 41 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:35,520 Speaker 1: not being the guy that recorded the Sack or whatever 42 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:38,560 Speaker 1: it was, but they were the star for that one 43 00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:41,560 Speaker 1: hour at that elementary school somewhere across the mid South. 44 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:45,040 Speaker 1: You were involved in the first Titans caravan in nineteen 45 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:48,799 Speaker 1: ninety eight when it was the Oilers Caravan, and that 46 00:02:48,919 --> 00:02:52,560 Speaker 1: was not exactly a dramatic success, no, and I mean 47 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:56,120 Speaker 1: it it was kind of put together at the last minute, 48 00:02:56,160 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 1: and we went on three airport shuttles in different directions 49 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:03,720 Speaker 1: and I think I ended up in Knoxville, if I 50 00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:06,639 Speaker 1: remember correctly, And so it wasn't a big deal. The 51 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:10,160 Speaker 1: crazy thing about the caravan is even as it gained 52 00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:14,480 Speaker 1: in its success, there were people around the NFL that 53 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:18,279 Speaker 1: would hear these stories and see it in NFL paraphernalia 54 00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:19,720 Speaker 1: in that sort of thing, and they were kind of like, 55 00:03:19,760 --> 00:03:23,680 Speaker 1: what what is this? What are you guys doing? I mean, 56 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:25,520 Speaker 1: you would know better than I, but I mean, I 57 00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:29,519 Speaker 1: think caravans have had a long tradition in baseball, but 58 00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:31,919 Speaker 1: there was really nobody in the NFL that had done 59 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:35,160 Speaker 1: anything of that nature. The Braves and the Reds have 60 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:37,400 Speaker 1: done it successfully in this part of the country and 61 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:41,000 Speaker 1: still do it in certain ways. It's not exactly how 62 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:44,440 Speaker 1: they once did it. But I remember as we embarked 63 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:47,960 Speaker 1: in nineteen ninety nine and the second Titans caravan to 64 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:51,320 Speaker 1: really kick it off, we took Jeff Fisher out and 65 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:55,920 Speaker 1: we're in an RV and we take Jeff Fisher all 66 00:03:55,960 --> 00:04:00,280 Speaker 1: the way to Try Cities and back, and may I 67 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:03,360 Speaker 1: think eleven total stops. I think you've got to be 68 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:06,760 Speaker 1: more specific. Okay, go ahead, because this is an NFL 69 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:10,680 Speaker 1: head coach. Now insert the name of anyone who is 70 00:04:10,720 --> 00:04:13,760 Speaker 1: an NFL head coach right now and say to him, sir, 71 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:16,400 Speaker 1: we'd like you to take two days with us. And 72 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:20,320 Speaker 1: we're going to start in Lebanon, and then we're going 73 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:23,680 Speaker 1: to make a stop in Crossville. We're gonna stop in Knoxville. 74 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:26,720 Speaker 1: We're gonna stop at a car dealer in Morristown. Then 75 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:29,000 Speaker 1: we're gonna go to Tri Cities. We're gonna spend the 76 00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:30,919 Speaker 1: night in Tri Cities. We're gonna get up and do 77 00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:33,520 Speaker 1: another stop in Tri Cities. The next morning, you're gonna 78 00:04:33,560 --> 00:04:38,360 Speaker 1: do television. Then we're gonna drive back to Newport, Tennessee, 79 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:41,360 Speaker 1: and then we're gonna stop in Severeville. We're gonna stop 80 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:44,440 Speaker 1: in Knoxville. We're gonna stop in Harriman. And we're gonna 81 00:04:44,440 --> 00:04:47,360 Speaker 1: stop in Cookville and then we'll go home and Coach, 82 00:04:47,640 --> 00:04:49,880 Speaker 1: you're all signed up, you're ready, have at it, have 83 00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:53,840 Speaker 1: at it. But he did it gladly, and he did 84 00:04:53,880 --> 00:04:56,919 Speaker 1: it well. He did it well. The Harriman stop was 85 00:04:57,000 --> 00:04:59,880 Speaker 1: the one that probably jumps out the most to me. 86 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:05,840 Speaker 1: It was a miserably think late March, cold, drizzly, just 87 00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:08,760 Speaker 1: on the verge of kind of spitting snow and sleep 88 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:11,760 Speaker 1: and we're driving into town. Is that one twenty seven? 89 00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:13,960 Speaker 1: I think that goes into Harriman and there's all these 90 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:16,880 Speaker 1: people walking and we're like, what is this And we 91 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:19,560 Speaker 1: get to the town square of the town park and 92 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:23,360 Speaker 1: it's packed, and it's what's six o'clock at nine, five 93 00:05:23,520 --> 00:05:25,680 Speaker 1: thirty six o'clock at night? Right, they were there to 94 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:28,080 Speaker 1: meet Jeff Fisher, and they were there to see him. 95 00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:30,160 Speaker 1: I don't think we did autographs or anything. I think 96 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:31,919 Speaker 1: we just kind of stopped and did a kind of 97 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:34,600 Speaker 1: a public event and then left. Yeah, he did a proclamation. 98 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:38,240 Speaker 1: It gave him the key to the city, and it's raining. 99 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:40,800 Speaker 1: They had taken so much time and put so much 100 00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:42,920 Speaker 1: into it, and they were very excited he was there. 101 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:47,800 Speaker 1: But the proclamation was like twenty thousand words. Well, he 102 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:50,919 Speaker 1: turned his head to me at one point during that 103 00:05:51,080 --> 00:05:54,120 Speaker 1: I'll never forgetting and he said, gosh, I didn't even 104 00:05:54,120 --> 00:05:58,159 Speaker 1: remember that. They're like, whereas Jeff Fisher returned to punt 105 00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:00,839 Speaker 1: in high school against I've done it at all and 106 00:06:00,920 --> 00:06:03,960 Speaker 1: everything was right and it was beautifully done. But it 107 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:07,880 Speaker 1: was very long, it was raining, and I'll never forget him. 108 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:10,640 Speaker 1: When we got through the last stop, he was like, 109 00:06:10,720 --> 00:06:14,080 Speaker 1: can we have an adult beverage now? And we stopped 110 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:16,560 Speaker 1: in Cookville. We stopped in Cookville and bought beer for 111 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:20,520 Speaker 1: the staff to drive back because everybody was over twenty one. 112 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:22,840 Speaker 1: But it was hard, and you know, we would do 113 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:26,080 Speaker 1: five or six stops in a day on the RV. 114 00:06:26,600 --> 00:06:28,280 Speaker 1: And I think one of the better things that ever 115 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:32,320 Speaker 1: happened to the caravan was the insurance regulation stepping in 116 00:06:32,960 --> 00:06:35,599 Speaker 1: and the team saying you could no longer take players 117 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:37,279 Speaker 1: out on an RV. And then we had to start 118 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:39,880 Speaker 1: going on a bus. And luckily we were based in 119 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:42,479 Speaker 1: Nashville where we could find a tour bus right or 120 00:06:42,520 --> 00:06:45,159 Speaker 1: two right. There are several companies in Nashville to do 121 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:47,480 Speaker 1: the tour buses for the country artists, and so I 122 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:50,080 Speaker 1: remember the first meeting we had and off I twenty 123 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:52,839 Speaker 1: four he said, okay, so do you want Rebus bus 124 00:06:52,920 --> 00:06:56,120 Speaker 1: or do you want Garth's bus? And it's like, we're good, 125 00:06:56,160 --> 00:06:58,000 Speaker 1: We're good. Whatever you want ever you want us to have, 126 00:06:58,240 --> 00:07:00,560 Speaker 1: well we'll take care of you. Deserve a lot of 127 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:03,880 Speaker 1: credit for the Caravan because I think even inside the 128 00:07:03,880 --> 00:07:09,360 Speaker 1: Titans organization, there wasn't the belief that you saw that 129 00:07:09,920 --> 00:07:14,160 Speaker 1: the Titans needed something that was hands on. We coined 130 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:17,480 Speaker 1: the term hand to hand combat of reaching out and 131 00:07:17,560 --> 00:07:21,040 Speaker 1: saying to fans, hey, thank you for supporting us. Hope 132 00:07:21,080 --> 00:07:23,360 Speaker 1: that you'll listen to a game, Hope you'll watch a game, 133 00:07:23,840 --> 00:07:26,000 Speaker 1: Hope you can come to a game. Hope you'll just 134 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:29,720 Speaker 1: cheer us on. And I don't think a lot of 135 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:33,680 Speaker 1: people believed when it started that there would be the 136 00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:35,960 Speaker 1: payback on that. Well we've started to see it. I 137 00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:38,840 Speaker 1: mean Ramon Foster told the story earlier this year about 138 00:07:38,960 --> 00:07:42,880 Speaker 1: meeting Javon Curse when he was a middle schooler on 139 00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:46,120 Speaker 1: the Caravan and Ramone Foster on our flagship Station one 140 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:49,440 Speaker 1: O four five Zone played at Tennessee, played eleven years 141 00:07:49,480 --> 00:07:53,280 Speaker 1: for the Steelers, but met Givon Curse in Ripley, Tennessee 142 00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:57,400 Speaker 1: on the Caravan twenty one years ago and talked about 143 00:07:57,400 --> 00:08:00,920 Speaker 1: what a defining moment that was in his life to 144 00:08:01,080 --> 00:08:04,360 Speaker 1: help to continue to motivate him to stay in school 145 00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:07,240 Speaker 1: and do his work and keep playing hard. If Javon 146 00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:09,800 Speaker 1: Kurse can do it, you can do it. And a 147 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:12,840 Speaker 1: teacher had done this for him, took him out of 148 00:08:12,880 --> 00:08:15,800 Speaker 1: a pe class to take he and a few other 149 00:08:15,840 --> 00:08:19,520 Speaker 1: players over to meet Javon in this way. And it 150 00:08:19,560 --> 00:08:22,920 Speaker 1: got to the point too where we started to have problems. 