Nashville's Frank Omiyale, NFL Chicago Bear

This is a sneak preview of a feature about the Bears' Frank Omiyale, who went to Whites Creek High School in Nashville and then Tennessee Tech. He is now in his 5th year in the NFL and starts for the Bears.

Omiyale in training camp.

Frank's high school coach Richard Coure, a legendary Nashville coach who is now in his 38th year as a coach and teacher (25 years at Whites Creek) spoke with CSN and told us about Frank's journey to the NFL. (His last name is pronounced "Oh-mee-yale"). Coure is now an assistance coach and program director at Whites Creek.

More on this soon....please see pics below.

Omiyale signs with the Bears.

More NFL Game Images from Week One

The Titans-Raiders game kicked off the 2010 NFL Regular Season in Nashville. (All images: CSN/Jim Harwell)

Nashville's John Henderson speaks to fellow
All-Pro Richard Seymour during the game.

Kenny Britt waves to the crowd after the game.

A young fan celebrates getting a souvenir from Bo Scaife.

Golden Gloves Boxing in Nashville

       For Adie Procter and Eddie Sellers and their buddies, sports were and are the bond that unites them. The two Nashvillians were both Golden Gloves boxers back in the Golden Era, a bygone time when the love of sports reigned.
       "Some of my greatest memories are of Golden Gloves boxing at the Hippodrome," said Procter, now 76 and still in great shape, referring to the famed, multi-purpose Hippodrome Arena in Nashville. "Nashville produced a lot of good boxers from those times.
       "The newspapers covered our boxing a lot, and it was a big deal," he added. "They would run sometimes two or three pages and big headlines."
       Procter and his buddies were from Kalb Hollow, the nickname for North Nashville, and attended North High School.
       Eddie Sellers came from an athletic family and is still involved in fitness/athletics. He is the longtime owner of the popular Hermitage Fitness Center on Lebanon Road in the Hermitage/Donelson area, just blocks from the Hermitage itself.
       He and his three brothers Billy, Ronny and Danny were all Golden Gloves boxers. You can imagine the sibling stories they have. 
       Procter, Sellers and their buddies still get together often, keeping those bonds of friendship together formed back in the golden days of sports......
       More on this story soon.       
      

CSN Images: NFL Season Kicks Off in Nashville

A sold-out and packed LP Field was the place to be today. Images of the day are below (photos: CSN/Jim Harwell):

Big John and the Raiders in Nashville Against the Titans

       Nashville's Big John Henderson and the Oakland Raiders played in Nashville today. One of Nashville's greatest athletes ever, Henderson likes being back in his hometown.
       "It's always good to be back," said Hen after the game, a Titans win. "I've played here a lot through the years, and it's always a good feeling to be back home and play in front of people I know."

During warm-ups, John reacts with happiness when
a Pearl-Cohn father yells support of a fellow P-C Firebird.

       Henderson had about 40 friends and family in the stands and many more of course watching on TV.
       He and his family of six like northern California.
       "It's good being a part of the Raiders organization, which has so much tradition. My family is adjusting to the move also, and they're doing well."
       John played a good game today, as he always does. He finished with five tackles, four of them solo tackles.
       Commentators remarked that Henderson fills the gaps and gets off blocks very well. After many years in the NFL, Henderson is still a force on defense. Please see photo below.

John (79) and the D-Line meet before the game.
Lamarr Houston is a DE (Texas); Jay Alford is a DT
from Penn State.

McLean Among NFL Legends

Nashville's Lindsy McLean is in some pretty good NFL company- to say the least. The retired San Francisco 49ers Head Athletic Trainer has five Super Bowl rings. Only one person has more rings. Former Broncos' General Manager Neal Dahlen has seven as a player and GM.

McLean among some of his personal memorabilia,
including five team-autographed Super Bowl footballs

According to NFL records, McLean and only three other people have five rings, among them Bill Belichik and player Charles Haley (49ers and Cowboys.)


