The Tennessee Titans can date their history back to being an original AFL franchise as the then-Houston Oilers. Here are their 30 best players of all-time.
While the NFL has only been in The Volunteer State since the late 1990s, the Tennessee Titans have had themselves and impressive history. Founded as an expansion AFL franchise in 1960 as the then-Houston Oilers, this club has put way more players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame than one would expect.
To date, 14 players who have played for the Oilers/Titans have been enshrined in Canton, 11 of which made significant contributions to the Houston/Tennessee franchise on their way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Unfortunately, that hasn’t always translated to winning. This franchise might have two championships under its belt. However, that came in its first two years of existence as the Oilers in 1960 and 1961.
It took until 1999 for the rebranded Titans to reach the franchise’s first trip to the Super Bowl. Tennessee came up a yard short to the then-St. Louis Rams in the old Georgia Dome in Atlanta, falling to Dick Vermeil’s “Greatest Show on Turf” team in Super Bowl XXXIV.
Entering 2018, the Titans snapped a nine-year AFC playoff drought by making it in as the No. 5 seed. Tennessee shocked the Kansas City Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium on Wild Card Weekend before ultimately falling to the New England Patriots in Foxborough a week later.
Tennessee would then make a coaching change, moving on from Mike Mularkey in favor of former Houston Texans defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel this past offseason. With a solid defense and a good, young offensive corps, the Titans look to be in good shape to close out the decade.
As they approach 60 years of existence and 20 in Nashville, let’s take a look back at the 30 greatest players in Oilers/Titans history. What you will find is a list that is more impressive than you think, given the franchise’s lack of success in the postseason in the last 50+ years.
Honorable Mentions: Tony Banfield, Dave Casper, Al Del Greco, Fred Glick, Ed Husmann, Al Jamison, Haywood Jeffires, Billy Johnson, Taylor Lewan, Kevin Mawae, Mike Rozier, Bob Schmidt, Al Smith, George Webster, Vince Young
- 3x Pro Bowl (2015-17)
- 360 career receptions w/Titans
- 4,208 career receiving yards w/Titans
- 26 career touchdown catches w/Titans
Delanie Walker first entered the NFL as a sixth-round pick out of Central Missouri by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2006 NFL Draft. Though a great player for the Mules in college, Walker’s first five years in the NFL were nondescript to say the least.
Frankly, San Francisco was a terrible football team during the early part of his stay in the Bay Area. Walker had only two touchdown receptions during his first half-decade in the league. That all began to change in 2011 in his age-27 season when former Stanford Cardinal head coach Jim Harbaugh took over on the 49ers sidelines.
Walker had six combined touchdowns in the 2011 and 2012 NFL seasons in Harbaugh’s offense. After the 49ers made it all the way to the Super Bowl in 2012, Walker would leave the Bay Area for the Music City in free agency. That turned out to be the best thing for his pro football career.
Walker immediately set then-career highs in receptions (60), receiving yards (571) and touchdown catches (six) as a member of the 2013 Titans. He would improve on two of his career-best receiving marks in 2014 with 63 grabs and 890 yards. However, Tennessee was still largely a terrible football team.
Then in 2015, the Titans selected 2014 Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Marcus Mariota with the No. 2 overall pick out of Oregon. Mariota remains the Titans starter under center, but hasn’t been a Pro Bowler yet in his NFL career. However for Walker’s sake, that hasn’t really mattered.
2015 proved to be a breakout year for the veteran tight end. Walker made his first of three straight trips to the Pro Bowl. He set new career-highs in catches with 94 and went over 1,000 receiving yards for, up to this point, the only time in his career with 1,088 yards. Walker also matched his career-high with six touchdown grabs.
2016 saw Walker set a new high in touchdown catches with seven, as he went over 800 yards receiving at the tight end position. He went over 800 yards receiving again in 2017, making it to his third career Pro Bowl. Tennessee made it back to the AFC playoffs that winter for the first time since winning the AFC South back in 2008.
Unfortunately for Walker and the Titans’ passing game, he suffered ligament damage in his ankle in Week 1’s weird loss to the Miami Dolphins. Weather delays extended that game for several hours, well past the 1:00 p.m. ET window. He was then placed on season-ending injured reserve in his age-34 season. To date, Walker has 360 career receptions for 4,208 yards and 26 touchdowns six seasons in Titans uniform.
- 2x First-Team All-AFL (1967-68)
- AFL All-Time Second-Team
- 3x AFL All-Star (1967-69)
- Second-Team All-AFL (1969)
Miller Farr comes from a strong football family. His younger brother Mel Farr was a star running back in college for the UCLA Bruins and briefly in the NFL with the Detroit Lions. His nephews Mel Farr Jr. and Mike Farr also played in the NFL like their father.
While Mel Farr made a name for himself pounding the rock for the Bruins and the Lions, Miller Farr fashioned himself a successful 10-year pro football career as a defensive back. He was a first-round pick by the Denver Broncos in the 1985 AFL Redshirt Draft. Farr played only briefly with the Broncos before spending part of two seasons with the then-San Diego Chargers in 1965 and 1966.
Then in 1967, Farr had his breakout season as a member of the Oilers. Farr played in and started all 14 games in that 1967 campaign. He recorded league-bests in interceptions (10), interception return yardage (264) and defensive touchdowns (three). Naturally, Farr was named to his first of two All-AFL First Teams and his first of three AFL All-Star Games.
Farr was still an excellent ballhawk prior to landing in Houston, as he had five career interceptions in his two years prior to playing with the Oilers. He just so happened to double his interception total in year three and played out his prime while in Houston.
1968 saw Farr gather three interceptions for 104 yards and a league-high two defensive touchdowns. He made his third and final career trip to the AFL All-Star Game in 1969, when he had six interceptions for 64 yards that campaign.
Then in 1970, Farr would go on to play in the NFL for the then-St. Louis Cardinals. He spent the next three seasons in St. Louis and would play the 1973 NFL season with the Detroit Lions. Farr played one last professional season with the Florida Blazers in the World Football League in 1974 before retiring. He finished with 19 interceptions for 416 yards and five defensive touchdowns in three seasons with the Oilers.
- 2x First-Team All-Pro w/Oilers (1979-80)
- 3x Pro Bowl w/Oilers (1979-81)
- 46 career games w/Oilers
- 46 career starts w/Oilers
Leon Gray would be a third-round pick by the Miami Dolphins in the 1973 NFL Draft out of Jackson State. However, he never played for the Dolphins in his professional career, as he was cut during training camp as a rookie. He would end up playing the early part of his NFL career with the New England Patriots.
In New England, Gray would form a dynamic offensive line tandem with arguably the greatest guard in NFL history in future Pro Football Hall of Famer John Hannah. By year four in the league in 1976, Gray emerged as a Pro Bowler and New England was in the mix for Super Bowl contention.
However, after the 1976 NFL season, Gray would be traded to the Oilers in a questionable deal for New England. The Patriots saw Gray as too expensive of a piece, opting to get a first and sixth-round pick in exchange for him. Gray would go on to play his prime in Houston for the Oilers.
While he only played three seasons for the Oilers, this was peak “Luv Ya Blue” era for Houston. Gray was a First-Team All-Pro in his first two years in Houston in 1979 and 1981. He made the Pro Bowl in all three of his seasons with the Oilers.
Gray was a huge reason for Heisman Trophy winning running back Earl Campbell’s early success in the NFL in Houston. Frankly, Gray was arguably one of the best offensive tackles in all of football in his prime. Shockingly, he would not close out his NFL career in Houston, as he would be traded to the New Orleans Saints for their starter quarterback Archie Manning, of all people.
Gray played two more seasons in the NFL with the Saints, helping the New Orleans ground game get going with another talented tailback in tow in the form of another Heisman Trophy winning running back in George Rogers.
Overall, Gray only played in 46 games for the Oilers, all of them being starts. Though an excellent player in the late 1970s to early 1980s, Gray will likely forever stay in the Hall of Very Good. Having his prime split between New England and Houston doesn’t help his Pro Football Hall of Fame case. That being said, “Luv Ya Blue” may not have been a thing without Gray being an absolute road grader on the Houston offensive line.