151 00:08:22,960 --> 00:08:27,560 Speaker 1: As the team had success, people were taking kids out 152 00:08:27,600 --> 00:08:31,040 Speaker 1: of school to go to the public stops, and so 153 00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:33,439 Speaker 1: we didn't think that was a very good look. So 154 00:08:33,480 --> 00:08:36,400 Speaker 1: we came up with the idea, let's have a school program, 155 00:08:36,520 --> 00:08:40,440 Speaker 1: and then you designed with Pete Nelson track at the time, 156 00:08:40,920 --> 00:08:44,280 Speaker 1: the Making Good Choices program, and that was a real joy. 157 00:08:44,440 --> 00:08:48,400 Speaker 1: And Pete he's a typical artist, and that he was 158 00:08:48,559 --> 00:08:52,720 Speaker 1: hard at some points to corral, but I always thought 159 00:08:52,800 --> 00:08:56,760 Speaker 1: that he brought his nature his personality was such that 160 00:08:56,840 --> 00:08:59,960 Speaker 1: it really fit in with the message that we were 161 00:09:00,160 --> 00:09:02,959 Speaker 1: trying to get because it was often hard to get 162 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:05,000 Speaker 1: Pete to make the right choices when he was in 163 00:09:05,040 --> 00:09:08,439 Speaker 1: that outfit, you know, and so you're saying, Pete, you can't, 164 00:09:08,480 --> 00:09:10,800 Speaker 1: you can't do this. We're trying to teach the kids 165 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:13,520 Speaker 1: that these are the right choices. And whether it was 166 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:17,920 Speaker 1: you know, exercise or you know, studying for tests or 167 00:09:18,679 --> 00:09:20,760 Speaker 1: you know, we were just at the start, which is 168 00:09:20,800 --> 00:09:22,680 Speaker 1: hard to believe, but we were really at the start 169 00:09:22,720 --> 00:09:26,160 Speaker 1: of the modern video game craize and so put the 170 00:09:26,240 --> 00:09:29,920 Speaker 1: video games down and go out and exercise and those 171 00:09:29,960 --> 00:09:31,480 Speaker 1: sorts of things. And so we worked with a lot 172 00:09:31,520 --> 00:09:34,120 Speaker 1: of teachers in Nashville to come up with messaging of 173 00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:36,320 Speaker 1: what were the things that they needed help on, what 174 00:09:36,400 --> 00:09:39,360 Speaker 1: were the things that kids needed to hear, what would 175 00:09:39,480 --> 00:09:42,680 Speaker 1: be the things that they would take from a session 176 00:09:42,800 --> 00:09:45,520 Speaker 1: like this. And then Trek was able to do it 177 00:09:45,600 --> 00:09:48,160 Speaker 1: with comedy and high jinks and that sort of thing. 178 00:09:48,160 --> 00:09:50,800 Speaker 1: And then you came in with a player and we 179 00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:53,760 Speaker 1: came right back to those same things of you know, 180 00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:56,240 Speaker 1: the one that sticks in my mind the most is, 181 00:09:56,320 --> 00:09:58,720 Speaker 1: you know, how big is the notebook that you carry 182 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:00,599 Speaker 1: to school? And the kids were always is amazed that, 183 00:10:00,720 --> 00:10:02,960 Speaker 1: you know, it's this thick because it's all the plays 184 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:04,880 Speaker 1: that I got to learn, and I sit in a 185 00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:09,120 Speaker 1: classroom just like you do and take tests. My test 186 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:12,760 Speaker 1: is every Sunday afternoon. And so trying to resonate that 187 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:16,200 Speaker 1: message with you know, second to fifth graders was where 188 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:19,360 Speaker 1: we tried to kind of in most cases get the 189 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:23,000 Speaker 1: school programmed to fit. And that was a joy. That 190 00:10:23,080 --> 00:10:25,439 Speaker 1: was to me the turning point of the caravan, because 191 00:10:25,480 --> 00:10:29,120 Speaker 1: at first it was just autograph sessions, and the autograph 192 00:10:29,280 --> 00:10:34,440 Speaker 1: sessions could get so crazy, particularly after we went to 193 00:10:34,480 --> 00:10:38,040 Speaker 1: the super Bowl and after some of the success, we 194 00:10:38,120 --> 00:10:40,839 Speaker 1: had situations where we would end up being hours off 195 00:10:40,880 --> 00:10:44,600 Speaker 1: schedule because we couldn't leave, in large part because the 196 00:10:44,640 --> 00:10:46,960 Speaker 1: players didn't want to leave. They didn't want to leave 197 00:10:47,080 --> 00:10:50,480 Speaker 1: people standing in line. And you know, when we had 198 00:10:50,559 --> 00:10:53,960 Speaker 1: javonn Curse and Steve McNair together in Knoxville at the 199 00:10:54,120 --> 00:10:58,319 Speaker 1: Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, that was easily the craziest 200 00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:01,000 Speaker 1: sept all the way around the floors, multiple floors, out 201 00:11:01,040 --> 00:11:02,840 Speaker 1: the score and all that. And I think the other 202 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:04,920 Speaker 1: thing about that, Mike, was that I always felt like 203 00:11:05,120 --> 00:11:08,160 Speaker 1: you didn't want it to become hey, here's an autograph, 204 00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:11,960 Speaker 1: move on, move along. You know, you wanted people to 205 00:11:12,040 --> 00:11:16,920 Speaker 1: have a moment, you know, to say hello, to Joe Nedney, 206 00:11:17,080 --> 00:11:20,480 Speaker 1: say hello to Drew Bennett, to say hello to Kevin Carter, 207 00:11:21,160 --> 00:11:25,200 Speaker 1: and feel like they knew them, because again, it's not 208 00:11:25,280 --> 00:11:28,960 Speaker 1: an everyday occasion that you have that opportunity. We didn't 209 00:11:28,960 --> 00:11:30,760 Speaker 1: want it to be an autograph show like where you 210 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:34,760 Speaker 1: go pay fifty bucks to get Pete Rose autographs or 211 00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:37,679 Speaker 1: something like that, and people never had to pay, never 212 00:11:37,760 --> 00:11:40,880 Speaker 1: had to pay. We always had the team poster of 213 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:44,200 Speaker 1: some sort, generally a schedule poster, and so if you 214 00:11:44,360 --> 00:11:46,880 Speaker 1: wanted to get that signed, you could get that signed, 215 00:11:46,960 --> 00:11:48,800 Speaker 1: or if you wanted to bring your own item, in 216 00:11:48,840 --> 00:11:51,120 Speaker 1: many cases we had to say, hey, you can only 217 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:53,920 Speaker 1: get one thing, and I guess we didn't feel too 218 00:11:53,960 --> 00:11:56,679 Speaker 1: badly about that because it was free and because we 219 00:11:56,679 --> 00:12:00,480 Speaker 1: were trying to give as many people as possible chance 220 00:12:00,480 --> 00:12:03,720 Speaker 1: in a limited window. People would bring, you know, things 221 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:07,680 Speaker 1: that they had crocheted or I remember birdhouses were a 222 00:12:07,760 --> 00:12:10,520 Speaker 1: very popular thing that we saw an awful lot of, 223 00:12:10,679 --> 00:12:14,760 Speaker 1: and things that meant something to them that they wanted 224 00:12:14,800 --> 00:12:17,199 Speaker 1: to have autographed, and that was one of the cool 225 00:12:17,280 --> 00:12:19,800 Speaker 1: parts of the whole thing. When the Caravan was really 226 00:12:19,880 --> 00:12:22,800 Speaker 1: in its heyday, we would do five to six stops 227 00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:25,040 Speaker 1: a day, and eventually we just said five is all 228 00:12:25,080 --> 00:12:28,160 Speaker 1: we can do, and we would do a school program 229 00:12:28,200 --> 00:12:33,560 Speaker 1: at nine thirty ish, another school program probably late morning. 230 00:12:33,679 --> 00:12:37,560 Speaker 1: But the key to that was lunch, lunch. The one 231 00:12:37,679 --> 00:12:41,439 Speaker 1: thing no school would ever let us interrupt was their 232 00:12:41,520 --> 00:12:44,280 Speaker 1: lunch schedule. That's right, because they could not get off 233 00:12:44,320 --> 00:12:47,800 Speaker 1: schedule for lunch. So we'd do an early morning, a 234 00:12:47,880 --> 00:12:50,920 Speaker 1: late morning, and then sometime in the afternoon, and then 235 00:12:51,040 --> 00:12:54,000 Speaker 1: after three o'clock we would start the autograph sessions. And 236 00:12:54,080 --> 00:12:56,720 Speaker 1: so we would do a four o'clock and a six 237 00:12:56,920 --> 00:12:59,400 Speaker 1: thirty or a seven, according to where we were trying 238 00:12:59,400 --> 00:13:03,240 Speaker 1: to get. We had sponsor obligations, we had radio stations 239 00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:06,160 Speaker 1: that we had to go see. We generally tried to 240 00:13:06,360 --> 00:13:10,040 Speaker 1: end days in bigger markets because we wanted to give 241 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:12,360 Speaker 1: the media a chance at the same time, So there 242 00:13:12,360 --> 00:13:14,720 Speaker 1: were a lot of things that factored into it. The 243 00:13:14,920 --> 00:13:19,320 Speaker 1: planning was awful. It was awful, but in some sick 244 00:13:19,360 --> 00:13:22,120 Speaker 1: and twisted way, I know it was fun. It was fun. 245 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:24,840 Speaker 1: I will admit, I'll take the title of being the 246 00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:27,520 Speaker 1: king of seeing how much we could fit in. And 247 00:13:28,240 --> 00:13:31,199 Speaker 1: the reasoning for it was, you're not going to get 248 00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:34,720 Speaker 1: these players out that often that's true, and so let's 249 00:13:34,800 --> 00:13:37,720 Speaker 1: fit in as much as we can. And so I 250 00:13:37,760 --> 00:13:41,880 Speaker 1: think the average year it was nineteen or twenty iterations 251 00:13:41,920 --> 00:13:44,040 Speaker 1: of the schedule. It's kind of like you know when 252 00:13:44,080 --> 00:13:47,480 Speaker 1: you read Peter King's how they get to the game schedule. 