McLean has more Super Bowl rings than these NFL legends who have four: Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, Mel Blount, Jack Lambert, Jack Ham, Rocky Bleier, Donnie Shell, and Mike Webster with the Steelers, and Joe Montana, Ronnie Lott, Keena Turner, and Tom Holmoe with the 49ers.


McLean is a legendary Athletic Trainer with over 40 years of experience in college and pro football. He spent 11 years at the University of Michigan and then 24 with the 49ers. He downplays his success, although he was Bill Walsh's right-hand man for much of his career. He is honored to be a part of the great 49ers tradition. He attends the Hall of Fame inductions of former 49er players (and there have been 12 through the years.)

McLean before a 49ers-Cowboys game.

"I was just around some great people," McLean said, referring to the legendary coaches and players he worked with. "You realize how popular the team is when you arrive at the hotel and there are fans lined up in the lobby waiting for you. But I was just concerned with doing my job and getting players ready to play."

McLean said Montana is "an easy-going guy who never let anything bother him." He said Montana often played practical jokes on the team and even on McLean himself. One time during training camp, Montana hid Lindsy's bike up on a nearby roof.

More on this story soon. McLean is from Nashville originally and now lives here as do his mother and older sister. He attended Hillsboro High School and then Vanderbilt before his outstanding career. Please see more pictures below.

Jerry Rice gave McLean this jersey after the 1989 Super
Bowl. Rice had three touchdowns in the game.

McLean brought this ring out for the interview.

Annual Titans Kickoff Event at Wildhorse

Jeff Fisher, Mike Keith and the Titans' rookies were the featured guests at the Sports Council's Annual Titans' Kickoff Lunch at the Wildhorse yesterday. A crowd of about 1,000 was on hand.

The Wildhorse was SRO for the event

Fisher showed why he is the most popular man in town- he was in typical form: personable, down-to-earth, funny, and as usual, very informative.

The main part of the program was Fisher introducing all the rookies, including those on the practice squad, and Keith briefly interviewing them. The rookie class includes: Rusty Smith, Alterran Verner, Robert Johnson, Rennie Curran, Patrick Trahan, Myron Rolle, Kevin Matthews (son of Bruce Matthews), Stafon Johnson, Mark Mariani and more.

The class indeed looks strong. Fisher had high praise for the rookies, such as Robert Johnson, was actually did not start out playing football in college but ended up starring at Utah.

Fisher and Keith 

Some of the interesting facts Fisher brought up:

1. Myron Rolle missed only one college start at Florida State- he had an interview for the Rhodes Scholarship, then made it late to the game and played from the 2nd quarter on.

2. Rusty Smith is Florida Atlantic's first NFL draftee. He threw for over 10,000 yards there and led them to Bowl games.

3. Stafon Johnson has dealt with some serious injuries, but Fisher plans for him to return and be a strong part of the team.

Rusty Smith, Paul Lyle and NFL
legend Ross Browner

4. Mark Mariani started his athletic career playing tennis, and the footwork in tennis has helped him a lot in football.

Stafon Johnson and Alterraun Verner both played
college ball in Los Angeles.

WNSR's NFL Players Radio Show

WNSR 560 AM has announced plans for its 13th annual NFL Players Radio Show this fall.

The show will be Monday nights from 6-7 PM at the Tilted Kilt in Hendersonville, 230 E. Main Street, approx. 25 minutes from downtown Nashville.

Former Titan and current radio personality Brad Hopkins will host the show, and the plan is to have a different current Titan player on every week. For further details, see WNSR's website at www.wnsr.com.

SEC vs. Big Ten in Nashville

Almost 40,000 people watched Vanderbilt host Northwestern in Nashville on Saturday night. The Wildcats edged the Commodores 23-21 in a thrilling game.

The two private schools in two of the strongest football conferences in the nation put on a good show for both the stadium and the television viewers.

Vandy stacks it up before the Northwestern game.

The Wildcats get ready for their SEC matchup with Vandy.

