The NFL Alumni Association and the Tennessee Department of Health are taking a stand against the destruction of COVID-19 with the launch of the “GEAR UP, Tennessee!”  statewide COVID-19 vaccine awareness and education campaign. 

The GEAR UP! campaign will feature former NFL stars and Tennessee Titans legends, including Hall of Famer and All-Pro quarterback and Titans Ring of Honor member Warren Moon, former Titans All-Pro defensive end Jevon Kearse, and NFL Alumni Tennessee Chapter President and former Houston Oilers All-Pro linebacker Al Smith, along with other former Tennessee Titans legends lending their voices to help.

The NFL Alumni Association, one of the oldest and most well-respected retired player organizations in professional sports, is teaming up with public and private sector leaders and organizations to hold public events, town halls, listening sessions, and mobile vaccine clinics to inform and persuade community members – especially underserved populations – to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Nearly 100 million cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the U.S. and more than one million Americans have died, including over 28,000 Tennesseans since the start of the pandemic, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Tennessee Department of Health.  

“Tennessee has come a long way since the start of the pandemic and we celebrate how life has returned to normal for Tennesseans,” said Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner, Dr. Morgan McDonald, MD, FACP, FAAP. “Much of that return to normal has been because of the vaccine, and protecting yourself and your loved ones by getting a vaccine is still the best, and most safe, way to prevent the worst impacts of the virus.” 

However, only 48% of Tennesseans are fully vaccinated and only 5% have received the new bivalent booster shot that includes added protection for the most recent COVID-19 variants. McDonald is hopeful that the new partnership with the NFL Alumni Association will help to increase those numbers so Tennesseans can “continue to do the things we love and be with the ones we love for many years to come.” 

For more information about the campaign, check out: https://nflagearup.org/tennessee/