- 2x AFL Champion w/Oilers (1960-61)
- 3x First-Team All-AFL (1963, 1965, 1967)
- AFL All-Time Second-Team
- 6x AFL All-Star (1962-67)
- 4x Second-Team All-AFL (1961-62, 1964, 1966)
Bob Talamini spent his entire professional career playing in the AFL after a strong college career in the SEC for the Kentucky Wildcats. He would be a second-round selection by the Oilers in the inaugural 1960 AFL Draft. Talamini spent his first eight AFL seasons starring on the offensive line for Houston.
Right away, Talamini would be part of a championship team in Houston, as the Oilers won the first two AFL Championships in 1960 and 1961. He would be named to the All-AFL Second-Team in that 1961 AFL season. That would be his first of four All-AFL Second-Team designations in his football career.
Beginning in 1962, Talamini would rattle off six-straight AFL All-Star Game nods as one of the best interior offensive lineman in the league. He ended up making three All-AFL First-Team squads in a five-year span from 1963 to 1967, coinciding with odd-numbered years.
1967 would prove to be Talamini’s last year in Houston, as he would go on to spend his last professional season playing for the 1968 New York Jets. This is the same Jets team that ended up stunning the then-Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. He would retire from playing ball after that monumental championship victory over the Colts for Gang Green.
Overall, Talamini would be a seven-time All-AFL player, a six-time AFL All-Star and a three-time AFL Champion, split between the Oilers and Jets. Though not a Pro Football Hall of Fame player, Talamini was named to the AFL All-Time Second Team.
Though left guard is an unglamorous position, Talamini was instrumental in the Oilers’ early success in the AFL. Quarterback George Blanda and running back Billy Cannon can thank their great AFL careers due in large part to a strong player like Talamini blocking up in front of them.
- Tennessee Titans No. 43 jersey retired
- 2x AFL Champion (1960-61)
- 3x AFL All-Star (1962-63, 1967)
- 3x Second-Team All-AFL (1961-62, 1967)
Jim Norton spent his entire nine-year AFL career playing for the Oilers. An original Oiler, Norton was first drafted by the then-Dallas Texans in the inaugural 1960 AFL Draft. However, he would go on to sign with Houston before the season began.
Norton was a multi-faceted player for the Oilers. He was both an adept ballhawk in the secondary and a gifted punter on special teams. In his nine years with Houston, Norton missed just one game and that came in his rookie season in 1960.
Houston won back-to-back AFL Championships in 1960 and 1961. Norton made his first of three All-AFL Second Teams in 1961. He made that exclusive squad the following year in 1962 and again in 1967.
Norton was a three-time AFL-Star will the Oilers, making the team in 1962, 1963 and 1967. Though he may be better known for his punting ability in the grand scheme of things, let’s not forget for a second how talented of a playmaker he was in the Houston secondary.
In his nine-year AFL carer, Norton amassed 45 interceptions. This is the most recorded by any player in AFL history. Though he never had 10 interceptions in a season, Norton’s best ballhawking campaign came in 1961 with nine for 150 yards.
While he has not been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, nor did he make the AFL All-Time Team, Norton did have his No. 43 jersey retired by the Oilers/Titans organization. A fan favorite during his playing days, Norton clearly left an impactful legacy during his time with the Oilers franchise in the 1960s.
- AFL All-Time Team
- 2x AFL Champion (1960-61)
- 3x First-Team All-AFL (1961-62, 1964)
- 5x AFL All-Star (1961-65)
- Second-Team All-AFL (1963)
Charley Hennigan might now be the biggest snub from the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Oilers/Titans history now that outside linebacker Robert Brazile has gained enshrinement this past summer. So what’s the deal with Hennigan and why is his absence so egregious?
Well, all he did for the Oilers in the AFL from 1960 to 1966 was be arguably the best receiver in the game. An original Oiler, having been undrafted out of Northwestern State, Hennigan would start his professional career out as a back-to-back AFL champion in Houston.
He made five-straight AFL All-Star Games from 1961 to 1965. Hennigan made four-straight All-AFL Teams from 1961 to 1964. Three of those four All-AFL squads were of the First-Team variety. His one All-AFL Second-Team designation came in the 1963 AFL season.
In seven years with the Oilers, Hennigan had three seasons of over 1,000 yards receiving. He led the league twice in that department. In 1961, Hennigan had a ridiculous 1,746 receiving yards on 82 grabs for 12 touchdowns. He had 101 catches for 1,546 yards and eight touchdowns.
Hennigan amassed over 40 catches for 570 yards and four touchdowns in all of his first six seasons in the AFL. Yes, his last year in the AFL wasn’t great, as he had only 27 catches for 313 yards and three touchdowns.
Overall, Hennigan accumulated 410 receptions for 6,823 receiving yards and 51 touchdown catches in seven seasons with the Oilers. While the level of competition may not have been tier one, Hennigan’s receiving talent is undeniable. No wonder he made the AFL All-Time Team.
- 2x Pro Bowl (1975, 1977)
- NFL leader in receiving yards (1975)
- 408 career receptions w/Oilers
- 6,906 career receiving yards w/Oilers
- 47 career touchdowns w/Oilers
Ken Burrough spent almost all of his 12-year NFL career with the Oilers. After playing his rookie season with the expansion-era New Orleans Saints in 1970, Burrough made his way west along the Gulf Coast to Houston, where he played his last 11 NFL seasons.
By his third year in the league, Burrough emerged as one of the better pass catchers in the AFC. In 1972, Burrough had an impressive 20 yards per reception with the Oilers. He would go over that threshold three times in his NFL career, including his best year in the league in 1975.
That 1975 campaign saw Burrough make his first of two career trips to the Pro Bowl. He led the NFL in receiving yards that fall with 1,063. That would however, be the only time in his football career that he went over 1,000 yards receiving in a season. But that was a different era in the NFL, one where the running game was far more prevalent than passing the football is in today’s game.
While he was never a high-volume possession receiver, as he never had more than 53 catches in a season, Burrough had great breakaway speed and could garner impressive yardage after the catch. This allowed him to average 16.9 yards per reception during his Oilers career. In nine of his 11 seasons with the Oilers, he had at least one catch of at least 50 yards. Unbelievable.
Overall, Burrough ended up as a two-time Pro Bowler in Houston. His second Pro Bowl nod came in 1977 when he had 43 catches for 816 yards and eight touchdowns. He totaled 408 career receptions in Houston uniform, amassing 6,906 career receiving yards and 47 touchdowns while with the Oilers.
Though his numbers have been lost to time in some capacity, Burrough’s elite vertical threat ability, as well as his iconic “00” jersey have him as an Oilers legend. In essence, Burrough’s game-breaking ability with the ball in his hands had the Oilers as one of the most menacing teams in the AFC in the late 1970s.
- First-Team All-Pro (2000)
- 2x Pro Bowl (2000, 2003)
- 453 career receptions w/Oilers/Titans
- 6,114 career receiving yards w/Oilers/Titans
- 37 career touchdowns catches w/Oilers/Titans
Derrick Mason first came to the franchise in 1997 as a fourth-round selection out of Michigan State. The Oilers had just left Houston and were playing in Tennessee under the same nickname until they were officially rebranded as the Titans in 1999. Mason ended up spending the first half of his NFL career with the Oilers/Titans franchise.
During his first three years in the league, Mason was mostly a return specialist for the Oilers/Titans. However, he would have his breakout season the year after the Titans’ Super Bowl XXXIV appearance in 2000. Mason may not have been a part of the Music City Miracle, though he does say that he almost was.
Regardless, Mason became an exceptional receiving talent during entire 2000s, split between the Titans and the Baltimore Ravens. 2000 saw Mason have 69 catches for 895 yards and five touchdowns as a receiver. He made his first of two career trips to the Pro Bowl that fall, due in large part to his brilliant year in the return game.
Mason led the NFL in punt returns with 51, punt return yardage with 662 and all-purpose yards with 2,690. This helped Mason make his only All-Pro First Team in his 15-year NFL career. While he remained a reliable return man during his NFL career, Mason eventually became an elite receiver in the process.
Mason went over 1,000 receiving yards in his final four years with the Titans. He did three more times with Baltimore from 2007 to 2009. Mason split his 15th and final NFL season with the Houston Texans and the New York Jets in 2011 before retiring at the age of 37.
In eight seasons with the Oilers/Titans, Mason accumulated 453 receptions, 6,114 receiving yards and 37 touchdowns. Add in his stellar six-year stint in Baltimore, and Mason’s career numbers are better than you’d think. He finished with 943 catches for 12,061 yards and 66 touchdowns. Though not a Pro Football Hall of Famer, his numbers are a testament to his productivity in his lengthy stays with both Tennessee and Baltimore.
