Why Tennessee Titans paid for helmets, other equipment for local high school football teams

Coach Arcentae Broome needed 10 additional helmets to fully equip his Overton football team for the 2023 season and the Tennessee Titans came to the rescue.

Each year heading into the football season the Titans, through their Football Developmental Grant program, seek out programs in need of assistance. Broome had informed the program he needed more helmets, which generally cost $300-$400 each.

Broome was delighted to learn just before preseason practice began his request was among those the Titans accepted. He received a check for $2,500 to go toward the purchase of new helmets.

"My price for 10 helmets was about $3,300 so all we had to do was put about $800 with what the Titans gave us," Broome said. "The Titans have always been there for high school football whether it was allowing us to come out to their supply center and get shoes that were lightly used or gloves or pants or with a grant like this."

The Titans supply center operates on a first-come, first-served basis for local high school coaches. Broome said when he was the coach at Maplewood he grabbed some light blue pants from the center the Titans had used when they were the Oilers. The next day former Glencliff coach Scott Murray, whose team's colors are light blue and red, called Broome and asked if he'd be willing to swap the Oilers pants for some items he had gotten.

"We did that deal and it worked out for each of us," Broome said. "Those light blue pants were a perfect match for Glencliff."

Overton quarterback Kaleb Johnson is wearing one the new state-of-the-art Riddell helmets and it means even more to him since it came from the Titans.

"It's really inspiring for an NFL team to come to a high school and donate new stuff to us," Johnson said. "And to know it was their idea is really special."

Johnson is a lifelong Seattle Seahawks fan who never paid much attention to the Titans before.

"I'm a little bit more of a Titans fan now," he said with a smile. "If they're not playing Seattle I'll cheer for them."

The Overton program wasn't the only one to benefit from Titans' generosity. The team donated a total of $80,000 to 25 schools and organizations across the state.

“We believe every school and organization should have all the available resources to create phenomenal athletics programs, and we hope this grant will offer deeper support to those who need it most,” said Titans senior director of marketing and social responsibility Josh Corey.

Some of the other programs in Middle Tennessee that received grants of $2,500-$5,000 from the Titans and how they used them include Hunters Lane (weight room equipment, helmets and uniforms), Oakland (shoulder pads), DuPont Hadley Middle School (equipment), DuPont Tyler Middle School (helmets and two-man sled), H.G. Hill Middle School (helmets and shoulder pads), Haynes Middle School (equipment), Hume-Fogg (practice space and transportation), Thurgood Marshall Middle School (equipment and helmets), Stewarts Creek Youth Football (field lights), Oliver Middle School (equipment), Rutherford County Youth Football (helmets), 3D Vision Academy (program fees) and Backfield in Motion (legal expenses).

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George Plaster taking show to top high school game of the week

Speaking of high school football, local media personality George Plaster, who has a weekday YouTube show, will dedicate his Friday show over the next 15 weeks to high schools.

His show, co-hosted by former Vanderbilt football coach Watson Brown, Billy Derrick and Kelly Holcomb, is on live from 2-4 p.m. from Ford Ice Bellevue. The Friday show will move to a local high school and be broadcast in front of the student body.

"We'll pick out a big football game each week and take the show to one of those schools involved," Plaster said. "We'll do it from inside the school so we don't have to deal with the weather or whatever. Then we'll stick around for the game."

The first show on Aug. 18 will be at the new James Lawson High School in Bellevue. The Lightning will play Cheatham County Central.

A decision would be made from week-to-week, Plaster said, on the best game on the schedule.

Shelby pro Steve Munson wins Tennessee Senior PGA Championship

Springfield’s Steve Munson won the Tennessee Senior PGA Professional Championship Tuesday with a 9-under par 135 at Holston Hills in Knoxville.

Munson, the pro at Shelby Golf Course, posted a 66 in the second round after a 69 in the first. He had a total of 13 birdies.

He held off Glenn Hudson of La Follette (68-69 137) and Mt. Juliet’s Audie Johnson (71-67 138), the pro at McCabe Golf Course.

Former McCabe pro and 2022 champion Loren Personett from Mt. Juliet (70-70 140), Kevin Snell from Eagleville (65-75 140) and Jared Melson from Tullahoma (72-68 140) tied for fifth.

The complete leaderboard is at bit.ly/3DEY6y0.

New flag football league tryouts this weekend

Tryouts for the new American Flag Football League began Saturday and continue Sunday at Oakland High School.

Nashville, Boston, Dallas and Las Vegas will field teams in the league, which opens in 2024.

Tryouts from 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. are open for anyone 18 and older.

Nashville coach Chris Hughes will attend the tryouts along with AFFL president Brian Michael Cooper.

For more information about the American Flag Football League visit bit.ly/441HVW9.

Austin Peay creates ring of honor

Austin Peay has created a Ring of Honor to recognize its former outstanding athletes and coaches. Names of the enshrined individuals will be permanently displayed in their home facility on campus.

The first individuals being recognized include Terrence Holt (football, 2010), Terry Taylor (basketball, 2021), Chuck Abbott (baseball, 1996), Ashley Haynes (basketball, 2006), Angela Thompson (softball, 1995), Ayesha Maycock (track and field, 2001), Sheena Gooding (track and field, 2001), Craig Rudolph (golf, 1987), Noel Phillips (tennis, 1974), Susan Sheather-Kliebert (tennis, 1994), T.J. Kleynhans-Allen (tennis, 1986), Tatiana Ariza (soccer, 2013) Natalia Ariza (soccer, 2013) and Cheryl Holt (volleyball, tennis, softball coach, 1982-2004).

JerMilton Woods promoted at Belmont

Belmont's JerMilton Woods was promoted to assistant director of facilities and event operations at E.S. Ross Park. He spent the last two years as coordinator and facilities and operations at the park.

"JerMilton has enriched our athletic department in countless ways," Belmont athletics director Scott Corley said. "His dedication and discipleship align with our university mission."

Woods, who was a student manager at Tennessee State and spent a year there as gameday marketing and promotions coordinator, served as athletics director at Joelton Middle School before arriving at Belmont.

If you have an item for Midstate Chatter contact Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on Twitter @MikeOrganWriter.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Titans pay for Nashville area high school football helmets