Tennessee Titans: 30 greatest players in franchise history

• 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.