Amy Adams Strunk, Titans leadership knock their Ice Bucket Challenge out of the park in support of Chris Johnson before training camp begins
Training Camp is back, and the Titans just posted a great video supporting and spreading awareness for their friend and teammate Chris Johnson.
The Tennessee Titans just opened training camp with something that’s bigger than football.
Before the first press conference of camp, before any talk of depth charts or roster battles, the organization rallied outside the Vanderbilt Health Football Center in a video posted Tuesday morning to participate in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge in support of former Titans running back Chris Johnson.
Johnson, who was diagnosed with ALS about a year ago, reignited the national conversation around football and ALS over the summer with a brave interview on Good Morning America. In that appearance, Johnson discussed the rapid deterioration of his body, revealing he now communicates through a voice-to-text machine and has lost the use of much of his physical function.
Titans leadership steps up
The challenge featured five participants from Tennessee’s executive leadership: owner Amy Adams Strunk, her brother Kenneth Adams, coach Robert Saleh, Titans CEO and President Burke Nihill, and general manager Mike Borgonzi. A group of kids, many of whom appeared to be friends and family of the participants, stood behind the seated leaders with ice buckets, ready to enthusiastically dump the freezing water over their heads.
Amy kicked things off with a statement: “Today Kenneth, Coach Saleh, Burke, and Mike are joining me with our amazing Titans coworkers to do the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. We are doing the challenge in support of our friend and teammate Chris Johnson. We are thinking of him and his family and can’t wait to see him at our first game of the season when we induct him into the Titans Ring of Honor.”
Saleh followed with a challenge directed at the rest of the league: “With that said, we now challenge all other teams in the NFL and across the entire football world to join us in raising awareness for ALS research by also completing the Ice Bucket Challenge. You guys are next.”
Ring of Honor ceremony looms on Sept. 13
The Titans announced earlier in July that Johnson will be inducted into their Ring of Honor on Sept. 13 at the home opener against the New York Jets during a halftime ceremony. There has been no official confirmation yet that Johnson will attend in person. He does not live in the Nashville area, and travel has become increasingly difficult given the progression of his condition. However, Adams Strunk’s comments in the video strongly suggest the organization is working to get him there.
For what it’s worth, Johnson is deserving of the honor in every sense. His career in Nashville was spectacular, headlined by a 2,006-yard rushing season in 2009 that cemented him as one of the most electrifying players in franchise history. The reception he would receive from Titans fans at Nissan Stadium on that September afternoon, should he be able to attend, will be unbelievable.
The Titans are doing everything in their power to recognize Johnson, support the cause, and keep the momentum going toward a cure for ALS — a fitting way to open camp, and a reminder that some things matter far more than the game itself.