Like father, like son: The Proffitt legacy in blue

Published 3:48 pm Wednesday, July 30, 2025

By C.Y. Peters

When Jerry Proffitt was crowned Arcadian King as a junior at Johnson County High School, no one could’ve guessed just how fitting that royal title would be. Even then, classmates could see his calm confidence, his compassion and his steady sense of responsibility. A proud 1968 graduate, Jerry had already mapped out his future — not in castles or courts, but on Tennessee highways, wearing the gray uniform of the state trooper.

By 1974, Jerry had begun his journey with the Tennessee Highway Patrol in Kingsport. The job was more than issuing tickets and patrolling roads. It meant walking straight into the chaos of tragedy — car crashes, drownings, fatalities of all kinds. In 1977 alone, Jerry responded to a head-on crash involving a station wagon packed with students — miraculously, they all walked away. But not every call ended that way. That same year, he pulled survivors from a mangled car that had flipped multiple times. The memories piled up — too many wrecks to count, too many lives changed forever.

In 1978, Jerry transferred to Carter County, where he served for more than three decades. He didn’t stop there — he joined the Carter County Rescue Squad and balanced his duties as a state trooper with his commitment to saving lives through local emergency response. Known for his cheerful demeanor, Jerry was a steady presence in a job that often dealt in grief and uncertainty. He treated everyone — even those on the receiving end of a ticket — with fairness and dignity.

His service extended beyond the badge. Jerry spent 18 years as a military policeman in the Naval Reserves. Then, in 2004, he retired from the highway patrol and transitioned seamlessly into his new role as police chief of Mountain City. Two years later, in 2006, he took his lifelong commitment to service one step further by running for sheriff of Carter County.

But Jerry’s proudest legacy wasn’t his title or his rank — it was his son, Brad.

Brad Proffitt began his law enforcement journey at the Carter County Sheriff’s Office, and in 2002, just like his father, he became a Tennessee state trooper. He started his patrol in Mountain City before eventually making his way to Carter County. Like Jerry, Brad’s introduction to the role was swift and sobering. Just days before Thanksgiving in 2002, he responded to the tragic death of a 4-year-old child in a car accident. It was the kind of loss that etches itself into a trooper’s soul.

Becoming a Tennessee state trooper is no small feat. The process demands exceptional physical endurance, academic aptitude, emotional fortitude and a spotless record. From intense psychological screenings and background checks to military-style training in Donelson, Tennessee, each candidate must prove they are built to serve and protect in the most challenging situations imaginable.

Brad passed those tests, just like his father before him. He wore the same uniform, faced the same pain and showed the same compassion. The torch had been passed — not by words, but by action, grit and sacrifice.

But not even the strongest trooper is immune to personal heartbreak. In 2021, Jerry and Brad faced their deepest sorrow. Jeremy Proffitt, Jerry’s other son and a proud Unaka High graduate, passed away. The loss was profound. For a family who had spent decades comforting others in their darkest hours, they now needed comfort themselves.

Yet through it all — the wrecks, the funerals, the long nights and heartbreaking days — Jerry and Brad stood tall. They served side by side in spirit, upholding the values that defined their careers: honor, courage and community.

The Proffitt name has become synonymous with public service in Northeast Tennessee. From the winding roads of Kingsport to the mountain passes of Carter County, their story is one of unwavering duty and generational strength. Two troopers, one legacy — bonded by blood, bound by service.