 |
| Former Titans Blaine Bishop and Frank Wycheck sign autographs for fans on "Legends Day" Monday at a Kroger in Gallatin, Tenn. |
MOUNT JULIET, Tenn. — Blaine Bishop and Frank Wycheck helped lead the Oilers from Houston to the Mid-South and laid the foundation for the Tennessee Titans.
Fans haven't forgotten the duo that was so instrumental in taking the Titans to the first Super Bowl in franchise history, and they showed it Monday during the first "Legends Day" of the 14th Titans Caravan, sponsored by Grange Insurance and offered at no cost to fans.
The Caravan started in 1998 when Bishop and Wycheck were members of the Tennessee Oilers, and the goodwill trek has blossomed into a two-week tour through Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama.
"It's cool. You can take pride in that, being in a new city — the first professional team here," Wycheck said. "To know that we started this, and how far this Caravan has grown over the years, is great."
Bishop and Wycheck began "Legends Day" by visiting College Street Elementary School in Manchester. The duo then went to Kroger in McMinnville, Carroll Oakland Elementary in Lebanon and Kroger in Gallatin before concluding the trip through Middle Tennessee at the O'Charley's in Mount Juliet.
During the school visits, Bishop and Wycheck helped convey the NFL's Play 60 program, which offers an educational message about the importance of getting 60 minutes of play per day. Titans mascot T-Rac, a seven-time Pro Bowl selection, host Rhett Bryan and Tennessee State Parks rangers helped Bishop and Wycheck during the school programs.
Fans greeted Bishop and Wycheck, who now work for Titans flagship station 104.5 The Zone, during the public stops of the Titans Caravan, and the former teammates who were both selected in the 1993 NFL Draft reciprocated the warmth. The Zone broadcasted its "3HL" afternoon show from O'Charley's to add to the atmosphere.
"It's always awesome to interact with the fans," Bishop said. "Having a Titans "Legends Day" with Mike Keith and Frank Wycheck was awesome. The fans were great. They brought out memorabilia that I haven't seen for years, so it let me know that I'm getting old pretty quick (laughing)."
There were football trading cards, helmets, jerseys, Pro Bowl portrait photos, posters and newspaper clippings that Bishop and Wycheck gladly signed.
Bishop, an eighth-round draft pick by Houston in 1993, ranks seventh in career tackles (788) with the franchise. He also recorded 13.5 sacks, five interceptions, 12 forced fumbles and 11 fumble recoveries in 126 games with the Oilers and Titans. Bishop was chosen for four Pro Bowls (1995-97 and 2000) and led the Oilers in tackles in the 1995 and '96 seasons and did the same for the Titans in 1999.
"I always love the way Blaine approached the game and played the game," Wycheck said. "It's only fitting that our first stop is with him, and it was a great day."
Wycheck spent his first two pro seasons with Washington, which drafted him in the sixth round in 1993, before joining Houston and surging up the ranks. Wycheck led the Titans/Oilers in receptions five seasons in a row (53 for 511 yards in 1996, 63 for 748 in '97, 70 for 768 in '98, 69 for 641 in '99, and 70 for 636 in 2000). He ranks third in franchise history with 482 receptions for 4,958 yards and went a franchise-best 99 straight games with a catch (1996-2002). Wycheck also scored the first touchdown in Nashville, when he caught a pass from Steve McNair on Sept. 13, 1998.
Wycheck is most famous, however, for a lateral pass he made to Kevin Dyson in a wild card game of the 1999 AFC Playoffs — the first postseason football game hosted by the city of Nashville. Wycheck got the ball from Lorenzo Neal, who fielded a kickoff with 16 seconds remaining, and threw it toward the Titans' sideline. Dyson streaked 75 yards in front of the home bench to the north end zone to give Tennessee a 22-16 victory. The Titans took the momentum from the "Music City Miracle" all the way to Super Bowl XXXIV.
Betty Haddock, of Mount Juliet, is a PSL owner and witnessed the "Music City Miracle." She took off from work early Monday to make sure she could meet Wycheck and have him sign a newspaper article that described the success of the play.
"I had met Blaine, but I've been waiting to meet Wycheck for years," she said, adding that it was great to see Bishop again.
Wycheck made three consecutive Pro Bowls (1998-2000) and is one of six tight ends with more than 500 career receptions in NFL history. He was inducted to the Titans/Oilers Hall of Fame on Oct. 27, 2008.
Michael Jones, of Hermitage, and Jeramey Neal, of Murfreesboro, have been fans since the team arrived in Tennessee. They each had helmets with the Oilers oil derrick logo on them that they had taken to the Caravan stop in Murfreesboro last Friday to have them signed by Titans coach and NFL Hall of Famer Mike Munchak. They were both happy to add the autographs of Bishop and Wycheck to their helmets.
Greg Gittner, who recently retired from the Army, and moved to Tennessee requested that Bishop and Wycheck sign their photos that appear in "Tears & Cheers," the autobiography of Titans/Oilers owner and founder K.S. "Bud" Adams, Jr. Gittner, a native of Cleveland who grew up a Pittsburgh Steelers fan during the 1970s, said the Titans are quickly growing on him through the book and the Caravan.
The Titans Caravan continues Tuesday (Day 7 of 10) with school visits in Smithville, Sparta and Crossville and a public appearance by Rob Bironas and Jake Locker at Cane Creek Sportsplex at 3:30 p.m. (CT) in Cookeville.
