The Titans hope to do themselves some good with their work in Saturday’s preseason opener and their first two offensive play calls will do some good for children with life-threatening illnesses.
Titans coach Mike Mularkey confirmed on Thursday that the team auctioned off the chance to make their first play call of the preseason at a benefit for the Make-a-Wish Foundation. That offer proved more popular than Mularkey anticipated and he upped the offer to the first two plays when two $10,000 bids came in for the chance to tell Marcus Mariota and company what to run.
“I did it in Atlanta. I offered the first play of the preseason game up for auction -- let somebody come in here, see how we function, how everything operates here and really go through a game plan with them,” Mularkey said, via the team. “Bring them in to the offensive room where all of our coaches were, which they did yesterday, and the board is up for the Chargers. And we talked through a lot of the plays that are up there and give them the ability to call the first play. In Atlanta, it went for $500. I thought what a great thing. It’s an easy thing. It’s an easy play. These guys will respond to the play, whatever it is. This year got out of hand and went for $20,000. So two groups bid $10,000 each to call the first two plays of the game. I thought for the first preseason game, the first two plays, you’re going to get probably five kids that are going to get wishes for life.”
Mularkey said the winners have already made the picks and that he thinks they’ll work, although it would seem they’ve already succeeded in the bigger picture.