253 00:13:47,920 --> 00:13:50,760 Speaker 1: But we'd go through all these iterations of trying and 254 00:13:51,040 --> 00:13:53,760 Speaker 1: and and I think you and I were kind of 255 00:13:53,760 --> 00:13:55,760 Speaker 1: the leaders of the band and saying, let's get to 256 00:13:55,800 --> 00:13:58,480 Speaker 1: new places, right, let's go to places that we haven't 257 00:13:58,520 --> 00:14:02,360 Speaker 1: been before. And so I know in West Tennessee there 258 00:14:02,400 --> 00:14:04,880 Speaker 1: was only one county that we never made it to, 259 00:14:05,240 --> 00:14:07,080 Speaker 1: which was you know the answer to that, I want 260 00:14:07,080 --> 00:14:09,559 Speaker 1: to say it was probably Lake County County. We tried 261 00:14:09,559 --> 00:14:12,120 Speaker 1: to get into school there and I never forget it. 262 00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:15,000 Speaker 1: We thought we had it done and it was a 263 00:14:15,040 --> 00:14:17,640 Speaker 1: big disappointment to me. It's still a big disappointment to me. 264 00:14:17,760 --> 00:14:19,440 Speaker 1: You know, it's a smaller county. So it was going 265 00:14:19,520 --> 00:14:21,080 Speaker 1: to be a school. That was the way it was 266 00:14:21,120 --> 00:14:24,320 Speaker 1: going to work. And we could never work it out. 267 00:14:24,400 --> 00:14:27,440 Speaker 1: And there was another thing that came in as we 268 00:14:27,480 --> 00:14:30,240 Speaker 1: moved later and later into the many years of the 269 00:14:30,280 --> 00:14:33,360 Speaker 1: caravan that became an issue, and that was state testing 270 00:14:33,640 --> 00:14:38,080 Speaker 1: at the time when the caravan happened, and it fluctuated 271 00:14:38,120 --> 00:14:40,640 Speaker 1: in the ninety nine year. We actually started in marsh Yeah, 272 00:14:40,640 --> 00:14:43,920 Speaker 1: I went mid March. The caravan at one point spanned 273 00:14:43,920 --> 00:14:47,640 Speaker 1: over not every day, but spanned over two months. Coach 274 00:14:47,720 --> 00:14:51,880 Speaker 1: Fisher would allow players to be out of the off 275 00:14:51,960 --> 00:14:54,920 Speaker 1: season program for a day to go on the caravan, 276 00:14:55,280 --> 00:14:58,320 Speaker 1: and he would still credit them with being there. Now, 277 00:14:58,360 --> 00:15:01,720 Speaker 1: think about that. The rules are different now because Coach 278 00:15:01,760 --> 00:15:04,480 Speaker 1: Fisher had a sixteen week program. Now they only have 279 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:07,920 Speaker 1: a nine week program. That's a major change. But he 280 00:15:07,960 --> 00:15:10,840 Speaker 1: would say, I think it's valuable enough for you to 281 00:15:10,880 --> 00:15:14,280 Speaker 1: go on the caravan. It's an excused absence, and it's 282 00:15:14,320 --> 00:15:16,920 Speaker 1: counted as one of your four of the five days 283 00:15:17,040 --> 00:15:20,480 Speaker 1: during the week, so you don't lose perfect attendance towards 284 00:15:20,480 --> 00:15:24,240 Speaker 1: your performance bonus or anything else. I don't think there 285 00:15:24,360 --> 00:15:28,400 Speaker 1: was a star Titan that did not go on the caravan. 286 00:15:28,640 --> 00:15:31,080 Speaker 1: There wasn't, which was one of the things we heard 287 00:15:31,080 --> 00:15:34,080 Speaker 1: about the baseball caravans is that they're getting the bullpen 288 00:15:34,160 --> 00:15:36,280 Speaker 1: catch right, and or the you know the guy that's 289 00:15:36,280 --> 00:15:39,520 Speaker 1: going to end up in Double A and Topeka, right, 290 00:15:39,600 --> 00:15:42,520 Speaker 1: you know. But we were bringing stars the first guy 291 00:15:42,560 --> 00:15:45,400 Speaker 1: who didn't go on the caravan who was a big 292 00:15:45,440 --> 00:15:50,160 Speaker 1: pick was actually pac Man Jones. Otherwise everybody went. As 293 00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:53,200 Speaker 1: a matter of fact, Chris Johnson eventually ended up going 294 00:15:53,200 --> 00:15:56,080 Speaker 1: on Titan's caravan, and so he was the one that 295 00:15:56,120 --> 00:15:58,280 Speaker 1: we were kind of waiting on, you know, to kind 296 00:15:58,280 --> 00:16:00,680 Speaker 1: of get through and make sure we got him on there, 297 00:16:00,720 --> 00:16:04,680 Speaker 1: because you know, Steve McNair went multiple times, Eddie George went, 298 00:16:05,240 --> 00:16:08,280 Speaker 1: Javon Curse went multiple times. Eddie George went on the 299 00:16:08,400 --> 00:16:11,200 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety eight caravan. We actually did a boys and 300 00:16:11,240 --> 00:16:14,000 Speaker 1: girls club in Bowling Green that Eddie went to, and 301 00:16:14,080 --> 00:16:16,720 Speaker 1: so again we did all kinds of different things. Yeah, 302 00:16:16,760 --> 00:16:19,760 Speaker 1: I blew it with Eddie George in ninety nine. So 303 00:16:19,880 --> 00:16:22,360 Speaker 1: I grew up in Franklin, and I watched the weather 304 00:16:22,440 --> 00:16:24,880 Speaker 1: on TV, and so I would see the weather map, 305 00:16:24,880 --> 00:16:29,080 Speaker 1: and I knew that Kentucky was very near the Tennessee 306 00:16:29,120 --> 00:16:32,360 Speaker 1: line because I'd never actually been up to Kentucky. I'd 307 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:35,560 Speaker 1: had no reason to go that far north. But I 308 00:16:35,640 --> 00:16:38,520 Speaker 1: assumed that Bowling Green and clarksvill were very close together. 309 00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:42,320 Speaker 1: They're not. They're in the same time, they're in the 310 00:16:42,360 --> 00:16:47,920 Speaker 1: same time zone. So I booked a caravan stop in 311 00:16:48,120 --> 00:16:51,080 Speaker 1: Clarksville to go to Bowling Green and gave us like 312 00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:54,440 Speaker 1: thirty minutes to get there, and so we're on the RV. 313 00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:58,400 Speaker 1: It's gonna be a lot longer than thirty minutes. Anyway, 314 00:16:58,880 --> 00:17:02,120 Speaker 1: there is a traffic jam and the guy who's driving 315 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:05,879 Speaker 1: us that day is on his phone talking to somebody 316 00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:10,680 Speaker 1: about the NASCAR race, and so Eddie's not happy. It's 317 00:17:10,720 --> 00:17:14,160 Speaker 1: not good. It's a huge faux pa. And we get 318 00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:16,800 Speaker 1: there and it ends up being great. The thing that 319 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:20,959 Speaker 1: saved us about that day was Fort Campbell. Yeah, because 320 00:17:21,480 --> 00:17:23,919 Speaker 1: I was talking to Bob Hyde, who's the vice president 321 00:17:23,960 --> 00:17:29,920 Speaker 1: community Relations, the other instigator of the caravan year after year, 322 00:17:30,080 --> 00:17:33,080 Speaker 1: and he's got his own great caravan stories as well, 323 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:34,920 Speaker 1: and I said, Bob, I said, I think we should 324 00:17:34,920 --> 00:17:36,880 Speaker 1: go to Fort Campbell. I said, you know, that's where 325 00:17:36,880 --> 00:17:38,760 Speaker 1: the hundred first Airborne is. I think that would be 326 00:17:38,800 --> 00:17:40,639 Speaker 1: good for the team. He's like, yeah, that's a good idea. 327 00:17:40,880 --> 00:17:45,199 Speaker 1: And so we go to Fort Campbell and when we 328 00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:47,639 Speaker 1: get there, they put us at the PX. If you 329 00:17:47,800 --> 00:17:50,119 Speaker 1: live on Post, that's where you go to shop. And 330 00:17:50,200 --> 00:17:54,760 Speaker 1: it was fantastic. It was as good an experience as 331 00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:57,440 Speaker 1: I had ever had to that point with anything like that, 332 00:17:57,560 --> 00:18:02,760 Speaker 1: because the soldiers and the families were so appreciative. Most 333 00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:04,440 Speaker 1: of them are from other parts of the country, and 334 00:18:04,840 --> 00:18:06,320 Speaker 1: they would come up to Eddie and say, Hey, I'm 335 00:18:06,359 --> 00:18:09,679 Speaker 1: a Cleveland Browns fan, but good to see you, or hey, 336 00:18:09,840 --> 00:18:12,400 Speaker 1: the Green Bay Packers really gave it to you last year. 337 00:18:12,440 --> 00:18:14,640 Speaker 1: I'm a Packers fan, but hey, thanks for being here. 338 00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:19,440 Speaker 1: And then suddenly that became a regular thing, and this 339 00:18:19,480 --> 00:18:21,240 Speaker 1: is one of the most beautiful stories of the caravan. 340 00:18:21,359 --> 00:18:25,560 Speaker 1: Fort Campbell became a regular thing. And now the relationship 341 00:18:25,680 --> 00:18:30,040 Speaker 1: between the Titans and Fort Campbell is so strong. We 342 00:18:30,119 --> 00:18:33,000 Speaker 1: sat at a breakfast with General Petraeus and got to 343 00:18:33,040 --> 00:18:37,000 Speaker 1: hear him have a conversation one year with Jeff Fisher, 344 00:18:37,080 --> 00:18:39,440 Speaker 1: and I mean it was fascinating to hear two men 345 00:18:39,480 --> 00:18:42,399 Speaker 1: of this intellect. Remember of the day we got to 346 00:18:42,400 --> 00:18:44,360 Speaker 1: go to the briefing. We got to go to the briefing. 347 00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:50,639 Speaker 1: People have gotten to find helicopters and fire weapons and 348 00:18:50,920 --> 00:18:54,160 Speaker 1: riding tanks and do all kinds of things. Just the 349 00:18:54,280 --> 00:18:59,040 Speaker 1: overall appreciation you took the entire offensive line to the PX. 350 00:18:59,600 --> 00:19:02,560 Speaker 1: What a day that was. I mean, that was so 351 00:19:03,359 --> 00:19:06,600 Speaker 1: fantastic because these soldiers aren't afraid to mix it up 352 00:19:06,640 --> 00:19:08,399 Speaker 1: with them. Sure, they'll give it to him good. And 353 00:19:08,480 --> 00:19:10,680 Speaker 1: the players love that and they're like, hey, come around 354 00:19:10,680 --> 00:19:12,719 Speaker 1: here and take a picture. And I mean we'd be 355 00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:16,760 Speaker 1: there two or three hours. And Eddie getting that response 356 00:19:16,800 --> 00:19:22,080 Speaker 1: in ninety nine saved my butt. But it also gave 357 00:19:22,200 --> 00:19:25,400 Speaker 1: us something quite special that became a hallmark of the caravan. 