Tennessean Jabari Greer Plays Tennessee in Nashville

        Saints star Jabari Greer is from Tennessee, played for Tennessee and just yesterday was playing AGAINST Tennessee IN Tennessee. Is that enough of a Tennessee connection for you?

        Greer is a super-nice guy, very friendly, well-spoken, intelligent and personable. He was glad to speak to a writer after the Titans-Saints preseason game at LP Field.

Greer warms up for the Saints-Titans game.

        "Coming back to Nashville is wonderful," Greer said. "Tennessee is the place that molded me into the man I am, with the values that I have- family first, giving back to the community, slowing down to enjoy the finer things in life."
        Greer obviously likes his home state and his alma mater.
        "It was a dream come true playing for Tennessee," he added. "I will always have love for the University of Tennessee."
        The big Saints stars were all in Nashville- Sean Payton, Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and company.

Greer, a coach and teammates discuss the defense.

Reggie Bush enjoyed talking to teammates during the game.

Drew Brees with Gregg Williams. Brees worked out
before the game and then signed autographs 

    


        Bush is obviously an incredible athlete and football player. In person, he is not extremely tall. Both Bush and Brees were very nice to sign a lot of autographs for the many Saints fans at the game.
        Gregg Williams certainly was able to speak to some good friends from his days in Nashville when he was the Titans' defensive guru.  

Chris Johnson Breaks Another Record?

Could this be another record for CJ?

CJ is one of sports' biggest superstars

It may very well be, especially given the popularity of pro football, the beginning of the 2010 season, the surplus of football preview magazines and- this is the real clincher- the booming popularity of fantasy football. 


Within just two months, Chris Johnson has appeared solo on at least twelve (12) national sports magazine covers. According to the RMG Group's unofficial calculations, CJ has broken another record with this one- 12 covers in just 8 weeks time.


During the 2010 football preseason, the Chris Johnson has appeared solo on these magazine covers, including: Sporting News (July 15), Sports Illustrated (August 23), Athlon Pro Sports Fall 2010, Lindy’s Sports Pro Football, ESPN Fantasy Football, Athlon Sports Fantasy Football, Sporting News Fantasy Football, Pro Football Weekly and Yahoo Sports Fantasy Football, Fanball.com Fantasy Football 2010, Fantasy League, Fantasy Football League, Fantasy Football Index, Fantasy Football.


Enjoy it, CJ. You deserve it.

Prep Pigskin Preview: Wilson Back as Head Coach

Jim Wilson has seen a lot in his 34-plus years as a football coach. The longtime Nashville coach is back doing what he loves: coaching and being a positive influence in the lives of young people.

One of Wilson's many players:
the Chargers' Tim Dobbins (51)

Wilson is in his first year as head coach at East Literature, an upstart Metro program in east Nashville. East Lit is in a very tough district, 10-AA with Maplewood, Stratford, Whites Creek, Pearl-Cohn, CPA, Lipscomb and more. The Eagles are in their third year with a football program; football players previously played for Stratford.

"I've been very blessed during my career," said Wilson after a recent practice. "I've had great staffs where I've coached."

East Lit players stack it up at the end of practice

Wilson (near front) and coaches work with the offense.

In the 1990's, Wilson did what perhaps no other football coach has done: he built Nashville's Glencliff High into a state powerhouse program after years of a challenging situation there. In 1999, they finished 13-2 and were Class 5A State Runner-Up. They narrowly lost in the 5A Finals to Sevier County.

The Glencliff program produced a number of outstanding players and young men throughout those years, most of whom now live and work in Nashville, and some of whom are in coaching and who coach at Glencliff. Wilson's assistant coaches also dot the Nashville sports landscape. One of his many protege's Greg Abner is now head coach at Cane Ridge.

Wilson with two East Lit coaches

Wilson admits that coaching at Glencliff had its challenges, as so many of the young men faced considerable obstacles during their formative years.

"Coaching in Metro is tough," he said. "But my coaches really built relationships with the kids," he said. "There was a lot of discipline, but there was a lot of relationships, too. The players understood why we disciplined them, because we were not going to let them be bad citizens."