- 3x Pro Bowl (1998-00)
- Second-Team All-Pro (2000)
- 482 career catches for 4,958 yards and 27 touchdowns w/Oilers/Titans
- Threw the lateral pass in the “Music City Miracle” to Kevin Dyson
Frank Wycheck will be best remembered in Titans lore as the guy who threw the lateral to secure a Tennessee victory over the Buffalo Bills in the 1999 AFC Wild Card Round in stunning fashion as time expired. Simply put, without Wycheck, there would be no “Music City Miracle”. So what exactly happened on Jan. 8, 2000 in Nashville?
Well, the Titans were hosting the Bills in the wild card round. Buffalo would take a slim 16-15 lead over Tennessee with 16 seconds left in the game on a 41-yard made field goal by Steve Christie. The Bills would kick off. Then, the Titans ran something called “Home Run Throwback” to shock Bills Mafia.
Fullback Lorenzo Neal would receive the kick and then proceeded to hand the ball off to Wycheck, who then threw a lateral across the field to wide receiver Kevin Dyson. Wycheck’s lateral was indeed behind the line of scrimmage, as Dyson sprinted past an unsuspecting Bills return coverage for most glorious pay dirt.
Buffalo was at this time, the preeminent franchise in the AFC. The Bills made it to four Super Bowls in 1990s. Even though they lost franchise quarterback Jim Kelly to retirement after the 1996 NFL season, the Bills were still playoff viable to close out the decade. Interestingly, this would be the Bills’ last playoff appearance before ending the streak last year in 2017.
Tennessee would go all the way to the Super Bowl in this magical postseason run. The Titans had to beat their arch rival Jacksonville Jaguars for a third time that season to reach the Super Bowl. Jacksonville had only lost to the Titans that season, falling short at home in the AFC Championship Game.
Sure, Wycheck is synonymous with the “Music City Miracle”. While that play alone has him worthy of making the top-30, let’s not forget that he was at the peak of his powers during this stretch of Titans football.
Wycheck made three straight trips to the Pro Bowl with Tennessee from 1998 to 2000. 2000 saw him make the All-Pro Second Team. Overall, Wycheck accumulated 482 catches for 4,958 yards and 27 receiving touchdowns in his Oilers/Titans career.
However, it will be impossible for him to escape the lore as “Mr. Music City Miracle”. Odds are that Wycheck has absolutely no problem with that. For that reason, he is a Titans legend. Neal to Wycheck to Dyson remains the greatest moment in Titans football history. Until they win a Lombardi Trophy, what else will top that?
- 2x Pro Bowl (1990, 1992)
- Second-Team All-Pro (1990)
- 7,935 career receiving yards w/Oilers
- 542 career receptions w/Oilers
- 46 career touchdown catches w/Oilers
Ernest Givins spent nine of his 10 NFL seasons as a member of the Oilers. Houston took him in the second round of the 1986 NFL Draft out of Louisville. This proved to be one of the franchise’s better draft selections in the 1980s. This is because of both longevity and consistency, he became the franchise’s all-time leader in receiving yards.
As a rookie in 1986, Givins had 61 catches for 1,062 yards and three touchdowns. Strangely, that would be the only time in his NFL career that he went over 1,000 yards in a season. Frankly, that didn’t matter, as Givins was still a highly productive receiving during his time in the Lone Star State playing for the Oilers.
Four other times in his football career did Givins come within 100 yards of getting to 1,000 on the year, including his 1991 campaign. That fall saw him come up just four yards short of that benchmark with 996 receiving yards. One more catch would have certainly done the trick.
With future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon slinging him the pigskin, Givins amassed great numbers in Oilers uniform. In 1990, he finally made it to the Pro Bowl, earning Second-Team All-Pro honors in the process. Givins had 72 catches for 979 yards and nine touchdowns that season.
Then in 1992, Givins made his second and final trip to the Pro Bowl. He had 67 catches for 787 yards and a career-best 10 touchdown receptions. During his nine-year stint with the Oilers, Givins averaged 14.6 yards per catch. This means he was more than well-equipped to break off a big gain through the air, as well as be a reliable possession for Moon in the passing game.
Unfortunately, Givins would not spend his entire NFL career with one team. He would play his 10th and final NFL season with the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars in 1995, but was nowhere near as successful as he was with the Oilers. Givins retired after his age-31 season.
In his nine years with the Oilers, Givins had 542 catches for 7,935 yards and 46 touchdowns. His yardage total remains a franchise record. It’s pretty impressive that this record still stands nearly 25 years after he last played for the franchise.
With Delanie Walker in the twilight of his NFL career, there is a good chance this record remains intact for Givins for years to come. But to think that he did this with only one 1,000-yard receiving season is just incredible. Frankly, Givins will be the franchise record holder for well over 30 years.
- 2x First-Team All-Pro (2007-08)
- 2x Pro Bowl (2007-08)
- 271 career combined tackles w/Titans
- 24.0 career quarterback sacks w/Titans
Albert Haynesworth was the best defensive tackle prospect in his high school graduating class. He would play in the SEC for the Tennessee Volunteers for head coach Phillip Fulmer, alongside another excellent interior defensive lineman in John Henderson.
Haynesworth decided to forgo his senior season in Knoxville to enter the 2002 NFL Draft. He ended up being the No. 15 overall pick by Titans, a team where he became a star in the middle of its defensive line playing for head coach Jeff Fisher.
After playing sparingly as a rookie in 2002, Haynesworth emerged as a starter in year two. However, injuries prevented him from every appearing in all 16 regular season games for the rest of his career sans his rookie campaign with the Titans.
Infamously in 2006, Haynesworth would stomp on Dallas Cowboys center Andre Gurode’s head after running back Julius Jones scored a touchdown. He would be given a five-game suspension for the act, the most for a single on-field incident in NFL history.
Though Haynesworth would later apologize for his behavior, the incident would stick with him throughout his NFL career. But Haynesworth had two more excellent years left in the tank, coming with the Titans in 2007 and 2008. He made two Pro Bowls and two First-Team All-Pro squads in his final two years with the Titans.
Haynesworth finished his Titans career with 271 combined tackles and 24.0 quarterback sacks. Not bad for a defensive tackle. During 2008 NFL free agency, Haynesworth would sign with the Washington Redskins free agency.
This proved to be one of the worst free agent signings in NFL history. He played two seasons in Washington and split his final NFL season in 2011 between the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Haynesworth went from being an All-Pro at age 27 in 2008 to out of the league in 2011 at age 31.
Overall, Haynesworth’s NFL career is a complicated one. Tremendously talented, but certainly had his issues, as well as a tendency to go off-script. Haynesworth’s two First-Team All-Pros has him cracking the top-20. However, one could argue that he never got the most out of his talent coming out of college with the Vols for the Titans.
- 2x Pro Bowl (2000, 2003)
- Second-Team All-Pro (2000)
- 194 career games w/Oilers/Titans
- 188 career starts w/Oilers/Titans
Brad Hopkins spent his entire 13-year NFL career with the Oilers/Titans franchise. After a stellar career playing for the Illinois Fighting Illini in the Big Ten, Hopkins would be the No. 13 overall pick by the Oilers in the 1993 NFL Draft.
Hopkins started in 11 of his first 16 NFL games with the 1993 Oilers. He became a full-time starter the next year and never relinquished it for the next dozen seasons. During the early part of his career, Hopkins was responsible for protecting quarterback Steve McNair’s blind side and opening up holes for running back Eddie George to sprint through down in Houston.
By the time the franchise became the Titans in 1999, Hopkins was about to enter his prime as a professional. Fresh off a Super Bowl XXXIX appearance, Hopkins made his first of two career trips to the Pro Bowl in 2000. He was named to the All-Pro Second-Team for the only time in his career as well in that campaign.
While he was overshadowed by teammate Bruce Matthews on the Oilers/Titans offensive line, Hopkins proved to be no slouch. McNair became an NFL MVP with Hopkins as his blindside protector, along with becoming a perennial Pro Bowler with George in the Titans backfield.
Hopkins made his second of two career trips to the Pro Bowl in 2003. He would play two more seasons with the Titans before retiring after the 2005 NFL season at the age of 35. By playing in the NFL for 15 years, he and McNair were the last former Oilers on the Titans roster heading into 2006.
