20 best running backs in the history of the Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a franchise that won the first two titles in the American Football League, while making a Super Bowl appearance in 1999. It’s also an organization that has had its share of stars when it comes to the offensive backfield.
So, there are no misunderstandings, this list also includes fullbacks. This is a position that was revered a lot more in the past than it is today.
As was the case when it came to ranking the top 10 quarterbacks for this franchise, not everyone here is an all-time performer. That’s not to diminish any of these men’s careers. In fact, quite the opposite.
The following 20 performers, led by a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, all own their own important place in this team’s long history. As usual, the order is highly subjective. However, the Top 4 spots could make for a great debate.
The top 20 running backs in Oilers/Titans history
20. Larry Moriarty
Not a very big sample size, because the former Notre Dame back spent just three-plus seasons with the Oilers. Larry Moriarty was a 6’1”, 240-pound bruiser that Houston added in the fifth round of the 1983 NFL Draft. He played in 50 games with the franchise and made a total of 33 starts.
During his stay with the Oilers, Moriarty totaled 469 for 1,990 yards from scrimmage while reaching the end zone a total of 14 times. The pivotal year was 1984, when star workhorse Earl Campbell was dealt to the Saints after six games.
Moriarty would wind up leading Hugh Campbell’s club with 785 yards on the ground. He racked up a career-best 991 scrimmage yards and led the Oilers with seven total touchdowns.
19. Alonzo Highsmith
The talented runner appeared to be on his way to a standout NFL career after success with the Miami Hurricanes. Only college teammate Vinny Testaverde and Alabama linebacker Cornelius Bennett were picked ahead of him in the 1987 NFL Draft. However, his stay with the Oilers was derailed for many reasons.
Injuries would play a role in shortening his NFL career. So did the fact that the team would employ the “Run and Shoot” attack in 1990.
After three seasons and a total of 285 touches for 1,490 yards and 10 scores in 40 regular-season contests, Highsmith was dealt to the Cowboys for a second-round pick in 1991, and a fifth-round draft choice in 1992. He was part of playoff teams in all three years with Houston.
18. Tim Wilson
He spent his last two seasons with the New Orleans Saints but began his NFL career as a third-round pick of the Oilers in 1977. University of Maryland standout Tim Wilson played in 10 games as a rookie. He gained 450 yards from scrimmage and scored three TDs, but his most important role began a year later.
The Oilers used the first overall pick in 1978 on Earl Campbell, and Wilson became a vital component on offense. “We more or less are depending on him,” explained Wilson back in 1985. “The way he’s going, I better get my rear end to blocking. I don’t want that son of a gun running over me.” Wilson finished his six-year career in Houston with 2,023 scrimmage yards and nine scores.
17. DeMarco Murray
He began his career with the Dallas Cowboys and certainly made his mark with that franchise. Running back DeMarco Murray spent four years in Dallas before signing with the rival Eagles in 2015. In 2016, he was traded to the Titans, with Philadelphia and Tennessee also exchanging fourth-round picks that year.
For those thinking Murray’s best football was behind him, they were somewhat mistaken. He was a 16-game starter and totaled 293 carries for 1,287 yards and nine scores.
Add in 53 receptions for 377 yards and three more touchdowns, and his combined 1,664 yards from scrimmage and 12 TDs were the second-highest totals of his seven-year career. He was a Pro Bowler in ’16 and spent one more year with the club.
16. Allen Pinkett
The former Notre Dame product was a third-round pick in 1986, and spent six seasons with the franchise. Allen Pinkett did a little bit of everything for the Oilers, utilizing his skills as a runner, receiver, and kickoff returner. He was also a member of five playoff teams for the club, appearing in eight postseason games.
The one-time Fighting Irish played in 87 regular-season contests. He would amass a respectable 3,245 yards from scrimmage and reached the end zone a combined 26 times (21 rushing, 5 receiving).
Add in 1,576 yards on punt and kickoff returns and Pinkett finished his career with 4,821 combined yards. His best year came in his last NFL season. His 200 touches added up to 948 scrimmage yards and 10 scores.3
15. Chris Brown
He spent the first five years with the Titans in an NFL career that lasted just six seasons. Former University of Colorado product Chris Brown was a third-round pick by the organization in 2003. While he ranks 11th in club history in rushing yards (7,747), he had his ups and downs, and never played all 16 games in a season.
Most of Brown’s production came during a two-year stretch during his second and third years in Nashville. In a total of 26 regular-seasons contests, he totaled a very-respectable 2,392 yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns.
However, during his other three seasons with the franchise, he touched the ball a combined 95 times and gained 1,032 scrimmage yards with five TDs in only 26 regular-season contests.
