Tennessee

Tennessee Super Bowl 58 ties include Christian McCaffrey’s uncle who played at Vanderbilt

Published

2 years ago

February 6, 2024

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey’s uncle Billy was a star basketball player at Vanderbilt, and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ father was a pitcher for the Nashville Sounds.

San Francisco tight end George Kittle lives in Nashville on a property where he built his own golf course in the backyard, and the 49ers’ Charvarius Ward, who played at Middle Tennessee State, is an All-Pro second team cornerback who played in two previous Super Bowls with the Chiefs.

Those are a few of the local ties entering Super Bowl 58 on Sunday (5:30 p.m., CBS). Here’s a more detailed list:

Kansas City Chiefs

• Izaiah Gathings, tight end on the practice squad (MTSU): Gathings signed with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in May. He signed with the Chiefs in July but was waived before the season. He re-signed with the Chiefs on Dec. 20.

• Darius Harris, LB, (MTSU): Harris, who already has two Super Bowl rings with the Chiefs, was signed off the practice squad in December. He has seen action in five games this season.

• Richie James, WR, (MTSU): James has 11 receptions for 114 yards. He is averaging 20.8 yards on nine kickoff returns and 10 yards on 20 punt returns.

• Patrick Mahomes II, quarterback: Mahomes’ father, Pat Mahomes Sr., pitched for the Sounds in 2003 and 2004. The younger Mahomes was 7 in 2003. His father posted a combined record of 10-8 and struck out 59 batters in two seasons with the Sounds.

• Pat Sperduto, co-director of college scouting (Nashville Kats coach and Titans assistant): Sperduto was the coach of the Arena Football League’s Nashville Kats from 1999-2001 and again from 2005-07. He also was on the Titans’ coaching and scouting staffs (2001-08).

• Trey Smith, OG, (Tennessee): Smith has made 50 career starts and is his third season with the Chiefs.

San Francisco 49ers

• Oren Burks, LB (Vanderbilt): In his sixth NFL season, Burks has made five starts and recorded 46 tackles with one sack and one interception.

• James Cregg, assistant offensive line coach (Tennessee offensive line coach): Cregg spent the 2009 season as UT’s offensive line coach under Lane Kiffin. The Vols allowed just 12 sacks that season, tied for fewest in the SEC.

• Jauan Jennings, WR (Tennessee; Blackman): Jennings has 25 catches for 334 yards and one touchdown in his third season with the 49ers.

• George Kittle, TE (lives in Green Hills on a 75-acre property that includes a golf course and fitness center): 49ers’ third-leading receiver with 71 catches for 1,128 yards and seven touchdowns.

• Christian McCaffrey, RB (uncle Billy McCaffrey played basketball at Vanderbilt): Billy McCaffrey, whose older brother Ed is Christian’s father, played two seasons (1992-94) at Vanderbilt after transferring from Duke. Billy averaged more than 20 points per game in both seasons at Vanderbilt and led the Commodores to the 1993 SEC championship and the NCAA Sweet 16.

• Charvarius Ward, CB (MTSU): Ward is playing in his third Super Bowl. His first two were with the Chiefs. Ward was named All-Pro second team and to the Pro Bowl this season. He has 46 tackles, five interceptions, 23 pass breakups and a forced fumble.

Former Titan Terry Killens will officiate Super Bowl

Another local tie in the Super Bowl will be former Tennessee Titans linebacker Terry Killens, who will become the first person to play in and officiate a Super Bowl.

Killens, 49, played five seasons (1996-2001) with the Titans, including their appearance in Super Bowl 34 against the St. Louis Rams.

Killens started officiating in the NFL in 2019. He will work his first Super Bowl as an umpire.

Lissa Bradford entering Tennessee Golf Hall of Fame

Former Harpeth Hall golfer and Belmont coach Lissa Bradford is part of the 2024 Tennessee Golf Hall of Fame class.

Bradford won the 1981 TSSAA state championship and played at Alabama, where she served as captain from 1984-86. Bradford won two Tennessee Women’s Amateur championships (1983 and1985) and qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur in 1983.