Overall, Hopkins played in 194 games with the Oilers/Titans. He started in almost all of them, totaling 188 in his career, predominantly at left tackle. While Matthews and Mike Munchak are Pro Football Hall of Famers and Hopkins is not, it’s hard to overlook the steadiness Hopkins played with in his 15 years in the NFL with one franchise. His spot in the top-20 is merited.
- 3x Pro Bowl (2005, 2007, 2009)
- 38.5 career quarterback sacks w/Titans
- 268 career combined tackles w/Titans
- 14 career forced fumbles w/Titans
Kyle Vanden Bosch didn’t begin his NFL career with the Titans, nor did he end it with them. That being said, the former Blackshirt of the Nebraska Cornhuskers had his best five seasons in the NFL in the Music City with Tennessee.
Vanden Bosch was a former second-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2001 NFL Draft. While his first four years in the league were spent in the Arizona desert, they were largely unsuccessful. Vanden Bosch managed just 4.0 quarterback sacks in 35 games with the Cardinals in three seasons. He missed the entire 2003 NFL season with a torn ACL.
However, things improved for the better for Vanden Bosch once he made his way to Nashville in 2005. He made his first of three career trips to the Pro Bowl in Titans uniform that season. Vanden Bosch set career highs with 12.5 quarterback sacks, four forced fumbles and 65 combined tackles.
This was advantageous for Vanden Bosch, who was playing on a one-year deal at that time. This would lead to him inking a four-year deal with the Titans, where he would close out his prime. Vanden Bosch made two more trips to the Pro Bowl in Titans uniform in 2007 and 2009. He again went over 10 sacks in a season in 2007 with 12.0.
Overall, Vanden Bosch played in 74 games and made 74 starts for the Titans in his five years with the team. The Titans made the AFC playoffs in both 2007 and 2008. Obviously, he was a key part of their pass rush during the latter part of the Jeff Fisher era in Nashville.
Vanden Bosch would leave the Titans after the 2009 NFL season for the Detroit Lions. While he was still a productive player for the Lions, he never made it again to the Pro Bowl. He retired after the 2012 NFL season at the age of 34. Vanden Bosch amassed 38.5 of his 58.0 career quarterback sacks in Titans uniform over a five-year period.
- First-Team All-Pro (2003)
- Pro Bowl (2003)
- 2x Second-Team All-Pro (2002, 2007)
- 1,056 career combined tackles w/Titans
Keith Bulluck absolutely cracks the top-30, coming in at No. 17 on this all-time list. Bulluck first came to Nashville in the year after the Titans made it to the Super Bowl. He was a late first-round pick by the Titans in the 2000 NFL Draft out of Syracuse.
After playing in a rotational role during his first two years in the league, Bulluck emerged as a starter in year three in 2002. That would prove to be huge for Bulluck’s career and the Titans. He made 125 combined tackles in 16 games for Tennessee.
The next season would prove to be Bullock’s best of his NFL career. Bulluck made his first and only career trip to the Pro Bowl, as he recorded 135 combined tackles. He also earned a spot on the All-Pro First-Team for his stellar play that fall.
Six times did Bulluck have over 100 combined tackles in a season for the Titans in his decade-long stint in Nashville. Keep in mind that he didn’t start for most of his first two years in the league. In 2004, Bulluck led the NFL tackles with 152.
Overall, Bulluck would be the heart of the Titans defense for the entire 2000s. He amassed 1,056 career combined tackles in 10 seasons with the team. Bulluck also had 19 interceptions, 18.0 quarterback sacks and 15 forced fumbles during his time with the Titans. Simply put, he did a little bit of everything in the middle of the Tennessee defense.
However, Bulluck would not prove to be a career Titan. He spent his final NFL season with the 2011 New York Giants before retiring at the age of 33. Given that he played mostly in a rotational role with New York, he might have been better served just to hang up the spikes with Tennessee the offseason prior. Regardless, Bulluck was a great player for the Titans during their first decade in Nashville.
- 4x Pro Bowl (2015-18)
- Second-Team All-Pro (2013)
- 46.0+ career quarterback sacks
- 445+ career combined tackles
Jurrell Casey might be the best player on the Titans today. He has spent his entire eight-year NFL career in Nashville. After being a third-round pick out of USC in the 2011 NFL Draft, Casey eventually became one of the most complete, albeit underrated defensive tackles in the AFC.
As a rookie in 2011, Casey became an immediate starter along the Titans’ defensive line. Though the team largely struggled during his first few years in the league, Casey had his breakout campaign in 2013 as a third-year pro. He made what is to date his only All-Pro Second-Team that fall. Casey had 10.5 quarterback sacks and 55 combined tackles in 15 games that season.
While his sack total was more than cut in half the following year in 2014 with just 5.0, we started to see Casey become one of the more consistent players along a defensive line in the AFC. Since his breakout 2013 campaign, Casey has never had fewer than 5.0 quarterback sacks for the Titans playing defensive tackle.
Then in 2015, Casey made his first of three career trips to the Pro Bowl. He had 7.0 quarterback sacks and 54 combined tackles that season, while playing in all 16 games. Casey again made the Pro Bowl in 2016, a season where he had 5.0 quarterback sacks and 44 combined tackles in 15 games.
His third trip to the Pro Bowl came in 2017 where Casey had 6.0 quarterback sacks and 60 combined tackles. Casey was seen as the best player on a dominant run defense that helped Tennessee reach the AFC playoffs for the first time in his career and the Titans’ first time since 2008.
Casey will be making his fourth-straight trip to the Pro Bowl in 2018. He already has 7.0 quarterback sacks and 58 combined tackles through 14 games. Tennessee looks to be in the mix for one of the two wild card spots in the AFC again this fall.
But even more impressively, it seems that Casey has developed a reputation as one of the most formidable defensive lineman in the AFC and should continue to make Pro Bowls in his prime as a professional. Tennessee is sure glad he re-upped with the Titans in his free agency. Casey continues to be a leader on this defense as he approaches his 30s.
- 4x Pro Bowl (1995-97, 2000)
- Second-Team All-Pro (2000)
- 694 career combined tackles w/Oilers/Titans
- 13.5 career quarterback sacks w/Oilers/Titans
- 126 career games, 108 w/Oilers/Titans
Blaine Bishop will go down as one of the best value draft picks in the history of the Oilers/Titans. Taken in the eighth round of the 1993 NFL Draft by Houston out of Ball State University, Bishop would go on to play nearly all of his 10-year NFL career with the AFC franchise.
Bishop played sparingly as a rookie for the Oilers in 1993. Eventually, he carved out a starting role with the team at strong safety, a designation he would hold on to into his last year with the team in 2001. By year three in the league, Bishop was a Pro Bowler.
Bishop made his first of four career trips to the Pro Bowl in Oilers/Titans uniform in 1995. His breakout campaign saw him have 97 combined tackles, four fumble recoveries, three forced fumbles, 1.5 quarterback sacks and an interception.
Though never an elite ballhawk (five career interceptions), Bishop was the hard hitter then-head coach Jeff Fisher needed in his Oilers/Titans secondary. Bishop made three-straight Pro Bowls from 1995 to 1997. This was during a period of great transition for the franchise, as the Oilers left Houston and began playing in the Volunteer State.
Even in this transitional period, Fisher could count on Bishop to have over 80 combined tackles, a few forced fumbles, a pair of quarterback sacks and an interception each fall. However, Bishop’s finest year came the year after the trip to Super Bowl XXXIX.
Bishop made his lone All-Pro Second Team, as well as his fourth and final trip to the Pro Bowl in 2000. He had 84 combined tackles, 2.5 quarterback sacks and a forced fumble. This would also prove to be Bishop’s last NFL season where he played in all 16 regular season games.
His final season in Nashville came in 2001. Bishop was only able to play in five games that fall, making just four starts in his last season with the Oilers/Titans franchise. He spent his 10th and final NFL season as a member of Andy Reid’s Philadelphia Eagles in 2002 before retiring at the age of 32.
Overall, Bishop accumulated 694 career combined tackles in nine years with the Oilers and Titans. He played in 126 games for the team, making 108 career starts for them. Bishop also had 13.5 quarterback sacks coming out of the Houston/Tennessee secondary. Not too bad for a former eighth-round pick out of Ball State in 1993.