358 00:19:25,640 --> 00:19:28,720 Speaker 1: Every year the caravan was gonna have a Fort Campbell stop. 359 00:19:28,760 --> 00:19:30,679 Speaker 1: No matter what I think, we have to stop and 360 00:19:30,720 --> 00:19:33,120 Speaker 1: say something about something you said at the beginning of that. 361 00:19:33,240 --> 00:19:37,200 Speaker 1: And there's someone listening to that's podcast that's wondering, how 362 00:19:37,240 --> 00:19:38,959 Speaker 1: in the hell did you not know how far it 363 00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:42,400 Speaker 1: was from Clarksfield Bowling Grey Why didn't you look it up? Remember, 364 00:19:42,760 --> 00:19:46,360 Speaker 1: for the first ten years of the caravan, there was 365 00:19:47,480 --> 00:19:51,440 Speaker 1: no Google Maps apps, and in five there are many 366 00:19:51,520 --> 00:19:55,840 Speaker 1: stories of us going north to South Fulton, or we 367 00:19:55,880 --> 00:19:59,639 Speaker 1: relied on people when we would call and set up stops. Okay, 368 00:19:59,640 --> 00:20:03,159 Speaker 1: we're coming from Knoxville. We'll be coming down I seventy 369 00:20:03,160 --> 00:20:06,480 Speaker 1: five US direction. You get us into town and I'll 370 00:20:06,480 --> 00:20:10,600 Speaker 1: never forget that. The lady took us to her child's 371 00:20:10,600 --> 00:20:13,639 Speaker 1: school and it was not where we were supposed to 372 00:20:13,680 --> 00:20:15,800 Speaker 1: do this. Did we go ahead and do it? No, 373 00:20:16,320 --> 00:20:18,400 Speaker 1: we got there, and then they're like, this is you're 374 00:20:18,400 --> 00:20:20,640 Speaker 1: at the wrong school. We're supposed to be at the well. 375 00:20:20,720 --> 00:20:23,520 Speaker 1: Remember too, here's another great one along those lines. We're 376 00:20:23,520 --> 00:20:26,800 Speaker 1: supposed to visit w KDZ and Katie's Kentucky and they 377 00:20:26,800 --> 00:20:29,680 Speaker 1: were a new station on the network, and we put 378 00:20:29,720 --> 00:20:33,760 Speaker 1: down the address and it was their transmitter site. I'd 379 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:35,960 Speaker 1: forgotten that it's in the middle of a farm, and 380 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:38,480 Speaker 1: we're sitting here going, oh, no, we've taken us to 381 00:20:38,560 --> 00:20:41,800 Speaker 1: where the transmitter is, not where the radio station is. 382 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:44,399 Speaker 1: I had one every year in terms of trying to 383 00:20:44,440 --> 00:20:47,200 Speaker 1: lay it out that I absolutely blew it. We were 384 00:20:47,359 --> 00:20:51,240 Speaker 1: always involved in the operations of the thing, and so 385 00:20:51,320 --> 00:20:53,400 Speaker 1: you had the fact that you I mean, you had 386 00:20:53,440 --> 00:20:55,680 Speaker 1: the fact you had a whole aggressive Larry over here 387 00:20:55,680 --> 00:20:58,000 Speaker 1: who's like, let's see, can we get in twelve stops 388 00:20:58,040 --> 00:21:01,280 Speaker 1: in one day. One of the parts of the logistics 389 00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:03,800 Speaker 1: that I'd love to hear you talk about and you 390 00:21:03,840 --> 00:21:06,760 Speaker 1: wouldn't think again that this is a hard part. But 391 00:21:06,880 --> 00:21:09,400 Speaker 1: the food. The food, because the players have to eat, 392 00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:12,320 Speaker 1: and players who don't eat are very grumpy. And again 393 00:21:12,359 --> 00:21:16,679 Speaker 1: We're not in Knoxville, Chattanooga at every stop. We're also 394 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:23,040 Speaker 1: not in Health Conscious twenty twenty one, where people eat 395 00:21:23,240 --> 00:21:27,280 Speaker 1: vegan or gluten free. I mean, at this point, the 396 00:21:27,320 --> 00:21:29,600 Speaker 1: boys just eat, you know. For one thing, we had 397 00:21:29,600 --> 00:21:34,040 Speaker 1: to keep Pete Nelson t Rack hydrated and fed because 398 00:21:34,040 --> 00:21:36,919 Speaker 1: he would lose so much weight in that suit every day, 399 00:21:36,960 --> 00:21:39,960 Speaker 1: and then we'd be starving, and so planning the food 400 00:21:40,160 --> 00:21:43,159 Speaker 1: was a thing. And then we had sponsors, you know, 401 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:45,159 Speaker 1: who would help us out. And then we would go 402 00:21:45,320 --> 00:21:50,520 Speaker 1: to certain places and we tried very deliberately to get food. 403 00:21:50,560 --> 00:21:53,200 Speaker 1: If we're in Hoe and Wall, right, we would try 404 00:21:53,200 --> 00:21:55,960 Speaker 1: to order food there to try to help the community. Right. 405 00:21:56,280 --> 00:21:59,119 Speaker 1: We had some great partners. Oh, Charlie's helped us a lot. 406 00:21:59,160 --> 00:22:02,560 Speaker 1: Logan's Roadhouse helped us a lot. Rafferties helped us a lot. 407 00:22:03,040 --> 00:22:05,159 Speaker 1: You know. There were some some people who were just 408 00:22:05,320 --> 00:22:09,160 Speaker 1: Wendy's Kroger. I mean, yeah, they did a great job. 409 00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:12,320 Speaker 1: But we would try to eat it some local establishments. 410 00:22:12,359 --> 00:22:15,000 Speaker 1: And my favorite was we were at a place in 411 00:22:15,080 --> 00:22:19,399 Speaker 1: West Tennessee and I asked the radio station folks, I 412 00:22:19,400 --> 00:22:21,200 Speaker 1: said where should I order to lunch? And they said 413 00:22:21,280 --> 00:22:24,440 Speaker 1: order from this market. They said, this is the place 414 00:22:24,960 --> 00:22:27,720 Speaker 1: where all the folks who work for a living go 415 00:22:27,800 --> 00:22:31,920 Speaker 1: to get their lunch. And anybody knows places like that 416 00:22:32,080 --> 00:22:34,560 Speaker 1: have the best food. Absolutely, I mean it's not even clothes. 417 00:22:35,040 --> 00:22:39,119 Speaker 1: And so they said, order hamburgers, order you know, different 418 00:22:39,200 --> 00:22:42,320 Speaker 1: sandwiches whatever. They have, fried pies, I mean stuff that 419 00:22:42,400 --> 00:22:45,760 Speaker 1: again today, the players would never touch it. The other 420 00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:49,199 Speaker 1: thing that they had too, is they had fried Balogney sandwiches. 421 00:22:49,320 --> 00:22:54,200 Speaker 1: And I'm not talking about in the store prepackaged blogney. 422 00:22:54,280 --> 00:22:57,840 Speaker 1: I'm talking about blogney like you had growing up. They 423 00:22:57,920 --> 00:23:01,399 Speaker 1: cut it thick and fried it real good, and they 424 00:23:01,520 --> 00:23:04,359 Speaker 1: put mustard and pickles on it, and I'll never forget 425 00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:07,760 Speaker 1: I ordered extra fried Blogny sandwiches so the players could 426 00:23:07,800 --> 00:23:10,479 Speaker 1: try it. They had never had it before, and they 427 00:23:10,520 --> 00:23:12,520 Speaker 1: thought it was the grossest thing they had ever heard 428 00:23:12,600 --> 00:23:14,959 Speaker 1: until they ate it on white bread, and then they 429 00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:17,240 Speaker 1: ate it like the like there was no tomorrow. We 430 00:23:17,240 --> 00:23:19,320 Speaker 1: didn't even have to have debtor. But yeah, the food 431 00:23:19,400 --> 00:23:21,639 Speaker 1: was kind of my job, and I always tried to 432 00:23:21,680 --> 00:23:25,440 Speaker 1: have way too much food, and then we would give 433 00:23:25,520 --> 00:23:28,560 Speaker 1: the food away that was left over at the end 434 00:23:28,560 --> 00:23:32,040 Speaker 1: of the day to people working at the hotel. Or 435 00:23:32,160 --> 00:23:34,359 Speaker 1: somebody outside who looked like they needed a meal. We 436 00:23:34,400 --> 00:23:36,760 Speaker 1: tried hard never to waste anything, and then people would 437 00:23:36,760 --> 00:23:40,800 Speaker 1: bring food on for us too. Here's a pie, made 438 00:23:40,800 --> 00:23:43,960 Speaker 1: your cake, talking about another logistics thing. Okay, I go okay. 439 00:23:44,080 --> 00:23:47,880 Speaker 1: So as as the person who started the school program 440 00:23:47,920 --> 00:23:50,679 Speaker 1: and got to host that with Treck, great fun, one 441 00:23:50,720 --> 00:23:52,960 Speaker 1: of the high points in my career in all honesty. 442 00:23:53,160 --> 00:23:54,760 Speaker 1: You know, he would come up at the start of 443 00:23:54,800 --> 00:23:58,200 Speaker 1: the program, come onto the stage, come running on and 444 00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:01,439 Speaker 1: PLoP his big old paw on my shoulder. Well, by 445 00:24:01,560 --> 00:24:06,680 Speaker 1: day seven, the stinch of the raccoon is very high, rough, 446 00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:09,640 Speaker 1: and so you remember one of the big operational challenges 447 00:24:09,680 --> 00:24:13,679 Speaker 1: that we always had is we had to go most 448 00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:17,200 Speaker 1: nights and get the suit washed because again we're talking 449 00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:19,399 Speaker 1: about in a lot of cases April May it was 450 00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:23,879 Speaker 1: nappy because that thing's like forty degrees higher, it's like 451 00:24:23,880 --> 00:24:26,879 Speaker 1: a hundred and twenty degrees. Yeah, I've always given in 452 00:24:26,960 --> 00:24:28,720 Speaker 1: the credit. I mean, he didn't mail it in. Oh 453 00:24:28,800 --> 00:24:31,280 Speaker 1: he worked, he worked, and you know a lot of 454 00:24:31,320 --> 00:24:35,080 Speaker 1: schools that did not have air conditioning. It's emblazing in 455 00:24:35,160 --> 00:24:38,280 Speaker 1: my memory, the smell of walking into a gym. Kids 456 00:24:38,280 --> 00:24:41,040 Speaker 1: that aren't wearing gilderant in that sort of thing. You 457 00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:43,600 Speaker 1: just walk in any here we are in the gym 458 00:24:43,760 --> 00:24:45,920 Speaker 1: or in the gym. See if you remember this one. 459 00:24:46,040 --> 00:24:49,600 Speaker 1: The challenge of police escorts. Oh I love police escorts. 460 00:24:49,680 --> 00:24:52,159 Speaker 1: We would get into situations from time to time, as 461 00:24:52,240 --> 00:24:57,119 Speaker 1: Mike described earlier, where we were way behind, way by it, 462 00:24:57,320 --> 00:25:00,119 Speaker 1: and so the radio stations oftentimes would say, hey, let 463 00:25:00,200 --> 00:25:03,720 Speaker 1: us get you a police escort into town. Okay. We 464 00:25:03,720 --> 00:25:07,040 Speaker 1: were used to the police escorts that the team gets 465 00:25:07,080 --> 00:25:10,399 Speaker 1: when the team was on the road, and it's basically, 466 00:25:10,720 --> 00:25:13,719 Speaker 1: get the heck out of the way we're coming through. Well, 467 00:25:13,720 --> 00:25:15,879 Speaker 1: a lot of times the police that would escort the 468 00:25:15,960 --> 00:25:19,760 Speaker 1: caravan thought that we were in the business of getting attention. Yes, 469 00:25:20,240 --> 00:25:23,760 Speaker 1: so they would drive twelve miles an hour. We're like, 470 00:25:23,880 --> 00:25:28,399 Speaker 1: we're thirty minutes behind, and we would get there. And 471 00:25:28,520 --> 00:25:33,840 Speaker 1: so the radio station or the partner whatever would want 472 00:25:33,880 --> 00:25:36,320 Speaker 1: to do something with the players are like, look, people 473 00:25:36,359 --> 00:25:40,280 Speaker 1: have been waiting. We believed so much in getting the 474 00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:45,200 Speaker 1: players to the people as quickly as we could because 475 00:25:45,359 --> 00:25:47,919 Speaker 1: we put ourselves in the position of the mom and 476 00:25:47,960 --> 00:25:51,640 Speaker 1: the dad standing there with Timmy, you know, waiting on 477 00:25:51,760 --> 00:25:55,520 Speaker 1: Kevin Carter to arrive, or waiting on samari Roll to arrive, 478 00:25:55,760 --> 00:25:58,800 Speaker 1: or Kyle Vandenbasch. I want to back up for just 479 00:25:58,840 --> 00:26:01,920 Speaker 1: a second. I want to hit two school programs. How 480 00:26:01,960 --> 00:26:05,040 Speaker 1: many of those do you figure you hosted fifty? I 481 00:26:05,040 --> 00:26:07,800 Speaker 1: was going to say more than that, probably, but a lot, 482 00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:12,320 Speaker 1: but I'll never forget. You would always ask the audience 483 00:26:12,359 --> 00:26:16,439 Speaker 1: a question, right, is this the West Tennessee schools? This 484 00:26:16,600 --> 00:26:21,280 Speaker 1: is the West Tennessee school story? So what was the question? 