Dowell makes Titans 53-man roster
Sep. 2—Wilson Central High (Class of 2017) graduate Colton Dowell made the Tennessee Titans' 53-man roster for the 2023 regular season during Tuesday's cut-down day.
The seventh-round pick from UT-Martin finished the preseason in style with two catches for a team-leading 49 yards in last week's exhibition game against the New England Patriots in his first pro game at Nissan Stadium (where he played a game last year for the Skyhawks against Tennessee State).
Dowell has a good chance of becoming possibly the first Wilson Countian to appear in a non-strike regular-season NFL game when the Titans travel to New Orleans next Sunday to take on the Saints in the Superdome. Other natives have been drafted or signed as free agents and played in preseason games. But it's believed only Mt. Juliet's Michael Jasper made an NFL active roster, with the Buffalo Bills, but never played in a game. Another former Mt. Juliet standout, Tim Bryant, was a replacement player for the Minnesota Vikings when the regulars went on strike for three games in 1987.
Another who played in Wilson County, John North, grew up in Old Hickory and graduated from the old Castle Heights Military Academy before playing the 1950 season as a receiver for the Baltimore Colts. He was head coach of the New Orleans Saints from 1973-75.
Dowell will be the second Wilson Central graduate to draw NFL paychecks this season. Former lineman Cameron Clemmons is assistant offensive line coach for the Las Vegas Raiders.
As a UT-Martin Skyhawk, Dowell was a four-time All-Ohio Valley Conference receiver and holds the school record for receiving yards with 2,796.
As a Wilson Central Wildcat, he had 44 catches for 799 yards and six touchdowns as a senior on a team which went 8-3. He saved his best games for local rivals Lebanon and Mt. Juliet. He had three catches for 133 yards and two touchdowns against the Blue Devils and posted a career-high nine receptions for 133 yards and a score against the Golden Bears.
Also around the NFL, former Friendship Christian quarterback Mike Jones Jr., whose father is a former Titan, was cut by the Atlanta Falcons, who had signed the LSU linebacker as a free agent following the draft last spring.