14. Fred Willis
He began his NFL career as a fourth-round draft choice of the Cincinnati Bengals in 1971. However, during the middle of the ’72 season, running back Fred Willis was dealt to the Oilers in a multi-player deal that saw Cincinnati acquire the services of future Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Charlie Joiner.
As for Willis, he spent four-plus seasons on a club that owned a 1-21 record during his first year and a half with the franchise. Things began to change in 1974, Sid Gillman’s last year as head coach, and the Oilers hired Bum Phillips in 1975.
In an era where running backs didn’t see a lot of passes, he totaled 170 catches in 58 games with Houston. He finished his Oilers’ career with 3,225 scrimmage yards and 16 touchdowns.
13. Charley Tolar
It was back in the days when there were only a dozen teams in the National Football League, and the draft lasted a whopping 30 rounds. In 1959, Northwestern State standout Charley Tolar was the 319th overall pick (27th round) by Pittsburgh. He was cut by the Steelers, and joined the newly-formed AFL in 1960.
The 5’6”, 199-pound bruiser would spend all of his seven seasons with the Houston Oilers. He was a key component of the league’s first two title teams, and the Oilers would also reach the 1962 AFL Championship.
He totaled 3,277 yards rushing, the ninth-highest total in franchise history and ran for 21 scores. He was named to a pair of AFL All-Star Games, and finished his career with 4,543 scrimmage yards, and 23 TDs.
12. Hoyle Granger
From 1960-66, the National Football League and American Football League each conducted their own drafts. Mississippi State running back Hoyle Granger was a fifth-round selection of the Oilers in 1966. He was also a fourth-round pick of the Colts that same year. Granger made the decision to join Houston.
After touching the ball just 68 times during his debut campaign, he would total at least 1,000 yards from scrimmage in each of his next three seasons. In 1967, he ran for 1,194 yards and six scores, and caught 31 passes for 300 yards and three touchdowns. He totaled a combined nine touchdowns and led the AFL with 1,494 scrimmage yards. Granger’s 3,514 yards on the ground still ranks sixth in franchise history.
11. Rob Carpenter
He wound up playing a total of 10 seasons for three different franchises. Former Miami of Ohio running back Rob Carpenter began his career with the Houston Oilers. A third-round pick in 1977, he was a steady performer on three playoff teams for Bum Phillips’ team, as well as a solid backup to star Earl Campbell.
In his rookie season in ’77, the former Miami of Ohio product started seven-of-11 games. He made just seven starts during the rest of his career with the Oilers.
Carpenter wound up being dealt to the New York Giants in the early stage of the 1981 season, and racked up better numbers with Big Blue than Houston. In four-plus seasons with Phillips’s club, Carpenter totaled 2,636 yards from scrimmage and 14 touchdowns.
10. Gary Brown
He was quite the story and played a big part in one of the team’s most impressive seasons. The 1993 Oilers started out losing four of their first five games, then reeled off 11 consecutive victories and won the AFC Central. Gary Brown was a huge component of that memorable rally and enjoyed a career year in ’93.
Those were the days of the “Run and Shoot” with Jack Pardee’s club. Brown did not ring up a carry or catch a pass in the team’s first six games. In the Oilers’ final 10 contests, he rolled up 1,242 yards from scrimmage (1.002 rushing) and eight touchdowns on 216 touches. He finished his Houston career with 2,115 rushing yards. He was out of the NFL in ‘96, but finished with the Chargers and Giants, respectively.
9. Ronnie Coleman
Coleman had one of the more memorable runs in the team’s history. In a Week 9 clash with the Miami Dolphins at the Astrodome in 1975, the talented performer broke multiple tackles on his way to the end zone in the closing moments.
His seven-yard score was the difference in a 20-19 surprise of Don Shula’s club. He finished his eight-year career with the club with 4,008 yards from scrimmage and 22 touchdowns.
8. Billy Cannon
Someone had to be in the backfield for the Houston Oilers when they were busy claiming the first two championships of the newly formed American Football League. While future Hall of Fame quarterback George Blanda was at the helm, 1959 Heisman winner Billy Cannon was the main man toting the rock.
The former LSU product spent a combined seven seasons with the Raiders (6) and Chiefs (1) but cut his teeth in Houston. He was a highly versatile performer who rolled up 3,374 yards from scrimmage and 34 TDs in only four seasons (48 regular-season games) with the Oilers.
Cannon caught touchdown passes in both the 1960 and 1961 AFL title game victories over the Chargers. He was a Pro Bowler and All-Pro in 1961.
