Cornerback Roger McCreary is confident in his chances to be one of the Tennessee Titans’ starters on defense.

He also knows — given the additions general manager Ran Carthon made to the Titans’ defensive backfield this offseason — the task won’t be easy.

In March, Carthon signed eighth-year cornerback Chidobe Awuzie and traded for fifth-year cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. Then, two weeks before training camp began, he added three-time Pro Bowl safety Jamal Adams.

McCreary, a third-year player who finished third in pass breakups (6) and fourth in combined tackles (86) on the Titans last season, is suddenly one of the least experienced players in the Titans’ defensive backfield.

“Those guys are who you look up to and just want to play with,” McCreary said at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park on Thursday. “They make you better just by how they play.”

Awuzie, 29, played seven seasons with the Dallas Cowboys and Cincinnati Bengals before signing with the Titans. He has 369 tackles and six interceptions in 86 career games.

AWUZIE UPDATE: Tennessee Titans CB Chidobe Awuzie will miss a couple weeks with calf injury

Sneed, 27, played four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs where he was part of two Super Bowl wins. He was traded to the Titans for a third-round pick on Mar. 29.

“Those guys are great,” McCreary said of Sneed and Awuzie. “We studied them up close when we played them. They are veterans, and they give me tips on what I should do.”

Tennessee Titans’ Roger McCreary wants to be aggressive like Jamal Adams

While McCreary learns technique and skill from Sneed and Awuzie, he’s learning to be more aggressive from the Titans’ newest addition Jamal Adams.

Aggressive play near the line of scrimmage is the calling card of Adams, who is looking to reestablish his NFL presence after missing 24 games over the last two seasons. Injuries suffered while playing with the Seattle Seahawks seemingly derailed his career and had many wondering if he would play again.

Adams signed a one-year, $1.125 deal with the Titans on July 11, something he sees as a “prove it” deal.

One of the most physical safeties in the game during his time with the Seahawks and New York Jets, Adams has 21.5 sacks and 494 tackles in 80 career games. McCreary says he’s eager to grow the physical side of his game learning from Adams.

“I’ve seen his games, I know how he plays,” McCreary said about Adams. “He’s aggressive and I see how he is in that box. I’m trying to be aggressive like him.”

As the Titans continue through training camp, McCreary has a clear shot to be one of the Titans’ starting defensive backs. With Awuzie and Sneed ahead of him, he would slot as the nickel corner, a position that Adams has also played in his career.

With more defensive veteran leaders in the room, McCreary is also ready to establish himself as a leader.

“For me, I’m trying to be more of a vocal guy,” McCreary said. “We got new guys coming in, so my main goal is to be that vocal leader and set the example.”

Now is the time for the governor and the state legislature to use the money they have to make things better for working families.

• Dave Kamper is senior state policy strategist for the Economic Policy Institute.

President Ronald Reagan loved to say that the nine most terrible words in the English language were, “I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.”

The American Rescue Plan Act, enacted three years ago in March, proves Reagan wrong: Government action − when timely, targeted, and sufficient in size − can make all the difference for people across the country. It’s a model we’d do well to follow in future crises. It’s also a model that Tennessee seems to have ignored, to the disadvantage of the state’s working families.

One of ARPA’s key elements was sending $350 billion directly to state and local governments with few strings attached. These State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) were designed to tackle the myriad ills plaguing communities in the wake of COVID, and it did its job. 

Here’s how other states are using their ARPA funds

Typically when the federal government gives cash to state and local governments, it’s for specific uses at specific times − so many dollars for fixing roads, or buying new fire trucks, or securing our elections, that sort of thing.

But when President Joe Biden took office in January 2021, his team knew that if ARPA tried to micromanage how state governments spent the money, it would have missed the mark. Instead, SLFRF could be used for effectively anything responding to the pandemic or the economic impact of the pandemic such as making up lost government revenue, hero pay for frontline workers, or infrastructure spending, whatever the state thinks is best. 

Some states have used their funds in inventive and helpful ways. Minnesota allocated $500 million in “hero pay” for frontline workers. Connecticut announced a plan to pay off the medical debts of thousands of families with fiscal recovery funds. Other states used the money to rebuild public services, which had never fully recovered from budget-cutting that many states adopted in the decade following the Great Recession.

States closer to Tennessee have also used these funds to strengthen their economies and rebuild public services. Kentucky spent $168 million to repair and renovate school buildings. North Carolina spent almost $500 million in grants to businesses to help recover from COVID. Georgia spent $1 billion of ARPA money in 2022 to give cash assistance to poor families.  

Nearly 90% of Tennessee funds have not been spent yet

And Tennessee? Tennessee has barely touched the money. According to the latest data available from the U.S. Department of the Treasury,

Tennessee has spent just 10.5% of the $3.7 billion it received in fiscal recovery funds in 2021. While other states have rebuilt infrastructure and supported working families, Tennessee has done almost nothing.

More: Nashville OKs use of COVID-19 relief funds to stabilize rocky Fisk University finances

While the state rolled out an ambitious plan for using the money, very few of those paper plans have been approved by the legislature, and even less money has gone out the door. $500 million was allocated for broadband, but only $44.6 million has been spent. $1.3 billion was budgeted for wastewater infrastructure – just $36 million has been spent. $15 million was earmarked for Habitat for Humanity to support low-income housing, but none of those funds have yet been appropriated by the legislature. 

It’s an open question whether they ever will. Tennessee only has until Dec. 31 to formally obligate the funds, or it loses them forever. Now is the time for the governor and the state legislature to use the money they have to make things better for working families. If they don’t, they will have wasted a once-in-a-generation chance to do good.

Dave Kamper is senior state policy strategist for the Economic Policy Institute.

JACKSON, Tenn. — It’s pageant time once again in the Hub City as night one of the Miss Tennessee Volunteer Pageant kicks off.

This pageant is all about the Volunteer State, and more importantly about crowning a new Tennessee representative for the next national pageant.

Night one of the 5th annual Miss Tennessee Volunteer Pageant began Wednesday night at the Carl Perkins Civic Center. The competition sees 35 contestants from across the state vying for the title of Miss Tennessee Volunteer.

“They’re so excited. We’re so excited to see who the next Miss Tennessee Volunteer is,” said Emily Anne Sparks, executive director for Miss Tennessee Volunteer Pageant.

From Wednesday to Friday each contestant will participate in three categories of preliminary competition: Fitness and Wellness, Talent, and Evening Gown.

A fourth category, Interview, was completed Tuesday.

“When you come and you support this program, on stage you are seeing girls that go to school here, that were born here, that wills start their families here,” said Sparks.

In the previous years, the pageants would have the same production each night, however, this year they decided to have a different production each night that correlates with a themed song and dance routine.

“Jackson is very fortunate, they have the national pageant in June and then turn around in July and have the Miss Tennessee Volunteer Pageant, so how can we not do the same thing so you’re not watching the same pageant,” said Sparks.

So, night one is a 70s theme, night two is ‘Christmas in July’ and night three is a ‘Night of Hope.’ A night about what the contestants have overcome to get where they are.

“So a Night of Hope and Friday night, I promise you, you want to be at the Carl Perkins Civic Center because it is going to blow your socks off,” said Sparks.

Current title holder, Jada Brown, will crown the new Miss Tennessee Volunteer on Saturday night.

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