NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — As of Tuesday, the Tennessee Titans have finalized their 53-man roster and, surprisingly, 11 of those players are rookies.
That’s about 20% of the roster, including two players who are from right here in Middle Tennessee.
“My dad cried, my mom cried and I called my brothers,” said former Hillsboro High School standout Matthew Jackson.
Jackson has had one of the toughest journeys to making the 53-man roster one that began at the Titans’ local pro day. He and Lebanon native Colton Dowell both got the great news Tuesday. They trained together for the draft and will now suit up on the team their families have supported for a long time.
“My dad, you know he’s been a Titans fan for a very long time, so he was he was extremely excited,” said Dowell, the Titans’ seventh round draft pick. “He didn’t cry, but he was extremely proud of me.”
“Those stories are cool and it’s very rare that you get those in our league and happy to share in that moment with these guys,” said Titans General Manager Ran Carthon.
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Head coach Mike Vrabel told the media Thursday that things will now be harder for these players after making the 53-man roster. They’re now putting all of their efforts into Week 1 at New Orleans on Sept. 10.