She began her career as assistant pro at Springhouse Golf Club at Opryland and Belle Meade Country Club. She has served as senior director of Junior Golf for the Tennessee Golf Foundation at Golf House Tennessee since 1995.

Bradford also served as Belmont’s women’s golf coach from 2001-20.

Retired Herald-Citizen sports editor Frank Layne dies

Longtime Cookeville Herald-Citizen newspaper sports writer Frank Layne died on Feb. 2.

After serving as equipment manager for the Tennessee Tech football and baseball teams, Layne graduated from Tech in 1961 and became Cookeville’s first full-time recreation director,

After leaving town for several years, Layne returned in 1970 to cover local sports, including Tennessee Tech for The Herald-Citizen. He retired in 2000. In 2019, he was honored by the Ohio Valley Conference with its inaugural media lifetime achievement award.

Nashville Sounds single-game tickets on sale

Nashville Sounds single game tickets for the 2024 season are now on sale.

The Sounds will play 75 home games beginning April 2 with a five-game series against the St. Paul Saints (Minnesota Twins). The reigning Triple-A Champions, the Norfolk Tides (Baltimore Orioles), visit April 30-May 5.

Tickets can be purchased bit.ly/3Ox4rRW or by calling 615-690-4487.

Belmont hires tennis coach

Jeff Cero was hired Monday as Belmont’s men’s tennis coach.

Cero spent the past four seasons as coach at George Fox University in Newburg, Oregon. He led George Fox to three consecutive Northwest Conference championships, three straight NCAA tournament appearances and a national quarterfinal finish in 2021.

“It is truly an honor to be a part of this program and family of student-athletes, and I am excited to jump in right away,” Cero said. Prior to George Fox, Cero was the men’s and women’s tennis coach at Colorado Christian University, where his women’s team set the school record for wins in a season.

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

Darius Harris

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Tennessee baseball vs Virginia Tech live updates: Highlights, TV channel

Published

2 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Tennessee baseball vs Virginia Tech live updates: Highlights, TV channel

ARLINGTON, TX — Tennessee baseball is trying to wrap up the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series on a good note against Virginia Tech today.

The 19th-ranked Vols (7-3) lost to UCLA and beat Arizona State for a split at Globe Life Field, the home of the Texas Rangers. They’re finishing this trip against Virginia Tech (7-3), a game that began at 11:30 a.m. ET (FloCollege streaming).

Virginia Tech lost 10-0 by run rule to Texas A&M in Game 1 and lost 15-8 to Mississippi State in Game 2.

Lefthander Evan Blanco (1-1, 2.00 ERA) got the start for the Vols. Right-hander Ethan Grim (0-0, 3.75 ERA) started for Virginia Tech.

Follow live updates here from Arlington.

Tennessee baseball vs Virginia Tech live updates

Sam Grube struck out. Nick Lucorto singled to CF. Ethan Ball was hit by pitch to put runners on first and second. That ended UT starter Evan Blanco’s outing. Blanco allowed one run on two hits over 5 1/3 innings. He struck out six, walked one and hit three batters, tossing 91 pitches.

Left-hander Mark Hindy replaced Blanco. Hindy struck out Treyson Hughes. Hudson Lutterman fouled out to end the threat. 0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors, 2 LOB

Chris Newstrom grounded out. Manny Marin flied out to CF. Ariel Antigua popped out. 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB.

Top 5th inning: Tennessee 1, Virginia Tech 1

UT starter Evan Blanco made quick work of the Hokies, getting a strikeout, groundout and flyout. 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB

Bottom 4th inning: Tennessee 1, Virginia Tech 1

Levi Clark grounded out. Reese Chapman flied out to RCF. Tyler Myatt flied out to CF. 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB.

Nick Lucorto hit a solo home run, driving a 1-2 pitch over the LF wall to tie the game 1-1. Ethan Ball was hit by pitch. Treyson Hughes fouled out. Hudson Letterman reached on fielder’s choice, but UT couldn’t turn the double play. Owen Petrich flied out to RF. 1 Run, 1 Hit, 0 Errors, 1 LOB.