485 00:26:21,440 --> 00:26:25,400 Speaker 1: You would always throw out? Kids? What what? What? What? 486 00:26:24,880 --> 00:26:27,680 Speaker 1: What do we tell Trac? Why do we tell t Rec? Okay, 487 00:26:27,720 --> 00:26:30,960 Speaker 1: So we're at a school in West Tennessee and Larry 488 00:26:31,080 --> 00:26:34,200 Speaker 1: throws out his traditional line, when t Rec has been bad? 489 00:26:34,680 --> 00:26:37,280 Speaker 1: What do we do with t Rec? I am standing 490 00:26:37,600 --> 00:26:41,680 Speaker 1: thirty yards behind you, waiting to go on for my part. 491 00:26:42,760 --> 00:26:46,200 Speaker 1: When you throw out the question, what happens. One of 492 00:26:46,280 --> 00:26:48,760 Speaker 1: the things that we learned very quickly was that this 493 00:26:48,840 --> 00:26:53,000 Speaker 1: program worked best was second to fifth graders, right, right, 494 00:26:53,200 --> 00:26:56,680 Speaker 1: We could go sixth graders, but beyond that they thought 495 00:26:56,720 --> 00:26:59,840 Speaker 1: t Reck was a loser, a loser Dorton, right, And 496 00:27:00,119 --> 00:27:03,680 Speaker 1: so we were pretty strict with school personnel. Look, we 497 00:27:03,720 --> 00:27:05,639 Speaker 1: want these kids to get something out of this. This 498 00:27:05,720 --> 00:27:08,920 Speaker 1: is not just an NFL player showing up, right. So 499 00:27:09,240 --> 00:27:12,560 Speaker 1: this school said, well, we just hate to not have 500 00:27:12,720 --> 00:27:16,280 Speaker 1: our eighth through twelfth graders at to school. And you're thinking, 501 00:27:16,440 --> 00:27:18,199 Speaker 1: this is not going to work. This is not going 502 00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:23,560 Speaker 1: to work. We get to the school, so you know, 503 00:27:23,600 --> 00:27:26,480 Speaker 1: Principal Smith, are you going to have the eighth through twelve? Yeah, 504 00:27:26,480 --> 00:27:30,080 Speaker 1: we we just can't let them have out. You know 505 00:27:30,160 --> 00:27:35,720 Speaker 1: they'd be heartbroken. Okay, we walk in the gym. The kindergarten, second, third, fourth, 506 00:27:35,720 --> 00:27:38,360 Speaker 1: and fifth graders are at the far end of the gym. 507 00:27:38,440 --> 00:27:41,000 Speaker 1: This is a huge high school gym. Yes, they're at 508 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:44,359 Speaker 1: the back corner on the bleachers, sitting in front of me, 509 00:27:45,080 --> 00:27:48,800 Speaker 1: our eighth graders. You can probably project where this is going. 510 00:27:48,920 --> 00:27:51,520 Speaker 1: It's not good. So Larry asked the question. And a 511 00:27:51,640 --> 00:27:54,320 Speaker 1: young lady on the right side and in row four, 512 00:27:54,400 --> 00:27:57,399 Speaker 1: I'll never forget where she was sitting. She said, just 513 00:27:57,560 --> 00:28:03,679 Speaker 1: tell t Rack to go blank himself, and not in 514 00:28:03,760 --> 00:28:08,120 Speaker 1: a whisper, yes, but in a high school gym, yes, 515 00:28:08,440 --> 00:28:11,720 Speaker 1: with a strong eighth grade voice. Yes. And she didn't 516 00:28:11,760 --> 00:28:14,520 Speaker 1: say blank, by the way, No, for the ot people, 517 00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:17,960 Speaker 1: she did not say blank. She said a four letter 518 00:28:18,240 --> 00:28:22,040 Speaker 1: curse word that rhymes would luck. This rhymes with Andrew Luck. 519 00:28:22,320 --> 00:28:26,000 Speaker 1: I couldn't hear it where I was, but Larry turned 520 00:28:26,040 --> 00:28:29,920 Speaker 1: around and had the strangest look on his face. He's 521 00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:34,119 Speaker 1: kind of laughing, he's kind of grimacing, but it's obvious 522 00:28:34,280 --> 00:28:38,320 Speaker 1: he is gathering himself to sort of pull it back 523 00:28:38,320 --> 00:28:40,920 Speaker 1: together to go on with the program. Because if you 524 00:28:40,960 --> 00:28:44,040 Speaker 1: were around this, because there were other members of our 525 00:28:44,120 --> 00:28:47,360 Speaker 1: staff who heard it too well, and Pete standing next 526 00:28:47,360 --> 00:28:53,280 Speaker 1: to me, absolutely fall He is falling apart, yes, laughing 527 00:28:53,320 --> 00:28:55,720 Speaker 1: at this well, the other people that heard it. I 528 00:28:55,760 --> 00:28:57,360 Speaker 1: don't know if you remember. This part of the story 529 00:28:58,280 --> 00:29:02,040 Speaker 1: is the principle and the teachers of the middle and 530 00:29:02,120 --> 00:29:05,680 Speaker 1: high school students. Yeah, and here they come, yeah, in 531 00:29:05,760 --> 00:29:08,200 Speaker 1: the middle of the program. Yeah, and jerk this young 532 00:29:08,280 --> 00:29:10,560 Speaker 1: lady up yes to take her out of the Yes. 533 00:29:10,640 --> 00:29:12,360 Speaker 1: So I had to fill in for you at one 534 00:29:12,400 --> 00:29:16,440 Speaker 1: point with Trak and Pete was always famous during a 535 00:29:16,440 --> 00:29:19,680 Speaker 1: certain part of the program, he would go out and 536 00:29:19,840 --> 00:29:23,640 Speaker 1: grab a teacher for part of the program to be 537 00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:26,800 Speaker 1: a prop or in certain instances in the early days, 538 00:29:26,800 --> 00:29:29,000 Speaker 1: he would grab a kid and this is what kind 539 00:29:29,040 --> 00:29:32,000 Speaker 1: of ended the kid things. So I'm filling in for 540 00:29:32,040 --> 00:29:34,880 Speaker 1: you doing the school program. And we get to the 541 00:29:34,880 --> 00:29:36,640 Speaker 1: part of the program where he goes out and he 542 00:29:36,680 --> 00:29:41,320 Speaker 1: grabs a kid, and we're at an elementary school, but 543 00:29:41,480 --> 00:29:44,800 Speaker 1: for some reason, he grabs a kid who's obviously not 544 00:29:44,880 --> 00:29:48,200 Speaker 1: in elementary school. I'm thinking this kid is in middle 545 00:29:48,240 --> 00:29:51,400 Speaker 1: school or high school. And he brings him on stage 546 00:29:51,680 --> 00:29:53,920 Speaker 1: and he would do his part of the program where 547 00:29:53,960 --> 00:29:57,360 Speaker 1: he would swing his head forward and back as if 548 00:29:57,400 --> 00:30:01,680 Speaker 1: the person was nodding yes, but emphatically. Well. When he 549 00:30:01,720 --> 00:30:05,000 Speaker 1: did this with this kid who's not a second through 550 00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:08,000 Speaker 1: fifth grader, the kid's cigarette and lighter falls out of 551 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:14,120 Speaker 1: his pocket. So we're doing the Old Titan's Caravan program 552 00:30:14,120 --> 00:30:18,360 Speaker 1: smoking and this kid we're talking about making good decisions 553 00:30:19,400 --> 00:30:23,080 Speaker 1: and Old Mike is having to sit here and think 554 00:30:23,120 --> 00:30:28,520 Speaker 1: about Wilfred's smokes here, and so he of course, the 555 00:30:28,600 --> 00:30:32,400 Speaker 1: kid is scrambling because I'm guessing he's fifteen, right, he 556 00:30:32,440 --> 00:30:35,480 Speaker 1: ain't supposed to have cigarettes, period, but he's surely not 557 00:30:35,520 --> 00:30:38,240 Speaker 1: supposed to have cigarettes and a lighter at school. But 558 00:30:38,320 --> 00:30:40,680 Speaker 1: what are we gonna do. I'm not gonna pick him up, right, 559 00:30:40,880 --> 00:30:43,600 Speaker 1: Pete doesn't know what he's done. He's being t rack 560 00:30:43,720 --> 00:30:47,280 Speaker 1: and he's thinking this is funny. But fortunately he's in 561 00:30:47,400 --> 00:30:49,520 Speaker 1: front of the kid, so the kid is able to 562 00:30:49,640 --> 00:30:51,840 Speaker 1: bend down. I put my foot on the pack of 563 00:30:51,880 --> 00:30:56,000 Speaker 1: smokes so it wouldn't fly across the stage, and so 564 00:30:56,080 --> 00:30:58,280 Speaker 1: he was able to grab both and escape. I didn't 565 00:30:58,280 --> 00:30:59,840 Speaker 1: think it was fair for him to get in trouble, 566 00:31:00,080 --> 00:31:02,920 Speaker 1: but this was the thing that I think you and 567 00:31:02,960 --> 00:31:05,080 Speaker 1: Pete should be so proud of it. The feedback we 568 00:31:05,320 --> 00:31:08,880 Speaker 1: got was that the program was something that they could 569 00:31:08,960 --> 00:31:11,800 Speaker 1: go back and build on with their students afterwards. The 570 00:31:11,800 --> 00:31:16,120 Speaker 1: Titans told you about making good choices, about getting exercise, 571 00:31:16,200 --> 00:31:19,840 Speaker 1: about doing your homework, about how even football players have 572 00:31:19,960 --> 00:31:23,240 Speaker 1: to be smart and how they have to study. It 573 00:31:23,320 --> 00:31:26,480 Speaker 1: was simple. It was something that we could repeat. But 574 00:31:26,640 --> 00:31:30,080 Speaker 1: the underlying part of the message, even with the humor 575 00:31:30,240 --> 00:31:32,960 Speaker 1: and even with our funny stories, was still fantastic. We 576 00:31:32,960 --> 00:31:36,520 Speaker 1: were joking earlier today, now there are kids that watch 577 00:31:36,600 --> 00:31:40,240 Speaker 1: that program that have their own kids that are getting 578 00:31:40,240 --> 00:31:43,600 Speaker 1: ready to go to school, which is so amazing. Most 579 00:31:43,680 --> 00:31:47,960 Speaker 1: heroic effort from a player probably Jason Fisk. Let's tell 580 00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:51,760 Speaker 1: everybody who Jason Fisk is. Jason Fisk joined the team 581 00:31:51,840 --> 00:31:56,800 Speaker 1: in ninety nine defensive Lineman, yes, and agreed to go 582 00:31:56,840 --> 00:31:59,080 Speaker 1: on the caravan. And this was one of those years 583 00:31:59,120 --> 00:32:02,000 Speaker 1: that Mike mentioned earlier where we did like six weeks. 