Tennessee Titans legends Steve McNair and Eddie George have their numbers retired.
There are few owners in the NFL who understand the wants of their fan base like Tennessee Titans owner Amy Adam Strunk.
This was never more clear than yesterday when it was announced that she was retiring the jerseys of two of the most influential players to ever put on a Titans jersey in Steve McNair and Eddie George.
She announced the move saying:
"“Steve and Eddie will be forever linked as two of the driving forces for our team in the late 90’s and early 2000’s,” Strunk said. “They were the heart and soul of the team and each made the other a better player and ultimately led to a great deal of team success. Their statistics will forever live in our record books, but their play and sacrifice is what our fans will always remember. For that and all that they have done for our team, the number 9 and 27 will be retired with the all-time franchise greats.”"
When you look back on their careers, you see greatness but two very different players.
In Steve McNair you had toughness exemplified in a man who played through broken bones and torn muscles. In his 11-year career with the Titans he only started 16 games three times, but when he played he was a game changing player from his first start.
With Eddie George you had an absolute workhorse. In his 7 year tenure with the franchise, he played 128 out of 128 games and never had a season with less than 312 rushes. To put that into perspective, Saquon Barkley led the NFL with 304 rushes last year.
FanSided
They were two of the all-time Tennessee Titans greats and no one would leave them off of the Mount Rushmore. Their numbers should have been retired before now but better late than never.
Although this kills the dream of one day seeing Derrick Henry wear the 27 jersey of his mentor, it feels right that the legacies of cornerstones of the franchise are finally rounded out with this honor.
While this is all about the players, I do feel the need to cap this off by saying “Thank you” to AAS, who once again has a great understanding of this fan base. In a short time she seems to be correcting all of the wrongs that went on during the decade before her taking over the helm.