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Tennessee Titans don pads for first time as physicality intensifies

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2 hours ago

July 30, 2024

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Tennessee Titans don pads for first time as physicality intensifies

The Tennessee Titans welcomed the first day of practice in pads on Tuesday at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park.

Titans receiver Calvin Ridley admitted he’s now near his peak football conditioning but still has a ways to go before suiting up in the Titans first preseason game next weekend.

“I’m in shape. I feel like I can run now and my breathing is good. Now I gotta get used to moving in the pads,” Ridley said. “I want to move guys (off the line) a little bit better. I thought I wasn’t moving them as good as I wanted to.”

Ridley admitted it would take him about “two more days” with the pads on to fully get his movements and timing under control like the former All-Pro would like.

While there were some players like Ridley, who used the practice to help adjust to the feeling of the pads, others were using the new feeling as fuel to drive up the level of competition during the practice.

More: Will Levis stats: Every pass Tennessee Titans quarterback threw at Tuesday practice

Jeffery Simmons, the Titans Pro Bowl defensive lineman, is known for his talk on the field, which helps elevate the level of play for the entire defense. But during Tuesday’s practice his highly talkative nature spilled over a bit too much during the practice period.

Simmons got into two consecutive shoving matches and ultimately had to be separated from his teammates before being pulled by the coaches for the next few team reps to cool off. According to an on-field referee, the shoving and physicals would’ve resulted in Simmons being ejected during an official game.

MORE ON THE TITANS O-LINE: Examining Bill Callahan’s checklist for fixing Tennessee Titans O-line, and if it’s enough

While some would call the physicality a bad thing that could waste valuable practice time or possibly even result in team-forced injuries, other players are looking at the physicality through an entirely different lens.

Titans tight end Josh Whyle welcomes the physicality and even thinks it’s an inevitable part of the game.

“I take that as just competitive spirit,” said Whyle. “We talked about it after practice. We’ve got to protect the team; we don’t want to get our own guys hurt but there’s always an edge when you’re playing professional football.”

Lawrence Goss is The Tennessean’s sports intern with the Sports Journalism Institute. Contact Lawrence at lgoss@gannett.com. Follow Lawrence on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @iamlgoss

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Watch: Tennessee baseball’s Nate Snead throws out first pitch at Milwaukee Brewers game

Published

9 hours ago

July 30, 2024

Press Room

Watch: Tennessee baseball’s Nate Snead throws out first pitch at Milwaukee Brewers game

If all goes as planned, Tennessee baseball’s Nate Snead will some day soon pitch for an MLB team.

He got a sneak preview of what the mound might feel like this week.

Snead returned home to Milwaukee to celebrate Tennessee baseball’s national championship in recent days, and part of the festivities included throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before the Milwaukee Brewers’ 8-3 win over the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night at American Family Field.

Snead, wearing a hat with the phrase “Great Day to be a Vol” emblazoned on it and an orange Tennessee shirt, posed for photos with Brewers manager Pat Murphy and first base coach Quentin Berry. He may not have thrown a strike, based on his reaction and the message sent out by Tennessee baseball’s X account chronicling the moment.

“Awesome experience,” Snead tweeted afterwards.

The Wichita State transfer became a crucial member of Tennessee’s pitching staff during the program’s first national title run. Snead, a sophomore this past season, appeared in five of the Vols’ six College World Series games, including a save in Game 2 of the championship series against Texas A&M and 1 2/3 innings of relief in the series-clinching Game 3.

PREVIEW: Tennessee baseball ranking: Where are Vols in Baseball America’s ‘way too early’ top 25?

Snead pitched at South Milwaukee High School and threw the school’s first perfect game before spending his freshman year of college at Wichita State. Hundreds of people gathered at South Milwaukee’s Bucyrus Commons last Thursday to celebrate Snead’s accomplishments at Tennessee with a proclamation ceremony.

Earlier this summer, Snead was also a member of USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team along with Tennessee shortstop Dean Curley.

Snead finished the 2024 season with a 10-2 record and a team-best 3.11 earned run average. He’s likely to move from mostly working out of the bullpen to being a starter for the Vols, a transition MLB scouts will be watching closely ahead of the 2025 MLB draft.