One of Wilson's many success stories is superstar Tim Dobbins, now a Miami Dolphin and in his 5th year in the NFL. Dobbins grew up in Nashville in a very difficult situation. Dobbins today gives credit for his success both on and off the field to his high school football coaches- Wilson, Abner and Steve Schyck, among others. Schyck is now an assistant coach at Orlando, Florida's Dr. Phillips High School. Abner is still very close to Dobbins. Not surprisingly, Coach Abner is considered one of the top young high school head football coaches in the state.

Dobbins signs autographs for fans

Wilson and Abner keep in regular touch with Dobbins and many of their former players.

"There are a lot of Tims," said Wilson as he spoke about Dobbins. "They're just not in the NFL."

Abner is especially proud of Dobbins. In a recent interview, Coach Wilson said that Dobbins considers Greg Abner virtually like a father.

Greg Abner spoke about Tim during a recent interview:

"It's really special to know that Tim is doing so well," said Abner. "It's a great story, and it took a lot of work and pushing and pulling, but he's really a great young man."

Both Wilson and Abner rave about Dobbins' work ethic in the weight room. As a sophomore in high school, Dobbins had already broken every University of Tennessee weight-lifting record except the records of one person, Al Wilson, a five-time Pro Bowl NFL linebacker with the Denver Broncos.

There are many, many great stories from those Glencliff teams during the 1990's and beyond. The following is part of the Metro Council Resolution honoring the 1999 Glencliff Football team:


WHEREAS, the "Colts" team was led by Head Coach Jim Wilson, and Assistant Coaches, Thomas McPhail, Steve Schyck, Greg Abner, Jacques Porter, Jeff Hudgins, Brian Dunning, Doug Hintemeyer, and Athletic Trainer/Managers Jon Tokahashi, Chris Vaught, William Young, Matt Fedun, Chris Groves, Larry Carter; and

WHEREAS, members of the talented team are Antonio Hamm, C.J. Johnson, Reggie Ingle, Derric Harris, Shawn Scales, C.J. Scott, Danny Edwards, Adaris Palmer, Derek Bull, Jeremy Hicks, Michael Craig, Jimmy Pregle, Barry Cothran, Ricky Neuble, Brad Randolph, Derrick Esmond, Lance Cohen, Josh King, Tim Dobbins, Terry Hancock, Justin Johnson, Dallas Buell, Daron Anderson, Casey Konecne, Alan Wafer, Dale Fisher, Corey Edmondson, Chris Taylor, Michael Spurlock, Joe Fitzgerald, Justin Crockett, Sena Omer, DeLorean Jordan, Jeff Easley, Jason Adkins, Jeremy Womble, Jeremy Barnett, Alvin Hawkins, Michael Illarramendi, Matt Smith, Jeremy Gooch, Jamal Patton, Phillip Wise, Herbert Crutcher, Anthony Brown and freshman players Desmond Amacher, Troy Burlason, Chris Hicks, Josh Patton, Greg Rediker, Alrik Spruill, Ronnie Stafford, Jon Dillard, Darron Johns, Gary Lyle, Tim Pendegrass, Jason Stuart, Dearreus Thomas; and
WHEREAS, senior safety/halfback C.J. Scott was named Class 5A Mr. Football Back of the Year, an honor given to the player who exemplifies skill and superior physical ability at the back position; and

Dolphins' Turner Looks to Improve

      Nashville's Patrick Turner is now in his second season with the Dolphins, and he's looking to step up his game.
       Look for a Celebrate Sports feature later this week about Turner and his high school coach, Goodpasture's David Martin.

Charles Trainor, Jr/Miami Dolphins

The 2010 Titans' Geographical Diversity

       From New York to LA, from Miami to Montana. From coast to coast and border to border. From Jamaica to Northern Europe to Southeast Asia.
No, this is not a promo for the USA or the UN. It’s the 2010 Titans roster. And it is indicative of the widespread popularity of football.