- 5x Pro Bowl (1988, 1990-93)
- First-Team All-Pro (1992)
- 5x Second-Team All-Pro (1988-91, 1993)
- 75.5 career quarterback sacks w/Oilers
Ray Childress is arguably one of the best players in Oilers/Titans history that has not been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. While Canton enshrinement will likely continue to evade him, let’s take a look back at the stellar career of the former defensive lineman for the Oilers from the 1980s and 1990s.
Childress was taken with the No. 3 overall pick in the 1985 NFL Draft out of nearby Texas A&M University. The Richardson, Texas native was a two-time All-American and a standout in the old Southwest Conference for the Aggies over in College Station.
He was even in consideration to be the No. 1 overall pick in that draft; he was that good. However, former Virginia Tech Hokies star defensive lineman Bruce Smith went No. 1 to the Buffalo Bills that spring. Could you really blame Buffalo for that selection? Smith is arguably the greatest defensive lineman in NFL history.
Regardless, Childress proved to be a strong defensive end during his first five years in the league. He made his first career trip to the Pro Bowl in 1988, as well as his first of five Second-Team All-Pro designations. He set a then-career high of 8.5 quarterback sacks with the 1988 Oilers.
After another All-Pro year at defensive end for the Oilers in 1989, Childress was asked to switch to defensive tackle in 1990. This was because then-defensive coordinator Jim Eddy went from a 3-4 front to a 4-3. With an extra defensive lineman in the trenches, this proved huge for Childress’ NFL career.
He would go on to make four-straight Pro Bowls at his new position of defensive tackle from 1990 to 1993. During that four-year run, Childress never had fewer than 7.0 quarterback sacks. This includes the best mark of his career with a ridiculous 13.0 in 1992. Childress would be named First-Team All-Pro for the only time in his career that season.
Childress had another productive season with the Oilers in 1994, but managed only 6.0 sacks on a team that was starting to lose its luster before eventually moving to Tennessee in the late 1990s. He played one last season with the Oilers in 1995 before playing sparingly as a member of the 1996 Dallas Cowboys.
In 11 seasons with the Oilers, Childress totaled an impressive 75.5 career quarterback sacks in 160 career starts for the team. He finished with 884 total combined tackles, 19 forced fumbles and 19 fumble recoveries along the Houston defensive line. Overall, Childress is a candidate for the Hall of Very Good professional and nothing more. That being said, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010 for his contributions as an Aggie for Texas A&M.
- First-Team All-Pro (1999)
- 1999 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year
- 3x Pro Bowl (1999-01)
- 52.0 career quarterback sacks w/Titans
Jevon Kearse is one of many outstanding pass rushers in Oilers/Titans history. However, he stands out mostly due to his unbelievable athleticism he displayed during his first three years in the league with the Titans from 1999 to 2001.
After forgoing his final season at the University of Florida, Kearse entered the 1999 NFL Draft. He would be the No. 16 overall pick by the recently rebranded Titans in that draft. What happened next was something few really saw coming.
Tennessee made its first, and thus far only, trip to the Super Bowl. While the Titans had a great offense centered around quarterback Steve McNair and running back Eddie George, the NFL could not get enough of the Titans’ star rookie defensive lineman.
Kearse set an NFL record for most quarterback sacks by a rookie with 14.5 in 1999. He would make his first of three-straight trips to the Pro Bowl, win NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and be named First-Team All-Pro. Had the Titans beaten the then-St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXIX, you could not have asked for a better rookie year than what Kearse had in 1999.
In addition to leading the league with eight forced fumbles that season, he also had 15 tackles for a loss of yardage. Kearse backed up that record-setting rookie campaign with two more Pro Bowl seasons where he head at least 10.0 quarterback sacks. It seemed that Kearse was going to be a lock for Canton.
Then, the injuries started to happened. Kearse suffered a broken bone in his foot in 2002 and missed 12 games that season. While he bounced back with 9.5 quarterback sacks in 2003, he missed the final two games of the season with an ankle injury. Ultimately, injury concerns were a huge reason that the Titans were unable to bring him back to the fold on a second contract.
Kearse would sign a massive deal with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2004 NFL free agency. While he got back to the Super Bowl in his first season in Philadelphia, Kearse would suffer another defeat in the NFL’s signature game, falling to the New England Patriots down in Jacksonville.
Kearse was a good, but not great player during his time with the Eagles and for the rest of his career. He eventually came back to the Titans in 2008, but was a shell of himself. Kearse totaled just 4.5 quarterback sacks in his last two seasons in the NFL with the Titans before retiring after the 2009 campaign. Overall, he had 52.0 of his 74.0 career quarterback sacks with the Titans franchise spread out over seven years and two stints with the team.
- 2009 NFL Offensive Player of the Year
- First-Team All-Pro (2009)
- 3x Pro Bowl (2008-10)
- NFL rushing yards leader (2009)
- NFL record for most yards from scrimmage in a season (2009)
Chris Johnson was supposed to be a day two draft pick coming out of East Carolina in 2008. He was an excellent player for the Pirates, but his blazing 4.24 40-yard dash time changed his life forever. Johnson would be the No. 24 overall pick by the Titans in the 2008 NFL Draft.
As a rookie with the Titans in 2008, Johnson rushed for 1,228 yards on 251 carries for nine touchdowns. That would be the first of six-straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons for Johnson, all coming with the Titans. Johnson made the first of three-straight Pro Bowls with the Titans as a rookie.
While Johnson was great during his rookie year in Nashville, he was simply phenomenal in his second year in the league. Johnson led the NFL in rushing with a staggering 2,006 yards on 358 carries for 14 touchdowns. He led the league in carries, yards per game with 125.4 and touches with 408.
Besides being one of a very select few tailbacks to eclipse 2,000 yards on the ground in a season, Johnson set an NFL record for most yards from scrimmage in a year with 2,509. It helped that he also had the longest rush of any player in the game that year with a 91-yard scamper for the Titans.
Johnson made his third and final Pro Bowl as a member of the 2010 Titans. He still had 1,364 yards on 316 yards and 11 touchdowns. Not bad for a guy that was a complete workhorse for the Tennessee offense during his second year in the league.
Johnson would surpass the 1,000-yard threshold in his final three years with the Titans from 2011 to 2013, but never had over 300 carries or 10 rushing touchdowns in a season again. On April 4, 2014, the Titans would release their star running back after six outstanding seasons with the club.
He signed a three-year deal with the New York Jets in 2014, but was declined his option after just one year with Gang Green. Johnson would then leave the Big Apple for the Valley of the Sun to spend his last three NFL seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. After spending most of 2018 out of the league, he announced his retirement from professional football after 10 years in the NFL on Nov. 5.
Overall, Johnson was a former NFL Offensive Player of the Year and a First-Team All-Pro with the Titans. He rushed for 7,965 yards on 1,742 carries for 50 touchdowns with the franchise. Johnson finished his strong NFL career with nearly 10,000 rushing yards at 9,651. Though absolutely electric in his first years in Nashville, Johnson is not likely going to be a Pro Football Hall of Famer. However, he is one of the best running backs the Oilers/Titans have ever had.
- Pro Football Hall of Fame (Class of 2013)
- 1975 NFL Defensive Player of the Year
- First-Team All-Pro (1975)
- 4x Pro Bowl w/Oilers (1975-78)
- 3x Second-Team All-Pro w/Oilers (1977-79)
Curley Culp played nearly all of his Pro Football Hall of Fame career with two AFC franchises in the Kansas City Chiefs and the Oilers. Culp played his college ball at Arizona State University for the iconic Frank Kush in Tempe. Originally drafted by the Denver Broncos in 1968, he would need to switch teams to maximize his effectiveness as a player.
Culp was seen as too short (6-foot-1) to play along the defensive line for Denver and too big (265 pounds) for them to effectively play linebacker. Well, that proved silly, as he became a Pro Bowl player with the Chiefs in two of his first four years in the league.
Culp spent his first 6.5 seasons with Kansas City from 1968 to 1975 before being traded to the Oilers for defensive lineman John Matuszak and a 1975 first-round pick. Matuszak was the former No. 1 overall pick in the 1973 NFL Draft out of the University of Tampa. He would not reach his lofty draft status in Kansas City, while Culp and that future first-round pick, which was Robert Brazile, became Pro Football Hall of Famers with the Oilers.
This was one of the most lopsided trades in NFL history. Culp was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1975 with the Oilers, earning his first of four-straight Pro Bowls with the club. He made the All-Pro First-Team that season as well.
