NASHVILLE — Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan, displaying confidence, isn’t as worried as fans are about the team’s defensive signal-caller. This player relays defensive play calls from the sideline to the rest of the defense on the field.

The previous person in this role, Azeez Al-Shaair, left the team as a free agent and joined the Houston Texans. He was a pivotal player in the Titans’ defensive lineup. In the NFL, a player donning the green dot on their helmet serves as the vital communication link with the sideline, typically a seasoned player due to its crucial role in coordinating the defense and adjusting strategies on the field.

Callahan held a press conference on Tuesday, and a reporter mentioned comments from former Titan Keith Bulluck. Bulluck said he believes people are overreacting about the green dot, which resonated with Callahan’s views.

“Probably a little bit,” Callahan said, echoing Bulluck’s sentiment. “Yeah, I’m more in his boat than I am not. I think he makes a good point. There’s a communication factor that matters. There’s an ability to be able to call the defense and still get lined up and play your responsibility. But ultimately, you find someone that’s capable.” 

Callahan believes that the proper player will find their way into the role when the time is right.

“I mean, every team’s got a green dot that you find one at some point that could communicate the call and get everybody lined up,” Callahan said. “But the communication part on defense really is an 11-person job. I mean, all those guys have to talk. The safeties and corners are talking to each other the whole time. The linebackers in the front, the safeties and the backers.”

The first-year head coach further elaborated on what it takes to handle the green dot.

“There’s a ton of communication that goes on,” Callahan said. “So to put it all on one person I think is probably unfair, at the end of the day. But you still have to have a guy that can handle the information, the communication part. There’s a personality part of that too, that they’re naturally able to be in front of guys and communicate. “

“But, it’s not something that I spend a ton of time thinking about. If for some reason we get to training camp and we can’t get a call out, then we can make it a big deal. But at this point, no, I don’t have any real concerns.”

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Well, that turned quickly, huh? There’s a winning streak in the other dugout now.

One. Two. That’s how many Vanderbilt baseball has claimed in a row over rival Tennessee after Wednesday’s 13-4 drubbing at the SEC tournament in Hoover, Alabama.

It was massive result to bolster Vanderbilt’s shaky NCAA Tournament hopes, no matter the opponent. But this opponent, of course, mattered plenty. Until 10 days ago, Tennessee had beaten Vanderbilt nine times in a row. Tony Vitello’s Vols went to Omaha last year. They were the No. 1 national seed in 2022. They are the nation’s No. 1 team right now.

Commodores coach Tim Corbin didn’t downplay Tennessee’s success Wednesday when asked about the rivalry. He just gave everyone a little tap on shoulder.

The Vandy Boys are still around, too.

“I know our kids respect Tennessee and their program,” Corbin told reporters. “There’s no doubt about that. We talk about that. But what you can’t do is start admiring people you play. We’ve got a good program, too. Real good program.”

About our state’s best college sports rivalry, we should note the thing has felt downright chummy lately.

When the Vols (46-11) needed Kentucky to lose last Saturday to provide them a share of the SEC championship, guess who did them that solid? Vanderbilt, on the road, beat Kentucky. Then on Wednesday at the SEC Tournament, the Vols – of all teams – likely, and unwittingly, ensured the Commodores (37-20) wouldn’t miss this season’s NCAA Tournament after all.

For Vanderbilt, it’s tough to imagine a more impressive, last-minute NCAA resume victory than dealing Tennessee its worst beating in nearly two months.

It has been difficult to envision such a showy win, period, for the Commodores during what has thus far been a disappointing season.

But that was the pre-Hoover Met portion of their schedule.

For two years in a row, the Vandy Boys have discovered their best selves in the suburban Birmingham stadium. After winning last season’s SEC Tournament, they’ve opened this one a critical 2-for-2 when they most needed it, arriving on the NCAA Tournament bubble.

They’ve looked a different ballclub in Hoover. A lineup that struggled mightily to find production and power this season launched four home runs Wednesday out of a cavernous ballpark. Alan Espinal slugged two. The Commodores finished with 15 hits and scored more runs than in any of their last 19 games against an SEC foe.

Didn’t slow the fire that Tennessee threw eight different pitchers at it. Not to say the Vols weren’t trying to win – their batting order was stacked as usual – but Vitello’s Johnny Wholestaff approach was more reminiscent of a midweek game versus Eastern Tech than a collision with his program’s biggest rival.

“A bad result,” Vitello told reporters, “but as I look at the box score, it was good to get a lot of guys get their cleats in the dirt in a situation that might be new to them or certainly is new to our group this year.”

Of the Vols eight pitchers, only two didn’t allow a run. One of those two was AJ Russell, Tennessee’s 6-foot-6 expected ace from Franklin, who has been hurt most of this season and hadn’t pitched since March 23. No victory the Vols could get this week would be more important than the sight of Russell returning to the mound for an inning and looking reasonable sharp, striking out two.

Other than that, there was nothing for Tennessee to gain in Hoover this week. Pursuits bristle to hear that sort of thing, but it’s true. A deep SEC Tournament run, exhausting an already thin pitching staff, would hinder Tennessee’s chances in the tournament that really matters.

Getting Russell back? A big deal for this bullpen.

Tennessee is going to need Russell in the coming weeks, a reality that was underlined by how so many other Vols arms struggled to keep the Commodores off the basepaths Wednesday.

Vanderbilt hit .375 for the game and .450 with runners on base. Tennessee, in turn, was .143 with runners on base. Relief pitchers Luke Guth and Miller Green, both freshmen, held a terrifying Vols lineup scoreless for the game’s final five innings, recording some big outs before the game got lopsided late.

“Getting hot at the right time is always good,” Vanderbilt’s Jonathan Vastine said. “I think that we only have our best baseball ahead of us.”

Better late than never, it would seem.

Reach Tennessean sports columnist Gentry Estes at gestes@tennessean.com and on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter) @Gentry_Estes.

According to TennCare, Tennessee’s Medicaid program, families will be able to receive up to 100 diapers per month for children under two starting in August — which will be available at TennCare pharmacies.

The request stemmed from an initiative backed by Republican Gov. Bill Lee in 2023 designed to support families, for which lawmakers approved allocating $30 million in TennCare funding for the free diapers.

“Strong families are central to strong communities, and Tennessee is leading the nation in prioritizing resources for families in need,” Lee said in a statement on Wednesday. “We are the first state in the nation to cover the cost of diapers for mothers in the first two years of a child’s life, and we hope this is a model for others.”

In Delaware, individuals will be allowed to receive up to 80 diapers and up to one pack of baby wipes per week in the first twelve weeks postpartum. CMS agreed the state could use Medicaid funding to extend the program another five years.

“Access to sufficient diapers offers health benefits to the parent, as well, as diaper need is associated with maternal depression and stress,” said Martha Lodge, spokesperson for the Delaware Health and Social Services in an email.

Along with approving the diaper benefit, CMS approved increasing TennCare’s income limit for parents to 100% of poverty. Previously, Tennessee’s income eligibility was set at specific monthly amounts rather than being connected to the federal poverty level.

This has meant a parent in a household of three used to face an income limit of about $1,600 a month. Under the new changes, the income limit jumps to about $2,000 a month.