584 00:32:02,640 --> 00:32:05,040 Speaker 1: Didn't do it every day, but we did it over 585 00:32:05,080 --> 00:32:07,400 Speaker 1: six weeks we were on the RV And one of 586 00:32:07,400 --> 00:32:09,560 Speaker 1: the things that we learned about the RV that yes, 587 00:32:09,640 --> 00:32:12,520 Speaker 1: these are huge and big and powerful football players and 588 00:32:12,720 --> 00:32:17,520 Speaker 1: smart and athletic, yes, but they many times suffered from 589 00:32:17,720 --> 00:32:21,080 Speaker 1: motion sickness. I did well, Jason Fisk did as well. 590 00:32:21,240 --> 00:32:24,480 Speaker 1: And there was some kind of food involved. Fried pies, 591 00:32:24,760 --> 00:32:27,040 Speaker 1: was that what it was? Bob Pie bought fried pies 592 00:32:27,080 --> 00:32:31,920 Speaker 1: in Mississippi, and I have never seen a player turned 593 00:32:31,920 --> 00:32:35,320 Speaker 1: so many shades of green, yes, as he did as 594 00:32:35,360 --> 00:32:38,360 Speaker 1: we were driving into Mississippi. And we drove from Mississippi 595 00:32:38,400 --> 00:32:41,960 Speaker 1: into Memphis, and he went out and did the stops 596 00:32:42,520 --> 00:32:46,760 Speaker 1: and I mean he was ill, I mean six six 597 00:32:46,880 --> 00:32:49,360 Speaker 1: sick to his stomach. Who would be your most eroic 598 00:32:49,600 --> 00:32:53,239 Speaker 1: probably Javonne Curse. So we have Javine Curse. At the 599 00:32:53,520 --> 00:32:57,560 Speaker 1: end of the caravan stop in Knoxville at the Women's 600 00:32:57,600 --> 00:33:00,440 Speaker 1: Basketball Hall of Fame, this massive stop, we go out 601 00:33:00,440 --> 00:33:05,720 Speaker 1: to dinner at a beautiful restaurant down on the Tennessee River. 602 00:33:06,120 --> 00:33:08,480 Speaker 1: Jeff Diamond, our president at that point, was there and 603 00:33:08,480 --> 00:33:10,600 Speaker 1: he took us all out to dinner. We sit down 604 00:33:10,920 --> 00:33:13,200 Speaker 1: and we start to have a meal. At about that time, 605 00:33:13,280 --> 00:33:16,840 Speaker 1: here comes t Martin, Tennessee's quarterback, a ninety eight national champion, 606 00:33:17,040 --> 00:33:19,960 Speaker 1: and he and Jivon are friends, and so he takes 607 00:33:20,040 --> 00:33:23,000 Speaker 1: javan and he says, we're going. He and Jivon had 608 00:33:23,040 --> 00:33:26,920 Speaker 1: a long night. I assume they had a wonderful time 609 00:33:27,160 --> 00:33:30,040 Speaker 1: because the next day we get up to continue caravanning 610 00:33:30,120 --> 00:33:33,680 Speaker 1: with young Javone Kerrs and come to find out that 611 00:33:33,760 --> 00:33:37,880 Speaker 1: he had gone to bed thirty minutes before we woke 612 00:33:37,960 --> 00:33:40,880 Speaker 1: him up to leave. Again, it's that aggressive schedule. Well, 613 00:33:40,920 --> 00:33:44,360 Speaker 1: it was an aggressive scheduling on his part. So we 614 00:33:44,360 --> 00:33:47,800 Speaker 1: would do a caravan stop and then Javine would go 615 00:33:47,840 --> 00:33:51,160 Speaker 1: in the back to the one bedroom and he would sleep, 616 00:33:51,280 --> 00:33:53,480 Speaker 1: and we would go do another stop and he would 617 00:33:53,520 --> 00:33:55,840 Speaker 1: go back and sleep. And so this was how the 618 00:33:55,840 --> 00:33:58,800 Speaker 1: whole day went. And yet he was pleasant, he was charming, 619 00:33:58,840 --> 00:34:01,000 Speaker 1: he was good with the media. He was the freak 620 00:34:01,040 --> 00:34:04,480 Speaker 1: he was Javon. But I mean he had to be 621 00:34:05,280 --> 00:34:10,359 Speaker 1: completely and totally exhausted. How many times did we walk 622 00:34:10,440 --> 00:34:13,120 Speaker 1: back to that bedroom or even in the beds that 623 00:34:13,200 --> 00:34:16,239 Speaker 1: the bus had over the years, and you'd find a 624 00:34:16,320 --> 00:34:20,760 Speaker 1: player stretched with his legs over top of t rex 625 00:34:20,880 --> 00:34:25,239 Speaker 1: head and like laying on the suit and all of that. 626 00:34:25,400 --> 00:34:28,000 Speaker 1: They just wanted to sleep. As long as we had food, 627 00:34:28,000 --> 00:34:31,040 Speaker 1: they would come back. They would grab whatever food we had, 628 00:34:31,840 --> 00:34:34,720 Speaker 1: and then they would go to the back and just crash. 629 00:34:34,840 --> 00:34:37,479 Speaker 1: After they ate. Sometimes they would come up and watch 630 00:34:37,520 --> 00:34:41,000 Speaker 1: TV with us and cards play cards, play a game 631 00:34:41,040 --> 00:34:44,319 Speaker 1: called ninety nine where Kevin Dyson took all our money. 632 00:34:44,680 --> 00:34:48,960 Speaker 1: Don Roy was a key to the caramel because if 633 00:34:49,480 --> 00:34:52,960 Speaker 1: Steve McNair left and went out with us, if he 634 00:34:53,000 --> 00:34:55,719 Speaker 1: started in the morning and finished in the afternoon, say 635 00:34:55,760 --> 00:34:59,920 Speaker 1: he finished in Chattanooga, then Don Roy would drive out 636 00:35:00,160 --> 00:35:03,920 Speaker 1: the next player and Steve McNair would get in the 637 00:35:03,920 --> 00:35:06,239 Speaker 1: car and Don Roy would drive him back. And so 638 00:35:06,440 --> 00:35:09,040 Speaker 1: player two would stay with us, and then at the 639 00:35:09,120 --> 00:35:10,920 Speaker 1: end of the day, player two would trade out with 640 00:35:10,960 --> 00:35:15,759 Speaker 1: player three. And so don was unbelievable at getting the 641 00:35:15,840 --> 00:35:19,680 Speaker 1: players back and forth. And I mean dealing with Nashville traffic, 642 00:35:19,760 --> 00:35:23,000 Speaker 1: dealing with accidents, dealing with hey, Don, can you go 643 00:35:23,040 --> 00:35:26,040 Speaker 1: by the Titans facility. We're out of bumper stickers, or 644 00:35:26,040 --> 00:35:28,880 Speaker 1: we're out of team posters, or we're out of gatorade 645 00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:32,120 Speaker 1: or you know whatever it was. I mean again, those 646 00:35:32,160 --> 00:35:36,279 Speaker 1: are the logistics of it that I always enjoyed. But 647 00:35:36,400 --> 00:35:41,600 Speaker 1: you were always on edge of do we have everything? 648 00:35:41,760 --> 00:35:44,200 Speaker 1: Do we have it all? Have we taken care of 649 00:35:44,239 --> 00:35:47,799 Speaker 1: every single thing? And you were always wondering was that 650 00:35:47,840 --> 00:35:50,640 Speaker 1: phone going to ring and somebody say this is not 651 00:35:50,680 --> 00:35:53,239 Speaker 1: going to happen or this player can't make it. We 652 00:35:53,280 --> 00:35:56,440 Speaker 1: had that happen one time. I'm trying trying to think 653 00:35:56,440 --> 00:35:59,320 Speaker 1: who the player was. But we were getting ready to 654 00:35:59,400 --> 00:36:02,680 Speaker 1: leave nash Phil. You remember this smar Roll was that 655 00:36:02,680 --> 00:36:05,120 Speaker 1: who it was? Samara Roll? He had not flown back 656 00:36:05,200 --> 00:36:08,160 Speaker 1: from Florida the night before. He had decided to stay 657 00:36:08,160 --> 00:36:10,720 Speaker 1: in Florida for another day. So we're there Monday morning, 658 00:36:10,760 --> 00:36:14,360 Speaker 1: ready to leave on the caravan and he's not in 659 00:36:14,440 --> 00:36:17,840 Speaker 1: town and so we walked back through Saint Thomas Sports 660 00:36:17,920 --> 00:36:21,640 Speaker 1: Park and there was Randall Godfrey just signed. He says, hey, 661 00:36:21,640 --> 00:36:23,319 Speaker 1: what are you guys do it? And we'd gotten to 662 00:36:23,320 --> 00:36:26,359 Speaker 1: know him just a little bit and good guy, and said, well, 663 00:36:26,360 --> 00:36:28,400 Speaker 1: we're going out on Titan's caravan. He goes, hey, you know, 664 00:36:28,520 --> 00:36:30,840 Speaker 1: if you ever need me to go out sometime, I'd 665 00:36:30,880 --> 00:36:33,880 Speaker 1: love to do that. And we said, how about how 666 00:36:33,920 --> 00:36:38,279 Speaker 1: about it now? And so Randall Godfrey said, well, let 667 00:36:38,280 --> 00:36:41,680 Speaker 1: me finish my workout. This would never happen now, you know, 668 00:36:41,719 --> 00:36:45,480 Speaker 1: because it's just it's there's so much other stuff going 669 00:36:45,560 --> 00:36:49,799 Speaker 1: on and the players, their schedules are so much more regimented. 670 00:36:49,800 --> 00:36:53,160 Speaker 1: But he went. He chose to go. I had written 671 00:36:53,200 --> 00:36:58,040 Speaker 1: down Randall Godfrey in preparation for today because one of 672 00:36:58,080 --> 00:37:01,400 Speaker 1: the things that happened, and it didn't happen every time, 673 00:37:01,640 --> 00:37:05,000 Speaker 1: because players, just like everybody else, they're different and some 674 00:37:05,080 --> 00:37:06,880 Speaker 1: of them are more comfortable and some of them are 675 00:37:06,920 --> 00:37:10,200 Speaker 1: more outspoken. But Randall Godfrey and I don't remember where 676 00:37:10,239 --> 00:37:13,640 Speaker 1: we were, but we were in a library talking to 677 00:37:13,680 --> 00:37:17,480 Speaker 1: some young people, and Randall just grabbed a couple of 678 00:37:18,480 --> 00:37:22,840 Speaker 1: young guys, pulled him aside and just basically told them, look, 679 00:37:23,040 --> 00:37:25,919 Speaker 1: I'm going to be watching you, you better do right. 680 00:37:26,160 --> 00:37:29,280 Speaker 1: And it was with no prompting. And I never understood 681 00:37:29,360 --> 00:37:32,520 Speaker 1: kind of what made him see in those young men 682 00:37:32,600 --> 00:37:35,440 Speaker 1: that he needed to say something. But there were several 683 00:37:35,440 --> 00:37:38,680 Speaker 1: examples over the years of players that would kind of 684 00:37:38,719 --> 00:37:40,840 Speaker 1: do that and much as you were describing with what 685 00:37:40,920 --> 00:37:44,759 Speaker 1: happened with Javon out in Ripley on that particular day. 686 00:37:44,800 --> 00:37:48,000 Speaker 1: But Randall, what he did that day was amazing. Well, 687 00:37:48,080 --> 00:37:50,839 Speaker 1: Randall Godfrey was all caravan. He was on the all 688 00:37:50,880 --> 00:37:54,680 Speaker 1: caravan team. And my maid Javine Curse absolutely on the 689 00:37:54,719 --> 00:37:57,720 Speaker 1: all caravan team. Somebody that we didn't have a chance 690 00:37:57,760 --> 00:38:00,600 Speaker 1: to caravan with, but he's on the all caravan team. 691 00:38:00,680 --> 00:38:04,600 Speaker 1: Is Rashaun Evans, who in the last Titans caravan that 692 00:38:04,640 --> 00:38:08,640 Speaker 1: they did, tried to go on every stop. He decided 693 00:38:08,719 --> 00:38:10,879 Speaker 1: after he went the first day, he decided he had 694 00:38:10,960 --> 00:38:14,160 Speaker 1: so much fun and enjoyed meeting people so much he 695 00:38:14,280 --> 00:38:16,400 Speaker 1: kept going that Unfortunately he had a death in the 696 00:38:16,440 --> 00:38:18,400 Speaker 1: family and had to miss a day. That to me 697 00:38:18,560 --> 00:38:22,239 Speaker 1: is all caravan. Kyle Vandenbosch was all caravan. Absolutely, I'll 698 00:38:22,280 --> 00:38:24,800 Speaker 1: never forget we took him. And there's a great picture 699 00:38:24,880 --> 00:38:30,040 Speaker 1: of he and someone else in the gazebo in Martin, Tennessee, 700 00:38:30,120 --> 00:38:33,760 Speaker 1: and he's signing autographs. In the picture it says Titans 701 00:38:33,760 --> 00:38:38,000 Speaker 1: pro bowler Kyle Vandenbosch and unnamed Titan staffer. The unnamed 702 00:38:38,000 --> 00:38:42,200 Speaker 1: Titan staffer was Kenneth Adams, oh wow, because remember that's 703 00:38:42,239 --> 00:38:45,840 Speaker 1: try ks A four. Kenneth Adams, who's now one of 704 00:38:45,880 --> 00:38:48,200 Speaker 1: the owners of the team, used to go out on 705 00:38:48,200 --> 00:38:50,919 Speaker 1: the caravan with us. He thought it was a neat 706 00:38:50,960 --> 00:38:54,400 Speaker 1: way to meet people, to see people, to experience the state, 707 00:38:54,760 --> 00:38:57,839 Speaker 1: and to listen to what people thought, but not just 708 00:38:57,920 --> 00:39:01,319 Speaker 1: to go out on it. He was that, you know, 709 00:39:01,400 --> 00:39:04,080 Speaker 1: would go get the food or pick up t racks, props, 710 00:39:04,200 --> 00:39:06,400 Speaker 1: or do whatever had to be done. And that was 711 00:39:06,760 --> 00:39:09,360 Speaker 1: that's a part of the story too, because it was 712 00:39:09,400 --> 00:39:12,000 Speaker 1: a very small staff. I think it's fair to say 713 00:39:12,040 --> 00:39:13,959 Speaker 1: that again, there were a lot of people that didn't 714 00:39:14,000 --> 00:39:17,400 Speaker 1: believe in it, and so those of us who did, 715 00:39:17,760 --> 00:39:20,120 Speaker 1: we just kind of picked it all up and pulled 716 00:39:20,120 --> 00:39:22,080 Speaker 1: it all together and did it well. If you're gonna 717 00:39:22,120 --> 00:39:26,440 Speaker 1: do sixty five or seventy stops over twelve to fourteen 718 00:39:26,560 --> 00:39:30,440 Speaker 1: days like what it was in its heyday, you're crazy. 