VY leaping (courtesy inewscatcher.com)

In all, approximately 38 states are represented among the hometowns’ and alma maters’ of the 2010 Titans players and coaches. Of the U.S. states not represented, nine of the 11 have minimal NFL representation overall, including New England states and several western states without major football traditions.
California is the most represented. Ten players or coaches hail from the Golden State. Florida is next with seven. Texas and North Carolina tie for third with six representatives. (Sounds like an election year, right?....)

Throw in Jamaica, Estonia and the Philippines for good measure. Jovan Haye was born in Jamaica, Michael Roos is from Estonia (he lived there until he was 10 years old) and Eugene Amano is one of only three NFL players all time born in the Philippines.

Pennsylvania and Georgia have four representatives each. Alabama has three. And don’t forget Tennessee, which has four- or is that 77? After all, the 61 players (53 plus practice squad) and 16 coaches call Nashville home as well.

The college with the most Titans is of course UT- the UT in Texas. Notable Longhorns who are now Titans are Vince Young, Bo Scaife, Armard Hall and Michael Griffin.

Can you name the nine Titans from California? Hint- five are players, four are coaches.

How about the Titans from the Sunshine State, Florida? All seven are players.
The Lone Star state fares well with the Titans. The franchise of course began in Houston, and owner Bud Adams lives there. Of the six Titans with Texas roots, five are native Texans- Colin Allred (Dallas), VY, Hall and Ryan Mouton (Houston) and Coach Steve McGinnis (Snyder).
North Carolina has a strong showing. Four of the six Carolina representatives are actually natives of the state, while two more played college ball at sizable Carolina schools. Steven Tulloch played at N.C. State (enrollment: 31,000), while CJ played at ECU in Greenville (enrollment: 27,500). In all, five Titans’ starters/regulars have NC connections- David Thornton (Goldsboro, UNC), Leroy Harris (Raleigh, NC State), William Hayes (High Point, Winston Salem State), Tulloch and CJ. Chris Hope is from a suburb of Charlotte, Rock Hill, which is technically in South Carolina, just 25 miles south of Charlotte.
The New York/New Jersey area is well represented. Chris Simms is from NYC suburb Ramapo, NJ, while Jason McCourtey is also from a Big Apple burb, Nyack NY. Brett Kern is from the other side of the Empire State, near Niagara Falls/Buffalo.
Kenny Britt is from New Bayonne, NJ, just 15 miles from Manhattan. Bayonne is a town just east of Newark, the largest city in New Jersey. Both Britt and McCourtey attended Rutgers, located in New Brunswick, NJ, about 40 miles from Manhattan. and Britt is Rutgers first-ever first-round NFL draft pick.

Okay, California. There are Titans from all three main regions of Cali- Norcal, Socal and San Diego. Lavelle Hawkins is from Stockton near San Francisco (Cal). SoCal has three players- David Ball (Fairfield, UCLA), Craig Stevens (port city San Pedro, Cal) and Alterraun Verner (Carson, UCLA). Eugene Amano is from San Diego (he moved to the U.S. shortly after his birth.) Robert Johnson is from LA.
Four coaches are Californians- Jeff Fisher (Woodland Hills), Chuck Cecil (Red Bluff, two hours from Sacramento), Marcus Robertson (Pasadena) and Richie Wessman (San Clemente, USC), the Quality Control/Offense coach.
Most of the main regions of Florida are represented on the Titans’ team, from north to south. Players from northern Florida are: Cortland Finnegan (Pensacola, Samford), Will Witherspoon (Panama City, Georgia) and Rusty Smith (Jacksonville, Florida Atlantic). Chris Johnson is from Orlando. And the Miami area hometown boys are Tulloch, Ken Amato (Montana State) and Jovan Haye (Vandy).
The Georgia reps are Gerald McRath (Powder Springs/Atlanta), Jared Cook (Suwanee/Atlanta), Will Witherspoon (college at Georgia) and Rennie Curran (Atlanta, then collge at Georgia).
Pennsylvania has four members of the team- Kerry Collins, Derrick Morgan and Tight Ends Coach John Zernhelt from Philly, and Mike Munchak from Scranton and Penn State.
Tennessee’s “official” reps are Tony Brown (Chattanooga, then Univ. of Memphis), Jacob Ford (Memphis) and Haye and Jaime Winborn from Vandy.
Michigan has Jason Jones (Detroit), Jason Babin (Kalamazoo) and Javon Ringer (Michigan State). Missouri boys are Justin Gage (Jefferson City, then Missouri), Coach Marty Galbraith (Joplin) and Eugene Amano (Southeast Missouri State).
The Alabama reps are David Stewart (Moulton, Miss. State), Sen’Derrick Marks (Mobile, Auburn) and Jaime Winborn (Wetumpka).
Ohio players (no pun intended) are Donnie Nickey (Plain City, then Ohio State), Javon Ringer (Dayton) and Brett Kern (University of Toledo).
Depending on who makes the final 61-man team, there are approximately 22 states with one representative. The few football-known states without reps on the Titans are Kansas, Minnesota and Nebraska. Last season’s roster with Kyle Vanden Bosch would have included Nebraska, where he played in college.