Culp ended up with six Pro Bowls to his name, with the latter four coming in Houston from 1975 to 1978. He made four All-Pro Teams during his time with the Oilers, a First-Team in 1975 and three Second-Teams from 1977 to 1979.
Halfway through the 1980 NFL season, Culp would be released by the Oilers and was then picked up by the Detroit Lions. He played his last 1.5 seasons with Detroit before retiring at the age of 35 after 14 years of professional football.
Overall, Culp finished with 68 unofficial sacks playing defensive tackle with 14 forced fumbles. He would be inducted into the Chiefs Hall of Fame in 2008 by Kansas City owner Clark Hunt. Culp had to wait a few more years, but eventually earned rightful Canton enshrinement.
In 2013, Culp was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, 32 years after he played his last snap in the NFL with the 1981 Lions. His Canton classmates include Larry Allen, Jonathan Ogden and Warren Sapp. Even with his career split relatively evenly between the Chiefs and the Oilers, Culp’s overall body of work was indeed worth of Canton enshrinement.
- Pro Football Hall of Fame (Class of 1981)
- AFL All-Time Team
- 2x AFL Champion w/Oilers (1960-61)
- AFL MVP (1961)
- 3x AFL All-Star w/Oilers (1961-63)
- First-Team All-AFL (1961)
- 2x Second-Team All-AFL (1962-63)
George Blanda played professional football for seemingly forever. No, seriously. Blanda holds the NFL record of 26 professional seasons played. After starring at the University of Kentucky, he first played in the NFL with the Chicago Bears way back in 1949. His 10 years in the league from 1949 to 1958 were nondescript, but his quarterbacking and placekicking abilities would have another life in a new league in 1960.
Blanda initially hung up the spikes in 1958 when then legendary Bears head coach George Halas threatened to only use him as a kicker going forward. Turns out, Blanda had a few more good years as a signal caller left in the tank. He played seven seasons in the AFL with the Oilers from 1960 to 1966. Add in an additional nine years as a kicker for the Oakland Raiders after that and no wonder the guy made it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the first ballot.
Essentially, Blanda’s career was split up into three stages. The first being a good kicker and mediocre quarterback with the Bears in the 1950s. His next phase came in the early to mid-1960s as a star quarterback/kicker for the Oilers in the NFL. Blanda’s last phase of his career was being an ageless wonder at kicker for the Raiders in the 1970s.
Longevity was key in appreciating Blanda’s football life. But just how good was he at his apex and when did that happened? Well, that coincided during his first few years in the AFL with the Oilers. The Oilers won back-to-back AFL Championships in 1960 and 1961. Blanda won AFL MVP in 1961, making the All-AFL First-Team and the AFL All-Star Game in the process.
Blanda made two more AFL All-Star Games with the Oilers in 1962 and 1963, as well as a pair of All-AFL Second-Team honors in both of those campaigns. He made his fourth and final AFL All-Star Game in 1967 in his first year with the Raiders.
As a quarterback for the Oilers, Blanda went 44-38 in 82 career starts for Houston. He completed 48.4 percent of his passes for 19,149 yards, 165 touchdowns and 189 interceptions in seven years with the team.
As a placekicker, he made 48.1 percent of his field goals and 98.4 percent of his point after attempts in Houston. Blanda would proved to be a more accurate field goal kicker in Oakland (62.7 percent) to close out his career.
Blanda would retire for the final time in 1975. He earned Canton enshrinement in 1981 on his first ballot. His Pro Football Hall of Fame classmates include Morris “Red” Badgro, Willie Davis and Jim Ringo. It should be noted that Blanda did make the AFL All-Time Team as one of the best quarterbacks and kickers in the history of that football league.
- 4x Pro Bowl (1997-00)
- First-Team All-Pro (2000)
- 1996 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year
- Second-Team All-Pro (1999)
- 10,009 career rushing yards w/Oilers/Titans
Eddie George is synonymous with greatness in Titans uniform. The 1995 Heisman Trophy winner was drafted No. 14 overall by the Oilers in the 1996 NFL Draft out of The Ohio State University. George spent his first eight NFL seasons in Oilers/Titans uniform. All he did was pound the rock and be a leader for this franchise.
George was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1996 for Houston. The Oilers were leaving town, but that didn’t matter to George. He rushed for 1,368 yards on 335 carries for eight touchdowns. While he came up short of the Pro Bowl that season, he made it the next four years from 1997 to 2000.
George ended up rushing for over 1,000 yards in seven of his eight seasons with the Oilers/Titans. The lone exception came in 2001, as he was with 100 yards of that benchmark at 939. Reliable as any running back in that era, George never missed a start in his eight years with the team, appearing in the maximum of 128 regular season games over that stretch.
During his prime as a player with the Oilers/Titans, the franchise could count on George to rush for over 1,300 yards on well over 300 carries in a 16-game season. He was the bell-cow back that Tennessee needed to build its most successful roster around in the last quarter century.
Obviously, George was a huge reason the Titans made it all the way to Super Bowl XXXIX in 1999. Though the Titans came up a yard short of beating the then-St. Louis Rams in the old Georgia Dome, George backed up that season with his best year as a professional in 2000.
That fall saw George make his fourth and final Pro Bowl, earning his lone spot on the All-Pro First-Team. George carried the ball a league-best 403 times for a career-high 1,509 yards and a career-high 14 rushing touchdowns. Though he rushed for over 1,000 yards two more times in his final three seasons with the Titans, George was clearly on the back-nine after being overworked in 2000.
After a pair of 1,000-yard rushing seasons in 2002 and 2003, George was released by the Titans after refusing to take a pay cut by then-owner Bud Adams. George played his last NFL season with the 2004 Dallas Cowboys, and a lackluster one at that, before retiring.
Overall, George is the franchise record holder in 28 departments in Oilers/Titans franchise history. These include most career rushing yards (10,009), most career touchdowns (74) and most career yards from scrimmage (12,153). George has been eligible for Canton enshrinement since 2010, but has yet to be named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. While he may never get there, George is a Titans legend and one of the best running backs in the NFL during the late 1990s.
- Pro Football Hall of Fame (Class of 2013)
- NFL 1970s All-Decade Team
- 2x First-Team All-Pro (1978-79)
- 7x Pro Bowl (1976-82)
- 3x Second-Team All-Pro (1976-77, 1980)
- 1975 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year
Robert Brazile spent his entire 10-year NFL career with the Oilers organization. Houston used its No. 6 overall pick in the 1975 NFL Draft to draft the phenomenal outside linebacker out of Jackson State. All Brazile did in his 10 years with the Oilers was terrify quarterbacks with his elite pressure coming from the outside.
Brazile was initially part of the deal that sent defensive lineman John Matuszak to the Kansas City Chiefs for defensive lineman Curley Culp. He was the future first-round pick that came to Houston via the lopsided deal with Kansas City.
As a rookie in 1975, Brazile would be named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year playing for then-new head coach Bum Phillips. Phillips was instrumental in the Oilers moving from a 4-3 defensive front to a 3-4. Brazile thrived in this role, as he was effective in rushing the passer, stopping the run and dropping back into coverage.
During his playing days, Brazile was known as “Dr. Doom” for his fearsome on-field playing style. As being named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, Brazile rattled off seven-straight trips to the Pro Bowl from 1976 to 1982.
Brazile was a two-time First-Team All-Pro, coming in 1978 and 1979. He was also part of the All-Pro Second-Team three other times, coming in 1976, 1977 and 1980. While sacks were not an official NFL stat until 1982, Brazile registered 48 unofficially. But that wasn’t even half of what he did on the field for Houston.
Brazile totaled 1,281 total tackles and 13 interceptions in his illustrious NFL career. Along with the more popular Lawrence Taylor of the New York Giants, they helped usher in an era of defenses sending pressure from the outside at linebacker out of the 3-4, instead of solely from defensive ends.
Sadly, Brazile retired after the 1984 NFL season due in large part to his wife passing away in a car accident. He would be named to the NFL 1970s All-Decade Team, but would have to wait longer to earn his spot in Canton.
In 2018, Brazile finally got the call from the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was enshrined this past summer with the likes of Ray Lewis, Randy Moss and Terrell Owens. Though the days of “Dr. Doom” are long gone, Brazile has finally earned his rightful place in Canton among the legends of the game.