719 00:39:30,640 --> 00:39:34,080 Speaker 1: I mean, I've never been so exhausted as I would 720 00:39:34,080 --> 00:39:36,719 Speaker 1: be at the end of a week of the caravan 721 00:39:36,920 --> 00:39:39,799 Speaker 1: or even certain days anytimes we were in the middle 722 00:39:39,840 --> 00:39:41,800 Speaker 1: of the draft. We're in the middle of the draft 723 00:39:41,880 --> 00:39:46,040 Speaker 1: or draft preparation or whatever. But I mean, you're just 724 00:39:46,440 --> 00:39:49,960 Speaker 1: exhausted because you're up early, you're worried about things, you're 725 00:39:50,000 --> 00:39:53,600 Speaker 1: constantly on and you know you've got things happening at home, 726 00:39:53,640 --> 00:39:56,120 Speaker 1: you've got things happening back in the office at work, 727 00:39:56,160 --> 00:39:57,960 Speaker 1: you get a call it's like, hey, we need you 728 00:39:58,000 --> 00:40:02,200 Speaker 1: to be involved with this. So, I mean, from that standpoint, 729 00:40:02,239 --> 00:40:05,320 Speaker 1: it was hard. What kept you going? Where the Randall 730 00:40:05,360 --> 00:40:09,160 Speaker 1: Godfrey moments, where the Javine curse moments, where the Kyle 731 00:40:09,280 --> 00:40:12,520 Speaker 1: vanded Bish moments. Jake Locker was another one who was 732 00:40:13,239 --> 00:40:18,239 Speaker 1: super good on Caravan. We can't not tell the Steve 733 00:40:18,360 --> 00:40:22,600 Speaker 1: McNair's story Camden. It's the Camden. But it really started, 734 00:40:23,239 --> 00:40:26,560 Speaker 1: if you remember, in Jackson and we went to a hospital. 735 00:40:26,600 --> 00:40:29,560 Speaker 1: That was something that we did on occasion. Obviously, some 736 00:40:29,640 --> 00:40:33,239 Speaker 1: of the most gut ritching stops that we ever did 737 00:40:33,280 --> 00:40:35,200 Speaker 1: were to Saint Jude Sat Jude, and it always took 738 00:40:35,200 --> 00:40:37,200 Speaker 1: a very special player to do that because that was 739 00:40:37,239 --> 00:40:40,440 Speaker 1: emotionally just taxing. But we went to the hospital in 740 00:40:40,600 --> 00:40:43,839 Speaker 1: Jackson and if you remember, when we walked in the door, 741 00:40:44,160 --> 00:40:48,279 Speaker 1: the reaction was who are you? Who are you? Who 742 00:40:48,360 --> 00:40:50,520 Speaker 1: are you again? And it kind of brought all of 743 00:40:50,560 --> 00:40:55,480 Speaker 1: those feelings that we had been dealing with of is 744 00:40:55,520 --> 00:40:58,799 Speaker 1: this gonna work? Because this is April one, nineteen ninety nine. 745 00:40:59,040 --> 00:41:03,080 Speaker 1: This is us named the Titans. Just seen the logo. 746 00:41:03,560 --> 00:41:05,320 Speaker 1: I don't think the uniforms were even out yet. I 747 00:41:05,360 --> 00:41:08,600 Speaker 1: think they came out a couple weeks later. Javine Curse 748 00:41:08,640 --> 00:41:11,719 Speaker 1: had not been selected yet. This is April one, ninety nine. 749 00:41:11,840 --> 00:41:14,480 Speaker 1: So we're there and it's kind of like, oh, well, 750 00:41:14,480 --> 00:41:19,040 Speaker 1: at least there's some people Tittans, Titanics. There's somebody here 751 00:41:19,360 --> 00:41:22,440 Speaker 1: in the lobby that they'd like to say hello or whatever. 752 00:41:22,480 --> 00:41:24,279 Speaker 1: And so you kind of walked back to the RV 753 00:41:24,480 --> 00:41:27,879 Speaker 1: and kind of like okay, and so then you pick 754 00:41:27,960 --> 00:41:31,279 Speaker 1: up the story. We get off Interstate forty yeah, on 755 00:41:31,360 --> 00:41:35,760 Speaker 1: Highway six forty one, yes, twenty five miles, yeah, roughly. 756 00:41:35,840 --> 00:41:37,839 Speaker 1: So we're getting off. It takes it one twenty six 757 00:41:38,280 --> 00:41:41,080 Speaker 1: and we head into Camden and we get picked up 758 00:41:41,280 --> 00:41:43,719 Speaker 1: by police I think when we entered Bnton County. Yeah, 759 00:41:43,800 --> 00:41:46,400 Speaker 1: we entered Benton County and this was a real live 760 00:41:46,960 --> 00:41:50,279 Speaker 1: police escort and the day had been good. We put 761 00:41:50,320 --> 00:41:53,640 Speaker 1: on a new station in Jackson. The hospital had ended 762 00:41:53,719 --> 00:41:58,680 Speaker 1: up being nice. Because Steve McNair's superpower was to be 763 00:41:58,840 --> 00:42:04,320 Speaker 1: able to turn into something extra special in a moment 764 00:42:04,960 --> 00:42:09,360 Speaker 1: when he sensed that somebody needed it. And what I 765 00:42:09,360 --> 00:42:11,319 Speaker 1: mean by that is when he saw a sick kid, 766 00:42:12,239 --> 00:42:15,440 Speaker 1: or he saw a parent that was hurting, or he 767 00:42:15,480 --> 00:42:19,240 Speaker 1: saw somebody who seemed to be in a lesser moment 768 00:42:19,280 --> 00:42:22,400 Speaker 1: where they needed someone. That's where he turned it on. 769 00:42:22,520 --> 00:42:25,680 Speaker 1: He was a small town guy who didn't like a fuss, 770 00:42:26,480 --> 00:42:31,560 Speaker 1: but in the moments where it was about real people 771 00:42:31,680 --> 00:42:35,960 Speaker 1: experiencing real things, he had an extra sense. And this 772 00:42:36,040 --> 00:42:38,400 Speaker 1: is where we came to love him so much, is 773 00:42:38,440 --> 00:42:41,120 Speaker 1: because he had a massive heart for that. So we 774 00:42:41,200 --> 00:42:44,799 Speaker 1: get into Camden and it's been an okay day and 775 00:42:45,000 --> 00:42:49,040 Speaker 1: all of the sudden, all of Camden, all of Benton County, 776 00:42:49,640 --> 00:42:52,320 Speaker 1: is at the McDonald's. Do you remember, We're riding along 777 00:42:52,360 --> 00:42:55,279 Speaker 1: on six forty one and there's cars parked on the 778 00:42:55,400 --> 00:42:58,319 Speaker 1: road and we're like, why, why they must be having 779 00:42:58,320 --> 00:43:00,319 Speaker 1: a parade because we didn't think it was for us. 780 00:43:00,440 --> 00:43:02,400 Speaker 1: It was the first time we had ever seen that 781 00:43:02,520 --> 00:43:06,600 Speaker 1: kind of enthusiasm, that kind of anticipation. And Camden is 782 00:43:06,640 --> 00:43:10,080 Speaker 1: a favorite place of both of ours absolutely because Ron 783 00:43:10,200 --> 00:43:14,200 Speaker 1: Lane with the radio stations in Camden, Flash, Melton Flash, 784 00:43:14,239 --> 00:43:17,880 Speaker 1: Melton and everybody who worked with them there. They were 785 00:43:17,960 --> 00:43:19,279 Speaker 1: so good to us. They were one of the first 786 00:43:19,360 --> 00:43:21,680 Speaker 1: radio stations that signed on. We used to go eat 787 00:43:21,719 --> 00:43:25,520 Speaker 1: with Ron at the Country in Western in Camden, and 788 00:43:25,640 --> 00:43:28,960 Speaker 1: I mean we had been there so many times already, 789 00:43:29,000 --> 00:43:31,280 Speaker 1: it seemed, but have been there so many times since. 790 00:43:31,680 --> 00:43:36,080 Speaker 1: But that stop was so massive, hundreds of people, two 791 00:43:36,120 --> 00:43:39,960 Speaker 1: hours longer than we anticipated being there, and Steve actually 792 00:43:40,239 --> 00:43:44,960 Speaker 1: enjoyed it because those people were his people. Those people 793 00:43:45,320 --> 00:43:48,760 Speaker 1: were from where he was from in Mississippi. They spoke 794 00:43:48,840 --> 00:43:52,440 Speaker 1: his language. And when he was done, he went in 795 00:43:52,480 --> 00:43:55,400 Speaker 1: the back and spoke to all the people fixing the 796 00:43:55,480 --> 00:43:57,799 Speaker 1: food because they were so busy they couldn't come out 797 00:43:57,800 --> 00:44:00,160 Speaker 1: and get an autograph. He went to them, not with 798 00:44:00,200 --> 00:44:03,279 Speaker 1: any asking about Nope, he just got up and did 799 00:44:03,320 --> 00:44:06,960 Speaker 1: it because that was who he was. He was not 800 00:44:07,160 --> 00:44:11,360 Speaker 1: the superstar in his mind. When he was with his people, 801 00:44:11,480 --> 00:44:16,279 Speaker 1: and his people were folks just like from his hometown. 802 00:44:16,400 --> 00:44:18,640 Speaker 1: It was extra special. That was the night I knew 803 00:44:18,680 --> 00:44:22,919 Speaker 1: we had something. That was the night I realized the 804 00:44:22,920 --> 00:44:25,280 Speaker 1: Titans are going to be a big deal. That gave 805 00:44:25,360 --> 00:44:28,360 Speaker 1: me more hope than I had had at any point 806 00:44:28,520 --> 00:44:31,200 Speaker 1: in almost a year on the job. I'll never forget it. 807 00:44:31,440 --> 00:44:36,000 Speaker 1: Do you have a favorite Goofy story? Mishap, We got 808 00:44:36,040 --> 00:44:39,960 Speaker 1: locked out of the RV in Memphis and at the 809 00:44:40,040 --> 00:44:41,880 Speaker 1: end of the stop, Trek would come out and do 810 00:44:42,120 --> 00:44:44,879 Speaker 1: his bit at the public stops the first twenty minutes, 811 00:44:44,920 --> 00:44:47,399 Speaker 1: and then he would go back in. And we got 812 00:44:47,440 --> 00:44:50,520 Speaker 1: locked out of the RV at the public stop in Memphis. 813 00:44:50,520 --> 00:44:52,760 Speaker 1: And when you and I and the rest of the staff, 814 00:44:52,880 --> 00:44:57,000 Speaker 1: Dwight Spradland, Jared Puffer, Jimmy Stanton, all of the good 815 00:44:57,000 --> 00:44:59,959 Speaker 1: people who worked Bob Hyde in community relations during that time. 816 00:45:00,280 --> 00:45:04,240 Speaker 1: When we walked back track was still in the raccoon 817 00:45:04,280 --> 00:45:07,960 Speaker 1: costume on the roof of the RV. I'd forgotten that. Yes, 818 00:45:08,440 --> 00:45:11,480 Speaker 1: never forget that. We had to take Jesse Mahalona's door 819 00:45:11,560 --> 00:45:14,719 Speaker 1: off its hinges in Knoxville because they couldn't wake him up. 820 00:45:14,800 --> 00:45:18,440 Speaker 1: The other one too, that was not so goofy, as 821 00:45:18,480 --> 00:45:21,400 Speaker 1: we had two of our linebackers get in a fight. 822 00:45:21,560 --> 00:45:25,919 Speaker 1: They went out after our stop in Knoxville. Ironically, maybe 823 00:45:25,920 --> 00:45:28,799 Speaker 1: it was always knox Knoxville was problem, yeah, And they 824 00:45:28,880 --> 00:45:32,759 Speaker 1: got in a fight and the bar keep was a 825 00:45:32,800 --> 00:45:34,759 Speaker 1: Titans fan and got him out of there. Before the 826 00:45:34,800 --> 00:45:37,680 Speaker 1: police came, and they actually kept that from me for 827 00:45:37,760 --> 00:45:40,759 Speaker 1: a year. Your favorite one, you deserve a lot of 828 00:45:40,800 --> 00:45:43,400 Speaker 1: the credit for. We were at Fort Campbell. That was 829 00:45:43,440 --> 00:45:47,520 Speaker 1: the first year of t REC and everybody has probably 830 00:45:47,600 --> 00:45:50,040 Speaker 1: known a person like this in your life, but Pete 831 00:45:50,080 --> 00:45:52,960 Speaker 1: was one of those guys that you could talk him 832 00:45:52,960 --> 00:45:56,320 Speaker 1: into doing something. Oh no, the Peanuts story go ahead. 