Thaddeus M. Bullard, known as WWE superstar "Titus O'Neil," was recently appointed to the USTA Foundation's Celebrity and Player Advisory Council. In his new role, Bullard will serve as an ambassador and a spokesperson to support the Foundation's mission, increase brand awareness and raise revenue to support its programs.
USOpen.org caught up with the former football star as he visited the US Open for the first time on Saturday during Arthur Ashe Kids' Day. While on site, Bullard hit the Net Generation courts with local children before enjoying the Stadium Show with winners of the USTA Foundation's 2018 NJTL Essay Contest presented by Deloitte.
USOpen.org: How did you first get involved with the USTA Foundation?
Thaddeus Bullard: Andy Brandi, who used to work with the USTA, is a good friend of mine. He used to coach at the University of Florida, my alma mater, for a long time.
We brought some kids over to the USTA National Campus at Lake Nona last summer and had a really nice experience there.
Soon after, I had a phone call with Greg [Frias] and Leah [Friedman] of the USTA Foundation, and they explained that this is something we could do on a regular basis. They asked if I would be interested in having a long-term relationship with the Foundation, and I said, “Absolutely.”
The game of tennis, much like any other sport, can teach a lot of very valuable life lessons. But also, it’s traditionally a sport that’s not accessible for those that are in impoverished backgrounds, like where I came from.
This is a great opportunity for me to partner with the Foundation and give kids another option in sports, outside of football or basketball. They’re very creative; some of them like art, they like drawing, they like computer science, things like that. If they can push through a game that they’re unfamiliar with, that they’ve never tried, and then they end up having a love for that, just imagine the impact that they’re going to have when they are comfortable with doing something.
That’s what the game of tennis is giving me the opportunity to do, and that’s what the USTA Foundation is giving me an opportunity to do – to go out and raise funds, raise awareness, for not only what the game of tennis can do for our youth, but how it’s building families for generations to come.
USOpen.org: I know you have been very involved with charity work long before you joined up with the USTA Foundation. How have you been able to combine your previous initiatives with your new role?
Thaddeus Bullard: I have my own Bullard Family Foundation. When we started talking about having a partnership and a relationship with the USTA Foundation, it just made sense for me to go out and register to get my own National Junior Tennis League (NJTL) chapter as well, so that I can not only go out and be an ambassador for the USTA Foundation, but also teach on the grass-roots level within my own foundation. Working with Net Generation and working with the USTA Foundation gives me the ability to give hundreds of kids in the Tampa Bay area an opportunity to be exposed to the game of tennis.
At the end of the day, exposure is the key to anything. Like the first time you go fishing, you may not have ever gone fishing before, and you may fall in love with it when you go. That’s kind of how I feel like the game of tennis is going to be for a lot of these kids.
I saw the response when I told them we were going to the USTA National Campus last summer. A lot of them were like, “Man, why are we going over there? I don’t want to go, I don’t know anything about tennis!”
We got them over there, and we literally had to pry them off the courts. They were kicking and screaming, asking to play longer.
Again, the exposure to something new may be scary for some, as both adults and as youth. But once they’re exposed to it, they say, “Man, this is pretty cool. I can do this.” And they want another taste of it. So I just wanted to take that experience that they had out in Lake Nona and duplicate it in Tampa Bay, as well as partnering up with USTA Foundation. They’re already doing the work globally. It makes sense for me to come in and visit other NJTL chapters, to be a part of it. It gives a different voice with the same message. We’re trying to get to these families and also get to the kids.
USOpen.org: With this being your first time at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and on the grounds of the US Open, what are your impressions?
Thaddeus Bullard: It’s amazing. The greatest players in the history of tennis all played here. I walked down the Champions’ Walk and got a chance to look at all the great people that won here. I’ve come to New York I don’t know how many times, and I’ve never been on the grounds here. It’s spectacular what they have going on here.
USOpen.org: Do you have any favorite players?
Thaddeus Bullard: Obviously I like Venus and Serena for everything they’ve done, both on the court and outside the court. Sloane Stephens I think is growing in that same mold. Frances Tiafoe is also doing tremendous job. He’s actually someone that our kids got to meet, because he was training at the National Campus when we were there.
We came to find out that Jamie Loeb, another great young player and a good friend of Frances, has sister that works with us at the WWE.
It’s a very small world, and I’m happy to be part of the connection that brings us to other people.
USOpen.org: Can you walk me through your plan for the day? I know you just flew in this morning.
Thaddeus Bullard: Earlier I was playing tennis with some of the kids, going through skills competitions with them. I’ve got my own kids up here, and I had to blow them out real quick too, show them that Dad can do a little something on the tennis court.
Then we’re going to go to the Stadium Show and enjoy that from the President’s Suite with the essay contest winners and other sponsors and donors and NJTL leaders.
And tonight I’m going to take my kids to Madison Square Garden, that’ll be their first time. We’re going to go and see Drake and Migos.