- Pro Football Hall of Fame (Class of 1991)
- Tennessee Titans No. 34 retired
- NFL MVP (1979)
- 3x NFL Offensive Player of the Year (1978-80)
- NFL 1970s All-Decade Team
- 3x First-Team All-Pro (1978-80)
- 5x Pro Bowl (1978-81, 1983)
Earl Campbell is one of the few football players to have won both the Heisman Trophy while in college and be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a professional. “The Tyler Rose” was something else down in Austin for the Texas Longhorns collegiately. No wonder Houston used the No. 1 overall pick on him in the 1978 NFL Draft.
Right out of the gate, Campbell was unbelievable as a running back for the Oilers. Not only was he NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1978, he was First-Team All-Pro and NFL Offensive Player of the Year. He led the league with 1,450 rushing yards on 302 carries for 13 touchdowns.
This would be the first of three-straight NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors, three-straight All-Pro First Teams and four-straight Pro Bowl honors. In year two in 1979, Campbell had statistically his best season. He won NFL MVP rushing for 1,697 yards and 19 touchdowns to lead the league on 368 carries.
On just those two years alone, Campbell made the NFL 1970s All-Decade Team. Unbelievable. His 1980 campaign was simply outstanding. He led the league in carries (373), rushing yards (1,934) and rushing touchdowns (13). However, Campbell would never match any of those marks in his final five professional seasons.
Campbell made it to his fourth Pro Bowl in 1981, rushing for 1,376 yards and 10 touchdowns, leading the league in touches for the second consecutive season with 397. Overall, Campbell was every bit the bell-cow back in his prime. Unfortunately, he got shamelessly overworked during his four years at Texas and his first four years with the Oilers.
Campbell was under 1,000 rushing yards for the first time in his career in 1982. While he bounced back with another 1,000-yard rushing season in 1983 to make the Pro Bowl for the fifth and final time, he managed barely over 1,000 combined yards in the rest of his career.
After averaging 2.9 yards per carry in his first six games in 1984, Campbell was traded to the New Orleans Saints to be reunited with his former Oilers head coach Bum Phillips. He played one more season with the 1985 Saints before retiring with 9,407 career rushing yards in eight seasons.
Campbell has had major health issues in the aftermath of his football career. Though a generational tailback in his 20s, Campbell’s body was completely broken down in his early 30s. He earned Canton enshrinement in his first year of eligibility in 1991.
However, the relative shortness of his NFL career has him coming in at only No. 7 on this all-time Oilers/Titans list. To be No. 7 is a testament to the amount of outstanding players that have played in either Houston or Nashville.
- Pro Football Hall of Fame (Class of 2003)
- Tennessee Titans No. 65 jersey retired
- 8x Pro Bowl (1969, 1971-75, 1978-79)
- 5x Second-Team All-Pro (1969, 1973, 1975, 1978-79)
- 105 career unofficial quarterback sacks
Elvin Bethea was a third-round pick by the Oilers back in 1968. He wound up spending his entire 16-year NFL career with the team that drafted him as a star pass rusher in the 1970s. In his second season out of North Carolina A&T in 1969, Bethea made his first of eight career trips to the Pro Bowl and his first of five All-Pro Second Teams.
Bethea was relentless in his pursuit of the quarterback, as he totaled 105 unofficial sacks in his Pro Football Hall of Fame career. Keep in mind that sacks were not officially recorded until the 1982 NFL season. That was Bethea’s second to last season in the NFL. Being that he was past his prime as a player, only one of his sacks is official.
Bethea was an iron man for the Oilers along the defensive line. He did not miss a start until his 10th season in the league back in 1977. He only appeared in nine games that fall after breaking his arm. Bethea played in an impressive 210 games with the Oilers, starting in 191 of them.
Though never a First-Team All-Pro player, his best season with the team might have come in 1973. He set a franchise record of 16 quarterback sacks, doing so on an Oilers team that won only one game that fall. Keep in mind that teams that have leads tend to pound the rock to chew up the clock late in games, thus eliminating pass-rushing opportunities for the opposition.
Bethea proved to be a productive player with the Oilers into his mid-30s. However, his last two seasons with the team in 1982 and 1983 were nothing to write home about. He retired at the age of 37 after the 1983 NFL season. Though his body of work was impressive, Bethea had to wait 20 years to earn Canton enshrinement.
Then in 2003, Bethea would finally be able to join football glory, as he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. While the Oilers/Titans have had several outstanding pass rushers over the years including Robert Brazile, Ray Childress and Jevon Kearse, Bethea surpasses all them in franchise lore. His tenure with the team and his pass-rushing dominance in the 1970s has him coming in at No. 6 on this all-time list.
- NFL MVP (2003)
- 3x Pro Bowl (2000, 2003, 2005)
- NFL passer rating leader (2003)
- Second-Team All-Pro (2003)
- 76-55 in 131 career starts for Oilers/Titans
Steve McNair is a legend in Titans lore. While he played his last two NFL seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, McNair was a superstar with the Oilers/Titans for well over a decade. Drafted No. 3 overall out of Alcorn State, McNair was a gifted playmaker with his arm and his legs for years in the NFL.
Though a Heisman finalist with the Braves, it would take until his third NFL season for McNair to become the franchise’s full-time starter. He played sparingly during his first two years in Houston, backing up Chris Chandler in 1995 and 1996.
Then in 1997, the Oilers’ first year in Tennessee, McNair was the opening day starter, a role he had with the team through the 2005 NFL season. While the Oilers only hovered around .500 during his first two years as the starting quarterback, it was only a matter of time before McNair entered his prime in the early 2000s.
McNair famously was the quarterback of the 1999 AFC Championship team that went all the way to Super Bowl XXXIX. He was 9-2 as a starter that fall, completing 56.5 percent of his passes for 2,179 yards, 12 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Those numbers aren’t great, but that 1999 helped catapult McNair to greatness the following season.
McNair made his first of three career trips to the Pro Bowl in 2000. He went 12-3 as a starter, completing 62.6 percent of his passes for 2,847 yards, 15 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Tennessee may have never gotten back to the Super Bowl with him as quarterback, but he quickly became the franchise cornerstone after relocating to Nashville from Houston.
2003 was McNair’s finest year as a professional. He led the NFL in passer rating at 100.4, as well as yards per attempt at 8.0. This was the third year in a row that McNair threw for over 3,000 yards in a season, as he finished with 3,215. He completed 62.5 percent of his passes for 24 touchdowns and only seven interceptions.
Most importantly in that season, he was named NFL Co-MVP along with Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning. Given that Manning was a more prolific passer in his illustrious career for the AFC South rival Colts, Manning would be First-Team All-Pro that season at quarterback, while McNair had to settle for Second-Team.
In what was his last season with the Titans, McNair made his third and final trip to the Pro Bowl. Injuries and issues with the Titans organization ultimately led him to spending his last two years in the NFL with the Ravens, retiring after the 2007 campaign at age 34.
Most sadly, McNair was killed in what was a murder/suicide by his then-mistress on July 4, 2009 in Nashville. McNair was only 36 years old. It was a tragedy that shocked the entire NFL world, as McNair was only a year and change from last playing for the Ravens.
His murder certainly complicates his legacy. Overall, McNair was a brilliant playmaker with the Oilers/Titans for 11 seasons. He brought Titans fans tremendous joy watching him play his own brand of backyard football. Though probably not a Pro Football Hall of Famer, don’t let anybody tell you otherwise that McNair is an undeniable football legend in the Music City.
- Pro Football Hall of Fame (Class of 1986)
- NFL 75th Anniversary Team
- NFL 1970s All-Decade Team
- 5x Pro Bowl w/Oilers (1968-72)
- 5x Second-Team All-Pro w/Oilers (1968-72)
Ken Houston has to be one of the best defensive backs in NFL history, and frankly, one that often goes unnoticed. He spent his first six of 14 Pro Football Hall of Fame seasons with the team that drafted him in 1967 out of Prairie A&M College. This former ninth-round selection would be transformative in both the Oilers and later Washington Redskins secondary.
Half of Houston’s stint with the Oilers came while the club was playing in the AFL. He made his first two football All-Star Games during the Oilers’ AFL Days in 1968 and 1969. Once Houston moved over to the NFL in 1970, he rattled off three more Pro Bowl nods in the post-merger era with the Oilers.
During those five-straight All-Star seasons, Houston made it on the second-team all-league roster as well. It wasn’t just at safety that made Houston so spectacular. He was an outstanding return man to boot.
