Why Jelly Roll is telling the Tennessee Titans life on the road is when to build a team

In an industry with no shortage of unique backgrounds, musician Jelly Roll -- who blends soulful rap lyrics with country-music twang -- still cuts a unique path.

An actual native of Tennessee's Midstate region (Antioch) in the shadows of Music City, he's found later-in-life international stardom after multiple arrests and incarcerations. 

He sings from experience. And this week, he's sharing his path with the hometown Tennessee Titans, entering their second year under coach Brian Callahan.

"I grew up right here in Nashville, Tennessee; I'm super-proud of that," the artist, real name Jason DeFord, says. "When I grew up here, it was like 300,000 people in this town. Now, it's like 2.3 million. And last year I came and spoke at the beginning of the season about how much the Titans have done for us locally. And I just want to go over that one more time for those of y'all who are new. Man, this city needs help. It always has. The biggest acquisition we ever made as a city was the Tennessee Titans. It was the first time our city ever felt like a city. We were a town before the Titans came here, you know?

"We do a lot of stuff with the juveniles, lot of stuff with the homeless shelter, we do a lot of stuff with the local drug rehabs. Lot of the guys here came with us last year. Always open if you want to swing by the juvenile (center) and play cards with the boys. It would mean a lot to them. If you want to swing by the jail, any of that stuff, just reach out to our philanthropy team. Coach Callie's done nothing but help us."

Jelly Roll then gets into the heart of his message, which isn't as much about his past tribulations as it is the formula he believes transcends touring on the road to the Titans' impending travels for training camp -- and ultimately 10 games (two of them exhibitions) away from home.

The Titans open their preseason Saturday night at Tampa Bay and six days later play at the Atlanta Falcons. They will remain on the road for the duration of that time. 

"Y'all finna to leave for 10 days. I think it was a good time for me to come in and tell y'all, I spend about 300 days a year not here. Buses, planes, trains, automobiles, walking; you name it, we've done it," says DeFord, who's been nominated for multiple Grammys and won the Country Music Association's Best New Artist. "We've slept in vans. And I learned early, that's where the magic was. Yeah, that's where the magic was for us. See what was happening on that read between me and the boys started translating to the stage. And all that connection we were looking for on that stage, that we could never find, because we were only trying to find it in that hour, we thought we were going to connect for this 60 or 90 minutes and we were going to change the world every night at every little local bar across the world. And then we learned that it was the 23 hours we weren't on the stage that we were building our connection. Finding a partner, finding a friend, building a relationship; building strength. Building community. That stuff will transfer to the field."

He also shares with the Titans some personal insight, including professing to becoming a better professional by first becoming a better husband and "human." 

"That's something else I learned. I started becoming a better songwriter when I started becoming a better husband. I started becoming a better performer when I started becoming a better human. I started becoming a better son, I started prioritizing my momma's calls," he says. "It's funny how the heavens started opening up for me just because of how I was treating relationships everywhere else. Man, these 10 days are an opportunity. I knew it was happening whenever I seen Big Jeff (Simmons) get in shape in the offseason. I seen JC (Latham) show up like an animal. I started watching Cam (Ward) wake up at 4 o'clock in the morning. I started hearing him talking about his daddy waking up at 4 in the morning for a job he hated. I started going, 'There's a culture being built. I feel it.' Men, double-down on that culture the next 10 days, y'all. This is a chance; y'all are stuck with each other. This is the time more than ever to get to know each other's grannies. That's when you start getting real tight, when you starting walking in here and asking somebody about they granny. I ride for this team, but damn I'm close. I lost 200 pounds. Coach, I'm getting a contract if I lose another 50. 

"But I believe in y'all man. Take this road to get together men. Take this road as a chance to build something. Every time you get on that road, bring it home. Think about the relationships outside of here, man. It's funny how just being a good husband will change your entire day on the field."

You can see Jelly Roll's roughly four-minute speech to the Titans below: