On Friday, the Tennessee Titans teamed up with Hands on Nashville to clean up their community after tornadoes ravaged central Tennessee earlier this week, killing at least 24 people. The players, along with head coach Mike Vrabel and general manager Jon Robinson, spent the day in North Nashville distributing food and water and helping clear the debris from the storms.
The players spent time talking to residents who had lost their homes and helping to clean up areas that had suffered significant damage. Robinson told Jim Wyatt of the Titans official website that they have been helping their community since they consider residents to be part of their family.
“That’s what Tennessee is for, right?” said Robinson. “We are the Volunteer State, we are a family and we are here for each other.”
For Titans defensive lineman Austin Johnson, this tragedy literally struck near his home as he suffered damage to his home after a tornado touched down on Tuesday evening. Center Ben Jones said he and other teammates made sure to contact him.
“These are the first guys we contacted”, Jones told Wyatt. “Knowing his wife, and our wives are close and we know it’s difficult. I’m just glad he was safe, and they weren’t at home at the time, so it was great I know we offered him accommodation, I showed him places he could rent. We just want to be there for him because I know it’s difficult – because when you get home and you don’t have a place to go … and all your valuables are in there – we wanted to make sure we had something on his roof so he wouldn’t lose his valuables were there. “
Community members appreciated that players take time out of season to help clean their homes and provide the necessities to those who have suffered great losses.
“The Titans mean a lot to Nashville and Tennessee,” said Pastor Harold Love of Lee Chapel in Nashville. “Seeing them here tells residents that they are worried about them and that they want to come down and lend a hand like everyone else, and help them get their lives back together. You can’t measure how important it was so today we are very grateful. “
Earlier this week, the Titans announced they are donating $ 1 million at the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. In addition, the NFL Foundation will contribute $ 250,000 to the CFMT and work with local schools to help repair soccer fields and replace equipment.
“Everyone in this community and throughout Tennessee should be eternally grateful to the Tennessee Titans for their tremendous efforts to help the victims of the tornadoes,” said CFMT President Ellen Lehman via the Titans official website. . “This is an extraordinary gift for our ability to respond and restore the damage caused by these disastrous storms.”