Chris Newstrom flied out. Manny Marin popped out. Ariel Antigua reached on an infield single when he hit a grounder to the first baseman and beat the pitcher to the bag. Jay Abernathy walked to put two runners on base with two outs. Henry Ford singled through the middle to score Antigua from second and move Abernathy to third. Vols lead 1-0. Blaine Brown struck out to end the inning. 1 Run, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB.

Anderson French struck out. Pete Daniel walked and advanced to 2B on a balk. Sam Gates lined out. Sam Grube grounded out, stranding a runner on 2B. 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB.

Levi Clark smashed a long flyout to the CF warning track, traveling more than 400 feet. Reese Chapman struck out. Tyler Myatt struck out. 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB.

UT starter Evan Blanco only needed 12 pitches to get through a 1-2-3 inning, including two strikeouts. Treyson Hughes struck out. Hudson Lutterman flied out. Owen Pettrich struck out. 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB.

Bottom 1st inning: Tennessee 0, Virginia Tech

Jay Abernathy struck out. Henry Ford flied out. Blaine Brown struck out. 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB.

Top 1st inning: Virginia Tech 0, Tennessee 0

UT starter Evan Blanco hit leadoff hitter Sam Grube with a pitch. Nic Locurto flied out to RF. Grube was thrown by stealing by catcher Levi Clark. Ethan Ball struck out. 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB.

What channel is Tennessee baseball vs Virginia Tech on today?

TV channel: FloSports app on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, etc.
Live stream: FloCollege streaming (for subscribers)

Tennessee baseball vs Virginia Tech time today

11:30 a.m. ET at Globe Life Field (Arlington, Texas)

Tennessee baseball vs Virginia Tech probable pitchers

Tennessee: LHP Evan Blanco (1-1, 2.00 ERA)
Virginia Tech: TBD

Tennessee in Amegy Bank College Baseball Series schedule

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

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Tennessee senator with Iranian roots calls for diplomacy following U.S.-Israel attack on Iran

Published

14 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Tennessee senator with Iranian roots calls for diplomacy following U.S.-Israel attack on Iran

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – A Tennessee state senator who is half-Iranian is calling on the Trump administration to pursue diplomacy and involve Congress following Saturday’s U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran.

State Sen. Raumesh Akbari(Action News 5)

State Sen. Raumesh Akbari, a Memphis Democrat who serves as Senate Minority Leader, said the strikes have stirred complicated emotions within the Persian-American community.

“My father came to Memphis to go to the University of Memphis in 1977 from Iran. It’s always been a country that I’ve heard beautiful things about, but I’ve certainly not been able to experience it because of the regime that’s in place,” Akbari said.

Akbari said Iranians have long been waiting for an end to the authoritarian dictatorship in the country, but the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has left questions about how Iran will stabilize in the aftermath of the attacks.

In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader,... — In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks to a group of people and officials in Tehran, Iran, Friday, March 21, 2025.(Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

“There’s hope but there’s also fear. There’s excitement but there’s also this deep sense of anxiety. What will this look like? We’ve seen in other Middle Eastern countries when regimes are removed and there’s this terrible period of instability,” she said.

Akbari said she hopes she will one day be able to visit the country her father was born in.

“That’s literally the other half of my heritage, and I think for all Iranian Americans, for Iranians who have left Iran and come to America, they hope for a free Iran,” she said.

Persian American community(Action News 5)

Akbari urged the administration to proceed deliberately and avoid casualties among both American troops and Iranian civilians.

“There is a key difference between the Iranian governmental regime and the people of Iran,” she said. “Keeping their humanity in mind, making sure there’s proper aid, and also trying to mitigate any sort of civilian loss of life.”

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Tennessee officials react to strikes, operations in Iran on Feb. 28

Published

1 day ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Tennessee officials react to strikes, operations in Iran on Feb. 28

The United States launched military strikes and “major combat operations” against Iran on Feb. 28, President Donald Trump said, targeting the country’s missile capabilities.

“Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people,” Trump said, calling the strikes “a massive and ongoing operation.”

The attack follows weeks of rising tensions as Trump repeatedly threatened to attack Iran if negotiations over its nuclear and missile development programs fail.

Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, was directly targeted, a Middle Eastern official familiar with the matter told USA TODAY. Khamenei’s fate was unknown.

Iran launched retaliatory drone and missile strikes against American and Israeli targets after the joint U.S.-Israeli attack, hitting a U.S. Navy base in Bahrain. Iran said its enemies would be “decisively defeated.”

Images from Tehran early Saturday showed smoke rising from the Iranian capital as residents ran for cover. Iran said 40 people were killed in a strike at a girl’s school in the south.

Officials from the Volunteer State reacted.

‘It’s time,’ says Sen. Marsha Blackburn

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, praised the operation on Saturday morning, Feb. 28.

“The Iranian regime has chanted ‘Death to America’ for decades,” she said, in a statement on X. “It’s time to end the reign of terror.”

Alongside her statement, she shared the announcement made by Trump early Saturday morning.

“A short time ago, the United States military began major combat operations in Iran. Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard terrible people,” Trump said in a video statement, which he delivered from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

The Trump administration has for weeks held negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program while also building up its military presence in the region. Tehran refused to abandon its nuclear ambitions, the U.S. president said, prompting the overnight airstrikes, which sent smoke plumes over Iran.

“They just wanted to practice evil,” Trump said in the video posted on social media. “And we can’t take it anymore.”

Sen. Bill Hagerty, Rep. Chuck Fleischmann support the operation in Iran

U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty stated his support for the operation.

“The world knows the death and destruction that Iran has perpetrated for decades,” he said, in a statement on social media. “The regime must be held accountable.

“(Trump) knows that strength—not weakness—brings peace. The president will not pass the buck to avoid necessary decisions to protect the American people. May God bless America, our Service Members, and our Allies.”

U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann echoed Hagerty.

“For decades, Iran and its theocratic dictatorship have been the world’s largest state sponsor of terror, threatening the United States and the peace of the world,” he said on social media. “President Trump will always defend America’s national security and interests. May God bless the men and women of our armed forces and our coalition partners.”

Rep. Andy Ogles thanks Trump and Israeli Prime Minister

U.S. Rep Andy Ogles thanked Trump, alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for the operation.

“I firmly stand with the people of Iran and support their right to take their country back from the mass murderer the Ayatollah. Thank you (Trump) and the White House for your leadership and (Netanyahu) for your partnership in securing freedom in the region.”

However, not everyone agreed with the strikes.

State legislator calls strikes ‘dangerous’

Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, called the strikes “dangerous for us all.”

“The leader of his proclaimed ‘Board of Peace’ is dragging us into an illegal war to deflect from his failures and profit donors in the war industry,” he said. “We are being led by a madman with no check from Congress and no clear justification to the American people.”

Gov. Bill Lee has not yet released a statement or responded to requests for comment.

The reactions are nearly identical to previous reactions when Trump announced a number of strikes on Iran in June 2025, which Trump called a “spectacular success.”

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth

The former Fox News host turned Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who is also a resident of Tennessee, kept his comment brief as of the morning of Feb 28, simply resharing a post from the Department of War’s official account stating, in all caps, “OPERATION EPIC FURY” beside an American flag emoji.

Hegseth lives in Sumner County, and last week spoke the National Religious Broadcasters Conference in Nashville, where he cited claims at the center of widespread dispute about the intent of America’s founding documents and forefathers to shape civic life according to certain Christian ethics.

This is a developing story.

Have a story to tell? Reach Angele Latham by email at alatham@gannett.com, or follow her on Twitter at @angele_latham

Francesca Chambers, Kim Hjelmgaard, Will Carless, Sarah D. Wire, Cybele Mayes-Osterman, Bart Jansen and Jeanine Santucci of USA Today contributed to this report.

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