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Storms bring flood to Dollywood amusement park in Tennessee

Published

17 hours ago

July 30, 2024

Press Room

Storms bring flood to Dollywood amusement park in Tennessee

Strong thunderstorms bring flash floods to Dolly Parton’s Dollywood in east Tennessee, USA, on Sunday, July 28, 2024. Park officials said workers and the Pigeon Forge police and fire departments directed guests to safety on Sunday and one minor injury was reported.

PIGEON FORGE, Tennessee — Strong thunderstorms brought flash floods to Dolly Parton’s Dollywood in east Tennessee.

Park workers and the Pigeon Forge police and fire departments directed guests to safety on Sunday afternoon, and one minor injury was reported, park officials said in a statement. The amusement park said it was supporting guests whose vehicles were affected and cleanup crews were deployed. The park was opening at noon Monday and the park’s Splash Country, which wasn’t affected, opened at its regular time.

A road collapse closed McCarter Hollow Road at the entrance to Dollywood on Sunday night, according to the Pigeon Forge Police Department.

JeMiale McKinney of Knoxville and his wife and two daughters are season pass holders and headed to the park Sunday. Sometimes, when there is a threat of bad weather, that is the best time to go because many people will leave and once the weather clears, you get shorter ride times, McKinney said.

READ: European-themed park in Germany named best amusement park in the world

However, it was pouring buckets and within 10 minutes the entrance was blocked. People could see that it wouldn’t be worth it to drive through the water that was thigh-deep in some places, McKinney said.

“We got trapped in the parking lot faster than we thought,” he said. They were stuck there for two hours until a crew broke down a fence so people could get out.

“I was surprised about how calm people were,” he said.

READ: Dolly Parton receives $100 million award from Jeff Bezos

Nearly 5 inches of rain fell in the area in about an hour, Dollywood spokesperson Wes Ramey said in an email.

“While the volume of rain was difficult for both the park’s and the city’s infrastructure to manage, the fact we have only one minor injury illustrates how well our hosts handled the situation and how well our guests followed their directions,” Ramey said.

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The park will evaluate the response to determine whether any changes are needed, he said.

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Making a difference: Volunteer opportunities in West Tennessee – WBBJ TV

Published

24 hours ago

July 29, 2024

Press Room

Making a difference: Volunteer opportunities in West Tennessee – WBBJ TV

JACKSON, Tenn. — Tennessee is known as the Volunteer State, and for good reason, as so many get involved in their communities and lend a helping hand.

If you’re looking for a way to give back we have some opportunities for you!

There are many organizations and non-profits benefiting local residents of West Tennessee and so many do it by partnering with members of our community.

Whether it is helping to build a home for an individual who meets the requirements of Habitat For Humanity or becoming a read team coach with United Way, there is a volunteer opportunity for everyone.

For those that enjoy investing into the next generation, the Boys and Girls Club located in Humboldt has a variety of ways that locals can volunteer.

Making a difference: Volunteer opportunities in West Tennessee – WBBJ TV

“Our Power Hour program, which is our tutoring program, and in that program we assist our kids with, you know, their homework. We have a great partnership with the school system in which they bring in some of their teachers and some of the community leaders in and assist our kids with their homework,” said Gladys Robinson, director for the Boys and Girls Club in Humboldt.

If you enjoy the arts or sports, and sharing your passion, there are other options that may peak your interest, such as ballet, tennis, cooking, theater and many more.

Robinson expressed a need in each area, so that the kids will have the greater opportunities to learn new skills and passions.

Robinson also shared how one helper was impacted by his time of volunteering.

“One of the things that he loves when he comes in, is he just loves to see how the kids changes from day to day. He said that he enjoys that he did that when he was in another state and so he wanted to do it here. And we have seen improvement in those kids that he has mentored,” said Robinson.

And another way to help local children is by packing the bus with RIFA.

Volunteers are needed in Jackson to help with loading donated groceries on to the bus, handing out the donated items list to donors and unpacking the bus at RIFA.

Volunteering is a great way to get involved in your community, meeting new people and leaving a lasting impact.

RIFA’s Pack the Bus will be August 3, from 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.

For more local news, click here.

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