7. Mike Rozier
The 1983 Heisman Trophy winner’s professional career began in the short-lived United States Football League. In two seasons with the Pittsburgh Maulers and Jacksonville Bulls, respectively, from 1984-85, the former Cornhusker totaled 2,778 yards from scrimmage and 18 TDs in 32 contests in the spring league.
The Oilers owned Rozier’s rights via the 1984 USFL Supplemental Draft. After running for r 1,361 yards and 12 TDs in 18 games with the Bulls in ‘85, he played in 14 games for Houston and ran for 462 yards and eight TDs.
He was a Pro Bowler in 1987 and 1988, rushing for 957 yards and 1,002 yards, respectively. His 3,426 yards on the ground is eighth in franchise history. He ended his NFL career with Atlanta Falcons.
6. LenDale White
He preceded dynamic performer Chris Johnson by two years with the Titans, and enjoyed some big moments for Jeff Fisher’s squad. However, former USC running back LenDale White, a second-round selection in 2006, lasted just four NFL seasons. He enjoyed a big year in his second year with the club.
The Titans were a playoff team in both 2007 and ’08, and that latter year saw the club as the AFC’s top seed in the postseason. In ’07, he started all 16 games and totaled 303 carries for 1,110 yards and seven scores.
A year later, Johnson was a first-round selection and became a star, and White was a very solid compliment. He rushed for 773 yards on 200 attempts and led Jeff Fisher’s team with 15 touchdowns.
5. Lorenzo White
To this day, he remains the leading rusher in the history of the Michigan State Spartans. So, it was really no shock that talented Lorenzo White was a first-round draft choice in 1988. The Houston Oilers made him the 22nd overall pick that year, and after a slow start made his mark for a perennial playoff team.
White does rank fifth in team annals when it comes to rushing attempts (1,000) and yards on the ground (4,079, to go along with 30 rushing touchdowns. He spent seven seasons with the organization from 1988-94, then spent 1995 with the Browns. He earned a Pro Bowl invite in 1992, running for 1,226 yards.
4. Chris Johnson
One of the fastest players to ever play his position, running back Chris Johnson was a star at East Carolina University. He was also the 24th overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft by the Titans, who would parlay a big year from the star performer into a season which saw Jeff Fisher’s club finish as the top seed in the AFC.
Johnson’s second year was even better. He was a 16-game starter and led the league in carries (358) and rushing yards (2006), running for 14 TDs. Add in 50 catches for 503 yards and two scores and his 2,509 yards from scrimmage remains an NFL record.
That year, Johnson reeled off 12 consecutive games with 100-plus rushing yards, the second-longest streak in NFL history behind only Barry Sanders (14 in 1997).
3. Derrick Henry
A second-round pick in 2016, the University of Alabama running back won a Heisman Trophy in 2015. However, he was not the main man in the Tennessee Titans’ backfield during his first two seasons in the league. That would change in his third year when he posted his first of five 1,000-plus yard seasons.
In his final six seasons with the Titans, Henry (now with the Ravens) totaled 1,529 attempts for 7,209 yards and ran for 68 touchdowns in 72 regular-season outings. He averaged just over 100 yards per game over that span. He has led the NFL in carries four of the past five seasons (he missed 9 games in 2021). The four-time Pro Bowler also earned All-Pro honors in 2020 when he rolled up 2,027 yards and 17 scores.
2. Eddie George
He began his career in Houston and when it was all said and done, he became the franchise's all-time leading rusher with 10,009 yards. So why isn’t 1995 Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George, the 14th overall pick in the ’96 NFL Draft, atop this prestigious list when it comes to the club’s running backs?
Talk about consistency? The former Ohio State star never missed a game in his eight seasons with the franchise. He ran the ball at least 300 times in each of those years, and finished with at least 1,000 yards on the ground seven times.
The four-time Pro Bowler and 2000 All-Pro was also the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1996. However, the No. 1 one-of-a-kindchoice on this list was a one-of-a kind physical force.
1. Earl Campbell
He is one of only seven running backs selected with the first overall pick in the history of the NFL Common Draft, which dates back to 1967. In 1978, the Houston Oilers opted for University of Texas standout and 1977 Heisman winner Earl Campbell. He led the league in rushing yards in each of his first three seasons.
The “Tyler Rose” earned All-Pro honors and NFL Offensive Player of the Year in each of his first three pro campaigns, and was named the league’s MVP in 1979.
In those first three seasons, Campbell totaled 1,043 carries for 5,081 yards and 45 TDs in only 46 outings. He ran for 100-plus yards in 28 of those games. The first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer ran for 8,574 yards in six-plus seasons, third-most in team annals.