WWE Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler to 'Release the Tigers' for Memphis football vs. Tulane
Memphis football again will have a well-known face bringing the Tigers on to the field Friday.
WWE Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler will "Release the Tigers" before the game against Tulane. That's a new tradition this season, where an honoree or group of honorees open a door for the football players to run on the field before kickoff.
Past "Release the Tigers" honorees have been former Tigers kicker Stephen Gostkowski, Gold Star Families and members of the 2003 Tigers team.
Lawler, 73, is a legendary wrestler who has competed for a slew of different promotions. He signed with WWE in 1992 and has served as a wrestler and commentator since then.
He's a Memphis native and was the recipient of the AutoZone Liberty Bowl's Distinguished Citizen Award earlier this year. He suffered a stroke in February in Fort Myers, Florida, returning to Memphis to recover.
Lawler is also a member of the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and a 2022 inductee in the Memphis Sports Hall of Fame. He rose to prominence as an iconic performer on the long-running Saturday morning television series "Classic Memphis Wrestling."
More: Memphis football vs Tulane: Scouting report, score prediction vs Michael Pratt, AAC champion
Friday is "Wrestling Night" at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium and will include wrestling matches on Tiger Lane and an autograph signing session with Lawler and other Memphis-area wrestlers in the concourse before the 6 p.m. kickoff.
Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @thejonahdylan.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: WWE Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler to 'Release the Tigers' on Friday