Just as in the rest of the NFL, the New England area is not very represented, including five of the six states there- Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, plus Delaware which is east of Maryland.
Massachusetts and Rhode Island are the two smaller northeast states that made the cut. O-Guard Ryan Durand is from Worcester, Mass. Assistant Head Coach and longtime strength coach Steve Waterson is a native of Newport, Rhode Island. The five northeast states not in the Titans’ fold have a combined population of 7.6 million, about 2.5% of the US population.
Other states not exactly known as football hotbeds are also not represented, including Nevada, South Dakota, New Mexico and Alaska. The three states not on the list are Kansas, Minnesota and West Virginia.
Those Alaskans are certainly a unique citizen. A certain writer once knew an Alaskan who for all intents and purposes seemed very normal yet had one major, glaring characteristic that stood out. This certain human had never seen a football game- not on TV, not in person, never.
Ahh, no wonder there are not many NFL players from the state. In fact, there are approximately nine NFL players all-time from Alaska, with seven from the modern era. According to records, none played college ball in their home state. The most notable Alaskan is regular ESPN NFL analyst Mark Schlereth, a 12-year player for the Redskins and Broncos. He played in college at Idaho.

Big John Henderson: A Closer Look

Big John. Big Hen. Or as his close Nashville friends call him, Joe.

He’s only one of the most accomplished football players in Tennessee history. An All-Pro NFL defensive tackle, John Henderson is now an Oakland Raider after eight seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

             Playing a position that does not get much attention- defensive tackle- Henderson has made a name for himself, especially in his home town and state, Nashville, Tennessee.

Big John loves football (courtesy of Oakland Raiders)

            “I just love this game,” said Henderson. “Some people think it’s about the money. It’s not that at all. I love football. When I stop loving the game, I’ll hang my cleats up.”

            Big John is certainly one of the most decorated football players ever from Tennessee. He is a workhorse, too. In his eight seasons, he has played in 124 of 128 games. He has missed only four games in his career.

            In college, he was an All-American and won the Outland Trophy his junior year. The Outland is presented to the nation’s top interior lineman. He helped lead the Vols to greatness during his four years there.

Henderson was an integral part of the Vols remarkable run from 1998 to 2001. Playing in the brutal SEC, the Volunteers were 41-9 overall during those four years. They won the National Championship in 1998, going 13-0. In Henderson’s senior year, they were 11-2.

Big John is married and has four children. His close friends describe him as kind-hearted. He’s a nice guy, very polite and well-spoken, and fun-loving as well. He’s widely known for his pregame ritual of having a team staff member slap his face to get him fired up for the game.

“The guy who used to do it, he had small hands,” said Hen. “There’s a lot of people in line for it now [with the Raiders], so I need to make sure I find the right person.”

In a recent interview, he shed some light on his personal habits as wel- he is a self-described “neat freak.” Some fellow players call him the Martha Stewart of football.