833 00:45:56,480 --> 00:46:00,800 Speaker 1: We drive up to the PX we're sitting outside waiting 834 00:46:00,800 --> 00:46:04,520 Speaker 1: for the setup to finish, and Mike says, hey, Pete, 835 00:46:05,239 --> 00:46:07,640 Speaker 1: look at that peanut out there. And we look out 836 00:46:07,680 --> 00:46:11,360 Speaker 1: the window and there is someone dressed as a peanut. 837 00:46:12,040 --> 00:46:14,799 Speaker 1: That was the station mascot. Okay, And so Mike's like, 838 00:46:15,000 --> 00:46:17,320 Speaker 1: you know what would be funny, Pete is if you 839 00:46:17,440 --> 00:46:19,759 Speaker 1: got in costume and went running out of the RV 840 00:46:19,880 --> 00:46:22,480 Speaker 1: and tackled that peanut. Oh gosh, I did do that, 841 00:46:22,560 --> 00:46:26,400 Speaker 1: didn't you did? And Nah, man, I better not do that. 842 00:46:28,760 --> 00:46:31,160 Speaker 1: And Mike said, Noah, come on, it'd be funny. It's 843 00:46:31,200 --> 00:46:33,319 Speaker 1: part of your it's part of who your character is. 844 00:46:33,360 --> 00:46:37,279 Speaker 1: And Pete was big into the character. Oh yes, right, yes, 845 00:46:37,360 --> 00:46:42,000 Speaker 1: so he's this mischievous raccoon and so come on, Pete, 846 00:46:42,040 --> 00:46:44,439 Speaker 1: that'd be funny. They'd be hilarious. Nah, man, I better 847 00:46:44,560 --> 00:46:48,400 Speaker 1: not so Finally Mike convinced him, so Pete puts on 848 00:46:48,440 --> 00:46:52,000 Speaker 1: the costume, slams open the door of the RV and 849 00:46:52,800 --> 00:46:55,479 Speaker 1: runs out. And Pete very often would not run out 850 00:46:55,480 --> 00:46:57,960 Speaker 1: with much speed and get ready with much speed, but 851 00:46:58,239 --> 00:47:01,160 Speaker 1: Mike had got him in such a fever. He ran 852 00:47:01,200 --> 00:47:04,000 Speaker 1: out of the RV, crossed in front of the RV, 853 00:47:04,520 --> 00:47:10,560 Speaker 1: ran across the street, jumped headlong on this peanut, tackled 854 00:47:10,600 --> 00:47:13,680 Speaker 1: the peanut. Yes, the person in the peanut. Custom turns 855 00:47:13,719 --> 00:47:18,479 Speaker 1: out the person in the peanut was a teenage girl who, 856 00:47:18,520 --> 00:47:25,120 Speaker 1: apparently Pete tells later, please get off me. I love 857 00:47:25,200 --> 00:47:27,960 Speaker 1: that story. The second one, which is on me is 858 00:47:28,160 --> 00:47:31,560 Speaker 1: the Alabama story with Joe Edney. Yes, we took Joe 859 00:47:31,719 --> 00:47:33,920 Speaker 1: Eddie to Alabama, So you know how long ago this 860 00:47:34,120 --> 00:47:39,479 Speaker 1: was because Joe Nedney was with the team, I think oh, one, two, three, four. 861 00:47:39,719 --> 00:47:43,760 Speaker 1: Our favorite kinds of stops were where the lines were steady, 862 00:47:44,040 --> 00:47:45,960 Speaker 1: and this was before we did school programs. This was 863 00:47:46,000 --> 00:47:47,799 Speaker 1: like nine o'clock in the morning. It was early, but 864 00:47:47,840 --> 00:47:49,960 Speaker 1: it was steady, and people were coming up and getting 865 00:47:49,960 --> 00:47:52,920 Speaker 1: a chance to talk to Joe and shake his hand. 866 00:47:52,960 --> 00:47:54,520 Speaker 1: And all of that, and he'd been a big free 867 00:47:54,520 --> 00:47:58,440 Speaker 1: agent acquisition at that time for the Titans. So I 868 00:47:58,480 --> 00:48:00,759 Speaker 1: was kind of at the first spot, and then Mike 869 00:48:00,920 --> 00:48:03,560 Speaker 1: was at number two, and here's Joe is at number three, 870 00:48:03,600 --> 00:48:07,319 Speaker 1: and a gentleman walks up and I made the comment, Hey, 871 00:48:07,360 --> 00:48:11,080 Speaker 1: good morning, sir, how you doing, which at that point 872 00:48:11,200 --> 00:48:14,359 Speaker 1: is kind of a mistake because the gentleman person you 873 00:48:14,360 --> 00:48:15,879 Speaker 1: want to know, but you don't want to know, well, 874 00:48:15,920 --> 00:48:18,480 Speaker 1: you sort of want to Nope. Normally, you say how 875 00:48:18,560 --> 00:48:21,960 Speaker 1: you doing, someone says I'm great, I'm fine, I'm doing well. 876 00:48:22,040 --> 00:48:25,160 Speaker 1: Glad you're here, Glad you're here. I mean, it's a greeting, right. 877 00:48:25,440 --> 00:48:28,759 Speaker 1: In this case, this gentleman took it quite literally. He 878 00:48:28,840 --> 00:48:31,600 Speaker 1: was not having a good day. He was in some pain, 879 00:48:31,840 --> 00:48:34,880 Speaker 1: and he proceeded to describe that he was having a 880 00:48:34,960 --> 00:48:39,960 Speaker 1: pain in his left elbow. He said, I'm I'm really hurting, 881 00:48:40,160 --> 00:48:45,080 Speaker 1: and about that time he unscrews his prosthetic arm to 882 00:48:45,239 --> 00:48:50,120 Speaker 1: show Larry the elbow. I'm not kidding. This is what happened. 883 00:48:50,160 --> 00:48:53,080 Speaker 1: And it was not wasn't wasn't great, it wasn't clean, 884 00:48:53,200 --> 00:48:56,840 Speaker 1: it wasn't great. The moment he unscrewed. I was looking 885 00:48:56,920 --> 00:48:59,400 Speaker 1: up to say, well, here have a poster, have a poster, 886 00:49:00,040 --> 00:49:03,959 Speaker 1: ye meet Joe Nedney, But instead he literally takes off 887 00:49:04,600 --> 00:49:08,560 Speaker 1: his prosthetic arm and shows Larry why he's in pain, 888 00:49:09,520 --> 00:49:12,799 Speaker 1: and Larry goes under the table. Let me tell you, 889 00:49:12,880 --> 00:49:15,560 Speaker 1: if you didn't have a chance to go on Titan's Caravan, 890 00:49:15,920 --> 00:49:20,080 Speaker 1: you missed out on so much there was. It was heartwarming, 891 00:49:20,760 --> 00:49:27,080 Speaker 1: it was funny, it was crazy, it was overdoing it. 892 00:49:27,080 --> 00:49:32,200 Speaker 1: It was exhausting, but it was miraculous because we met 893 00:49:32,360 --> 00:49:36,440 Speaker 1: so many people who came into the Titans universe and 894 00:49:36,600 --> 00:49:40,879 Speaker 1: became Titans fans. And I thought it at the time, 895 00:49:40,920 --> 00:49:44,279 Speaker 1: but I certainly think about it now as we go 896 00:49:44,360 --> 00:49:47,760 Speaker 1: back on it. I mean hundreds of stops, literally, hundreds 897 00:49:47,760 --> 00:49:51,480 Speaker 1: of thousands of people we encountered. Think about the autographs 898 00:49:51,480 --> 00:49:54,439 Speaker 1: and the posters, so worth it. Well, I hope you 899 00:49:54,880 --> 00:49:57,720 Speaker 1: are proud, because I know that I am. I truly 900 00:49:57,760 --> 00:50:03,800 Speaker 1: believe that the caravan played a significant role in planning 901 00:50:03,800 --> 00:50:07,680 Speaker 1: the seeds for the Titans and the NFL overall in 902 00:50:07,719 --> 00:50:12,840 Speaker 1: this state because it was important to let fans see 903 00:50:12,880 --> 00:50:15,479 Speaker 1: that there was a face, there were faces to this. 904 00:50:15,760 --> 00:50:18,080 Speaker 1: It was important to let fans know, Hey, I've been 905 00:50:18,080 --> 00:50:20,160 Speaker 1: a Steelers fan all my life. For I've been a 906 00:50:20,160 --> 00:50:24,120 Speaker 1: Dolphins fan or a Redskins fan. Okay, fine, just on 907 00:50:24,120 --> 00:50:29,400 Speaker 1: those other fifteen weeks pull for us. It had an impact. 908 00:50:29,600 --> 00:50:33,040 Speaker 1: We reached a lot of young people and at the time, 909 00:50:33,080 --> 00:50:35,399 Speaker 1: and you were the one that said it, you know, 910 00:50:35,480 --> 00:50:39,040 Speaker 1: it's those experiences that we have as children that really 911 00:50:39,160 --> 00:50:43,200 Speaker 1: lead to who we are as adults in terms of sports. 912 00:50:42,960 --> 00:50:46,439 Speaker 1: It's those experiences that you have that turn you in 913 00:50:47,040 --> 00:50:50,200 Speaker 1: to a fan of whatever team. And the fact that 914 00:50:50,239 --> 00:50:54,520 Speaker 1: we tried to give so many kids that experience. Yeah, 915 00:50:54,560 --> 00:50:57,000 Speaker 1: we wanted to do it because we thought it was important. 916 00:50:57,040 --> 00:50:59,200 Speaker 1: We thought we'd want it, but we also had the 917 00:50:59,480 --> 00:51:03,880 Speaker 1: belief that this will grow in twenty twenty and in 918 00:51:03,960 --> 00:51:07,360 Speaker 1: twenty thirty, it will grow those people into Titans fans. 919 00:51:07,360 --> 00:51:09,880 Speaker 1: It planted seeds. I think that's well said, and I 920 00:51:09,920 --> 00:51:12,879 Speaker 1: think about the comment that was made were another All 921 00:51:12,960 --> 00:51:16,640 Speaker 1: Caravan team member, Kevin Carter, visited one time and a 922 00:51:16,719 --> 00:51:18,880 Speaker 1: guy standing there just looking at him. He says, Kevin 923 00:51:18,920 --> 00:51:23,440 Speaker 1: Carter's in my hometown, And at that moment, you know, 924 00:51:23,760 --> 00:51:26,120 Speaker 1: he's a fan for life right then, And that's what 925 00:51:26,160 --> 00:51:28,600 Speaker 1: we wanted the caravan to be and Bob Hyde is 926 00:51:28,600 --> 00:51:32,640 Speaker 1: a huge reason. Bob Hyde was such a key factor 927 00:51:32,719 --> 00:51:35,239 Speaker 1: in all of it. And we've mentioned the folks from 928 00:51:35,239 --> 00:51:39,919 Speaker 1: Media Relations, particularly Dwight Spradland and Jared Puffer, who were 929 00:51:40,000 --> 00:51:44,120 Speaker 1: integral parts. Kyle Sonoman was an integral part, Jimmy Stanton, 930 00:51:45,000 --> 00:51:48,879 Speaker 1: Brad Willis, it was an integral part. And so many 931 00:51:48,920 --> 00:51:53,720 Speaker 1: people that supported it internally who didn't think we were crazy. 932 00:51:53,960 --> 00:51:58,480 Speaker 1: Very appreciative of that absolutely, and so appreciative of the fans. 933 00:51:58,800 --> 00:52:01,440 Speaker 1: And even in my role now away from you and 934 00:52:01,480 --> 00:52:05,000 Speaker 1: the rest of the team, it's not several months that 935 00:52:05,120 --> 00:52:08,640 Speaker 1: go by that I don't have someone here in Cookeville 936 00:52:08,680 --> 00:52:10,840 Speaker 1: that comes up and says, hey, I remember when you 937 00:52:10,880 --> 00:52:14,000 Speaker 1: were at Logan's Roadhouse, or I remember when you were 938 00:52:14,040 --> 00:52:16,799 Speaker 1: at the Cookville Mall, or when you were at the 939 00:52:16,840 --> 00:52:20,040 Speaker 1: school down the street. And you know that that means 940 00:52:20,080 --> 00:52:23,520 Speaker 1: a lot. It means a lot that there was that impact. 941 00:52:23,840 --> 00:52:27,040 Speaker 1: Larry Stone, thank you so much for going down memory 942 00:52:27,120 --> 00:52:30,160 Speaker 1: Lane a lot of fun. Thanks Mike farm Bureau Health Plans. 943 00:52:30,560 --> 00:52:34,000 Speaker 1: They sponsored this fine podcast. Let the experts at farn 944 00:52:34,040 --> 00:52:36,120 Speaker 1: Bureau Health Plans coach you through it when you need 945 00:52:36,120 --> 00:52:38,439 Speaker 1: great healthcare coverage at a price you can afford. They've 946 00:52:38,440 --> 00:52:42,400 Speaker 1: been protecting Tennessee ands since nineteen forty seven. For Larry 947 00:52:42,440 --> 00:52:45,319 Speaker 1: stone I, Mike Keith, thanking you for joining us for 948 00:52:45,360 --> 00:52:50,480 Speaker 1: the oath the teams Pool, I never boughten knows it's 949 00:52:50,560 --> 00:52:59,239 Speaker 1: our house making three greenness. That's a big we got 950 00:52:59,320 --> 00:53:01,400 Speaker 1: siding book running through a beach