Former Titans coach climbs Mount Kilimanjaro

Former Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher made it to the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro on Wednesday.

It was the culmination of an eight-day ascent by Fisher, several former players and military personnel as part of the NFL’s Wounded Warrior Project.

“We started hiking after sleeping for only about three hours,” Fisher said on the project website believeinheroes.org [1]. “Extraordinary effort on behalf of everyone. It’s a thrill to be able to reach the summit. Overwhelming.”

The party, which included former Philadelphia Eagles tight end Chad Lewis and former New England Patriots linebacker Teddy Bruschi, needed seven hours to complete the final phase of the climb and to reach the highest point in Africa — 19,340 feet.

"We were climbing in the dark and freezing rain," Bruschi said. "Then, we saw the most amazing sunrise that I’ve ever seen in my life. Very difficult climb, but well worth it."

Following a celebration at the summit, the group began its descent, according to the website. The descent is expected to take one more day to complete.

The NFL’s Wounded Warrior Project supports and empowers veterans who have suffered serious injuries in combat once they’ve left the service.

"This was an epic adventure," Lewis said. "It was something else to stand on the Uhuru peak at the summit. We conquered Mount Kilimanjaro; standing on the roof of Africa.

"... This is a great way to shine a huge spotlight on Wounded Warrior Project. It was a very tough climb. We’re a little oxygen deprived. The air is so thin. It was amazing."