“I like things in order,” he said. “You gotta have a clean house.”

His close friends the Fitzgeralds in Nashville know “Joe” about as well as anyone. Maurice was his longtime football and hoops coach, and Maurice’s son Buck has been best friends with John since they were in middle school. Buck played at Tennessee with John.

The elder Fitzgerald, longtime head football coach at Pearl-Cohn and now AD at Smithson-Craighead Middle, is certainly proud of Henderson. Fitzgerald is  from Henderson’s days in the J.C. Napier Homes, at St. Pius Middle, then Pearl-Cohn and beyond. Back then and now, the Fitzgerald house was and is a gathering place for friends and family.

Fitzgerald also coached the championship AAU Music City Player teams, when Joe became known as “Baby Shaq,” dominating the national tournaments.

The public sees one side of Henderson, but Fitzgerald knows the complete story, describing Henderson as a “kind-hearted young man” who actually was shy and introverted as a youngster.

“His heart is here in Nashville,” said Maurice. “He’s a kind-hearted young man who is committed to helping his family and others. He’s helped out a lot at Pearl-Cohn and in Nashville during his pro career.” Henderson was just one of the guys back in the day.

“He was actually very shy and introverted when he was younger,” said Fitz. “I think he probably enjoyed high school more than college and the pro life, because it was simple, a simpler time. There’s always pressure and demands when you move up to the higher levels.”

John Henderson- from Nashville to the NFL

Photo courtesy of the Jacksonville Jaguars

John Henderson is an NFL star who grew up in Nashville. He's a nice guy- except when he gets on the field, when he has to be that brutal defensive lineman that offenses fear. He attended Pearl-Cohn and UT.

Nashville's Dobbins with the Dolphins

Nashville native Tim Dobbins has achieved remarkable success as a pro athlete. He is now in his fifth year in the NFL. After several years with the Chargers, he is currently vying for a starting spot with the Dolphins.

Dobbins attended Glencliff High and then junior college for two years before starring at Iowa State. He was All Big 12 at State.

Dobbins with the Chargers

Dobbins has made Nashville very proud.

More to come about Tim and his outstanding career.

Over 2,000 Fans See Titans First Practice

Fans turned out in droves in the heat to see the Titans suit up for the first time this season. Some pics:

CJ after a run during drills with the QB's

Sen'Derrick Marks and Jovan Haye with Coach Washburn

First Picture of VY and CJ

This picture is believed to be the first media picture
this season of VY handing off to CJ. It was taken
just after VY entered the drill and before present media
arrived to this far part of the three practice fields.

Mack Brown: Leadership Runs in the Family

Brown and a serviceman (used by permission)

“It’s in our blood.”

            That’s Mack Brown’s description of how coaching and leadership is part of the Brown families' heritage. And his older brother Watson says the same thing.

The heritage is also in education.

            “Everyone in our family was in the school business,” said Mack between photo shoots in Austin, just days before the start of preseason practice. “All the male role models in our family were people who believed in education, were principals and coaches.”

            Their grandfather, Eddie Watson, was a head coach and principal at Cookeville Central High School. At that time, he was the winningest high school football coach in Tennessee.

            Their father, Melvin, was a head coach, principal and superintendent.

            Their parents ran a disciplined, strict home and made sure their children worked hard, did well in school and developed character. Those same traits are prominent in the Brown brothers’ coaching styles today. They have a younger brother Mel as well. Their cousin Mel Brown, now principal at Mt. Juliet High School, is one of the winningest high school baseball coaches in Tennessee history. He built McGavock into a powerhouse program and then coached at Lipscomb.

            Both Watson and Mack attended Vanderbilt and played football there. Mack also played at Florida State.

            “Watson went to Vanderbilt to be a sportswriter,” said Mack. “And I went to Vanderbilt to be an attorney. But then our paths changed.”

“Our grandmother tried to get us to do something other than coaching. But it’s in our blood. Watching our grandfather and father had a big impression on us. Our grandfather was a strong coach.”

