HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Through his Bullard Family Foundation, Titus O’Neil is rolling out the red carpet on Father’s Day at the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre.

The event is free and open to the public. 

What You Need To Know

  •  Thaddeus Bullard is a former Florida Gator football player and WWE superstar who wrestled under the name Titus O'Neil

  •  The Bullard Family Foundation is hosting a Father's Day celebration that is free to the public

  •  Click here to register for the Superstar Dads event

Titus wants to celebrate what he considers his most important role — dad.

“Men deserve to be celebrated,” he said. “And those that haven’t been, in my opinion, serving the title of man at the highest level of being a dad. This is your call to action. This is not a shame call. I’m not shaming you into doing it. I’m telling you it’s not president, it’s not CEO, it’s not shift leader that’s your greatest title. It is truly dad.”

The WWE superstar is proving that strength comes in many forms, and why he wakes up every morning, setting the tone for the day with a workout at the middle school named after him.

In many ways, his workouts at Sligh Middle Magnet and the Thaddeus Bullard Academy are a way to show gratitude for his blessings.

He said when he was young and in dire circumstances, someone threw him a rope to help him overcome his setbacks. That’s why he’s paying it forward by throwing that rope back to others in need.

The former University of Florida football star adopted the former ‘F’ middle school and helped turned things around. While many had given up on this Hillsborough County school, Titus went all in. Like those that helped him in his formative years, he saw promise where others saw failure.

“If I threw away what they did, poured into me, I would never be able to see opportunity and potential,” he said. “Because people brought that out of me. Someone saw an opportunity, and they saw potential and they said, hey, you’re going to be somebody. I love you and I believe in you, and I’m going to make sure you make it across the finish line.”

Sligh Middle and the Thaddeus Bullard Academy is now a ‘C’ school.

“I will always stay grounded in the fact that I know why I’m here,” he said. “And I will let them know that I’m one of you. I’m going to come here. I’m going to workout. I’m going to be sweaty. I don’t need to put on a suit. I don’t need to dress up for nobody. I’m going to show up as I am and guess what? We’re going to have a damn good time when I come.”