In 1971, he set an NFL record of five return touchdowns in a season (four interceptions and one fumble recovery). This record stood until Devin Hester broke it as a member of the 2006 Chicago Bears some 35 years later.
Simply put, Houston was electrifying with the ball in his hands. However, he wasn’t apparently long for Houston. In 1973, the Oilers’ star defensive back and return man was shipped to the Redskin for five veterans in a blockbuster deal. Because the Redskins got the star player, they clearly won the deal. He made seven-straight Pro Bowls after landing in the nation’s capital.
Houston played with the Redskins through the 1980 NFL season before retiring at age 36. He made the NFL 75th Anniversary Team and the NFL 1970s All-Decade Team thanks to his dominance on the gridiron with both the Oilers and Redskins.
In 1986, Houston was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on his first ballot. He ended up with 49 career interceptions for 898 yards and nine pick-sixes in his career. 25 of those interception and all nine of those trips to pay dirt came while Houston was with Houston.
Even though he comes in at No. 4, Houston might have been even higher on this list if he spent the bulk of his career with the Oilers, as opposed to roughly splitting it in half with the Redskins. Regardless, he is one of the best playmakers in the defensive backfield the NFL has ever seen.
- Pro Football Hall of Fame (Class of 2001)
- Tennessee Titans No. 63 jersey retired
- NFL 1980s All-Decade Team
- 2x First-Team All-Pro (1987, 1991)
- 9x Pro Bowl (1984-85, 1987-93)
- 8x Second-Team All-Pro (1983-85, 1988-90, 1992-93)
Mike Munchak was the No. 8 overall pick by the Oilers in the 1982 NFL Draft out of Penn State. He not only ended up spending his entire NFL playing career with the franchise from 1982 to 1993, Munchak was on the coaching staff post-retirement all the way up until his firing as head coach in 2013. He has since been the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive line coach in his native Pennsylvania.
As a second-year player in 1983, Munchak made his first of eight All-Pro Second-Teams with the Oilers. By year three in 1984, Munchak earned his first of nine career trips to the Pro Bowl as a member of the Houston professional franchise. Twice he was named first First-Team All-Pro with those nods coming in 1987 and 1991.
Overall, Munchak played in 159 games for the Oilers, making 156 starts predominantly at left guard for the organization. He kept Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon upright for 10 years and played on the same offensive line as fellow Pro Football Hall of Fame guard Bruce Matthews for 11 seasons.
With the Oilers having one of the most formidable offenses in the AFC in the 1980s, it was a no-brainer move for Munchak to be part of the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team. His No. 63 jersey has been retired by the Titans organization for his contributions to the club when they were located down in Houston.
In 2001, Munchak earned his rightful place in Canton as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He might have had two wait two years longer than expected, but there is no doubt what he meant to the Oilers offensive line during his 12 years as a player.
Immediately after retiring, Munchak joined the Oilers staff as a quality control coach in 1994. By 1997, he was named the franchise’s offensive line coach. This was a position he held until he was promoted to head coach in 2011.
In his three seasons as the Titans head coach, they went 22-26 and never qualified for the playoffs. Though may not an all-time head coach, Munchak is one of the best guards to ever play professional football. His spot on the Oilers/Titans’ Mount Rushmore is secure coming in at No. 3.
- Pro Football Hall of Fame (Class of 2006)
- Tennessee Titans No. 1 jersey retired
- 1989 NFL Man of the Year
- 1990 NFL Offensive Player of the Year
- 6x Pro Bowl w/Oilers (1988-93)
- 2x NFL passing yards leader (1990-91)
- NFL passing touchdowns leader (1990)
- Second-Team All-Pro (1990)
Warren Moon is not just the best quarterback in Oilers/Titans history, he’s probably one of the most important star quarterbacks the NFL has ever seen. After starring at the University of Washington for legendary head coach Don James, Moon went undrafted and had to play his first six professional seasons in the CFL with the Edmonton Eskimos.
All Moon did was win five-straight Grey Cups quarterbacking the Eskimos from 1979 to 1982. Even though he is arguably the greatest player in CFL history, Moon didn’t play quarterback in the NFL until 1984 almost entirely because of the color of his skin. People had their doubts about an African-American quarterback playing in the NFL. Boy, did Moon put that stupid line of thinking to bed.
Moon debuted as a member of the Oilers in 1984 at the age of 28. This is largely because his former Eskimos head coach Hugh Campbell was named the head coach of the Oilers franchise that same year. Yes, it took a few years for Moon to find his footing in the NFL. Then in 1988, he became a superstar.
Moon made six straight trips to the Pro Bowl with the Oilers began in 1988. He would be named NFL Man of the Year in 1989 and NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 1990. Twice did Moon lead the league in passing yards, coming in 1990 and 1991. He led the NFL in passing touchdowns in 1990, as he was named Second-Team All-Pro.
In 10 years as a quarterback for the Oilers, Moon went 70-69 as a starter, completing 57.9 percent of his passes for 33,685 yards, 196 touchdowns and 166 interceptions. Despite going 12-4 and winning the old AFC Central in 1993, former Oilers owner Bud Adams was a man of his word and dismantled the team after failing to reach the Super Bowl. The Oilers lost in the divisional round to Joe Montana and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Moon, who had been the greatest quarterback in franchise history, was traded to the Minnesota Vikings ahead of the 1994 NFL season. He played three seasons with the Vikings and made it to two more Pro Bowls.
In 1997, Moon made his ninth and final Pro Bowl at age 41 quarterbacking the Seattle Seahawks. After quarterbacking in the Pacific Northwest for two seasons, Moon closed out his illustrious NFL career as a backup with the Kansas City Chiefs before after the 2000 NFL season at age 44.
Moon was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on his first ballot in 2006, and rightfully so. He was a quarterback that was both ahead of his time, yet extremely important for his time. He broke down so many barriers for men of color, as well as ushering in an increasingly passing-centric league. Moon is seen as one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history to never play in a Super Bowl.
- Pro Football Hall of Fame (Class of 2007)
- Tennessee Titans No. 74 jersey retired
- NFL 1990s All-Decade Team
- 14x Pro Bowl (1988-01)
- 7x First-Team All-Pro (1988-90, 1992, 1998-00)
- 2x Second-Team All-Pro (1991, 1993)
Bruce Matthews is not just the greatest player in Oilers/Titans history, but the best player in his own illustrious professional football family. His father Clay Matthews Sr. played defensive tackle for the San Francisco 49ers in the 1950s. Matthews’ brother Clay Matthews Jr. played linebacker for the Cleveland Browns in the 1980s.
His nephew is Clay Matthews III, the outside linebacker for the Green Bay Packers. Matthews’ son Jake Matthews plays left tackle for the Atlanta Falcons. In total, eight members of this clan have played in the NFL, but only Bruce Matthews is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Matthews played his entire career with the Oilers/Titans franchise. He was selected No. 9 overall by the Oilers in the 1983 NFL Draft out of USC. 19 years later, Matthews retired as the greatest players in franchise history in 2001 at the age of 40. But what Matthews such an incredible player?
Well, he is considered to be the most versatile offensive lineman in NFL history. Not only did he play in 296 career games with the Oilers/Titans, but made 293 total starts at several different positions.
He started 99 games at left guard, 67 of them at right guard, 87 during his run at center, 22 more at right tackle and another 17 at left tackle. Just doing that alone would have him as an all-time great anyway.
Let’s not forget how dominant he was during his time with Houston/Tennessee. Matthews made 14-straight Pro Bowls from 1988 up to his last NFL season in 2001. He was an All-Pro nine times and made the NFL 1990s All-Decade Team in his outstanding football career.
Given that he played for the franchise so long, he was teammates with several incredible offensive players including Mike Munchak, Warren Moon, Eddie George and Steve McNair. While he might be best remembered as a guard, Matthews was most importantly one of the most dominant offensive lineman in NFL history.
Matthews earned rightful Canton enshrinement on his first ballot in 2007. His No. 74 jersey has been retired by the Titans organization. A few years after playing for the Titans, Matthews coached in the NFL, first as an offensive assistant with the Houston Texans from 2009 to 2010. He would then be the Titans offensive line coach from 2011 to 2013 on Munchak’s staff. Overall, it will be next to impossible for Matthews to lose his spot as the best player in Houston/Tennessee franchise history.