Bob Neyland's Son Recovering from Flood

Bob Neyland at the 44th Annual UT Picnic

Bob Neyland, the son of legendary Tennessee football coach and U.S. Army General Bob Neyland, lives right here in Nashville. He was at the Vols All-Sports picnic yesterday.

His home and belongings were severely damaged in the flood, and he is living now with friends in the Bellevue area.

Please help him and other victims out if you can. Thank you!

He certainly looks a lot like his father. Gen. Neyland built Tennessee football into the powerhouse program it was in the 20th Century. He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.

This coming season, UT will unveil a statue of Neyland at the stadium. It has cost $350,000 to make. The sculptor is the same one who does the statues for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

Vet Helps Pets through Acupuncture

Jennie Finch in Nashville for Diamonds-Bandits Series

Softball superstar Jennie Finch pitched a complete game shutout on Thursday night, her first day in Nashville for the Diamonds-Bandits series, a four-game series that ends on Sunday.

Finch before pitching in the Bandits-Diamonds game

Finch is of course perhaps the most famous softball player in the world. She's been a member of the USA National Team since 2003 and has become the face of women's pro and amateur softball in the US.

Finch, 30, is a fierce competitor and a charismatic spokesperson for softball and women's athletics.

Originally from So Cal, Finch's family means everything to her. She is married to MLB pitcher Casey Daigle (Astros) and has a two-year-old son. Her parents and two older brothers are very special to her as well.

"I owe everything I am and everything I have to my family," writes Finch on the USA website. "I am, and will forever be, grateful for their love and support."

The Bandits interim coach says that what makes Finch so special is her spirit.

"I think what separates her is her spirit," said Mike Steuerwald, "It's amazing to see her do so much to promote softball, even while having a family and everything."

This week was packed for Finch. She was in Anaheim for the All-Star Celebrity Classic, part of the MLB All-Star week, then flew to Nashville on Thursday morning, and pitched a complete game win Thursday night.

VU's Johnson Retires as Head Coach

Johnson addresses media after the announement

After eight years as head coach at Vandy, Bobby Johnson retired today.

At a packed press conference in the McGugin Center at Vandy, Johnson, Vice-Chancellor David Williams and interim head coach Robbie Caldwell addressed the media.

Johnson said his whole heart is not in it. He and his wife Catherine made this decision. Johnson hinted that they while they love Nashville, they would likely eventually live in their native So. Carolina, where most of their family lives.

Williams said Johnson told him about his desire to retire this past Monday, July 12. Johnson said he started thinking about it one month ago.

Johnson was emotional, especially when talking about his players, but did not shed any actual tears.

New Interim Head Coach Robbie Caldwell

Spencer Shines For the Diamonds

Spencer (R) chats with teammates

For pro softball player and college coach Chelsea Spencer, playing softball is almost second nature.

Spencer is the Diamonds' shortstop, key hitter and team leader. Now in her sixth season playing pro softball, Spencer keeps playing for many reasons, including her love for the game and her desire to be a role model for youngsters.

"I love the game of softball," she said before a recent game. "I have a passion for playing and coaching. And I think it's great for young women to have role models."

Spencer admits that this may be her last season playing pro ball. The rigors of the season and the game are very challenging- injuries, travelling and more.

Spencer grew up and still lives in the San Francisco Bay area. She is an assistant coach at Chabot College in San Fran, a school with over 14,000 students. Her goal is to be a Division I coach.

Spencer signs autographs for fans-
Diamonds 2, Pride 1 in background

Chelsea starred in college at Cal, a national powerhouse program in the most competitive state for baseball and softball. California natives fill up many slots on all the USA national teams.

Spencer was one of the leaders of the Cal Bears during their three straight appearances in the Women's College World Series finals in 2002, 2003 and 2004. They won it all in 2002. That is impressive indeed.

Growing up in San Francisco, her parents and her older sister and brother influenced her a lot throughout those years. She remembers watching her older sister intently during her sister's softball games.

"I love Nashville, and we as team are very happy here," she said. "The morale on the team is high. We just want to improve."