History of the Tennessee Titans
Encyclopedia
The Tennessee Titans are the professional American football
team based in Nashville, Tennessee
. They are members of the South Division
of the American Football Conference
(AFC) in the National Football League
(NFL). Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the then-Houston, Texas
, team began play in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League
. The Oilers won two AFL championships before joining the NFL as part of the AFL–NFL Merger.
as a charter member of the American Football League
. They were owned by Bud Adams
, a Houston oilman, who had made several previous unsuccessful bids for an NFL expansion team in Houston. Adams was an influential member of the eight original AFL owners, since he and Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs
founder Lamar Hunt
were more financially stable than the others.
The Oilers appeared in the first three AFL championships. They scored an important victory over the NFL when they signed LSU's Heisman Trophy
winner, All-America running back Billy Cannon
. Cannon joined other Oiler offensive stars such as quarterback George Blanda
, flanker Charlie Hennigan
, running back Charlie Tolar
, and guard Bob Talamini
. After winning the first-ever AFL championship over the Los Angeles Chargers
in 1960, they repeated over the same team (then in San Diego) in 1961
. They lost to the Dallas Texans
in the classic 1962 double-overtime AFL championship game, at the time the longest professional football championship game
ever played. In 1962
, the Oilers were the first AFL team to sign an active NFL player away from the other league, when wide receiver Willard Dewveall
left the Bears to join the champion Oilers. Dewveall that year caught the longest pass reception for a touchdown in professional American football history, 99 yd, from Jacky Lee, against the San Diego Chargers
. In Canadian football, paid players have caught passes for touchdowns in excess of 100 yards since the playing field is 110 yards long.
The Oilers
won the AFL Eastern Division title again in 1967
, then became the first professional football team to play in a domed stadium, when they moved into Houston's Astrodome
for the 1968 season
. Previously, the Oilers had played at Jeppesen Stadium
at the University of Houston
(now called Robertson Stadium) from 1960 to 1964, and Rice University's
stadium
from 1965 to 1967. Adams had intended the team play at Rice from the first, but Rice's board of regents initially rejected the move. After the Astrodome opened for business, Adams attempted to move there, but could not negotiate an acceptable lease with the Houston Sports Association (owners of the Houston Astros
) from whom he would sublease the Dome. The 1969 season, the last as an AFL team, saw Houston
begin 3-1, but tumble afterwards. They qualified for the playoffs
, but were annihilated by the Raiders
56-7, to finish the year with a record of 6-6-1.
were not as kind to the Oilers, who sank to the bottom of the AFC Central division. After going 3-10-1 in 1970
, they went 4-9-1 in 1971
, and then suffered back-to-back 1-13 seasons in 1972
-73
. But by 1974
, the Oilers
led by Hall of Fame coach Sid Gilman brought the team back to respectability by reaching .500 at season's end. The next year
, Bum Phillips
arrived and with talented stars like Elvin Bethea
and Billy "White Shoes" Johnson, the Oilers
had their first winning season of the decade. Inadequate offense doomed them to a 5-9 season in 1976
, but the team
improved to 8-6 the following year, and in 1978
, the Oilers'
fortunes improved when they draft
ed University of Texas
football star Earl Campbell
, who was Rookie of the Year that year and led the Oilers to their first playoff appearance since the merger. Defeating Miami
in the wild-card round, they then trumped New England
, who would not lose another home playoff game until 2009. But in the AFC Championship, the Steelers
routed them 34-5. The 1979 season
was a near rerun of 1978 as the Oilers
finished 11-5 in the regular season and again earned a wild card spot. Passing the Broncos
, they edged by San Diego
in the divisional round. Despite this, several of their starters had been taken out of commission by injuries and for the second year in a row the AFC Championship witnessed the team go down to defeat in Pittsburgh
27-13. A controversial out-of-bounds call nullified a touchdown by wide receiver Mike Renfro
.
saw the Oilers
go 11-5 and achieve a wild card spot for the third year in a row, but they were quickly vanquished by Oakland
27-7. A frustrated Bud Adams fired Bum Phillips
, who was succeeded by Ed Biles
. Afterwards began a long playoff drought as the Oilers fell to 7-8 in 1981
, and 1-8 in the strike-shorted 1982 season
. Another miserable year followed in 1983
, as Houston
went 2-14. Biles resigned in Week 6 and was succeeded by Chuck Studley
, who served merely as an interim coach until Hugh Campbell was hired in the offseason. In 1984
, the Oilers
won a bidding war for CFL
legend Warren Moon
but didn't return to the playoffs that year either, with two wins and fourteen losses. The aging Earl Campbell was traded to New Orleans
during the offseason and replaced by Mike Rozier
from University of Nebraska
. In week 14 of the 1985 season
, Hugh Campbell
was replaced by Jerry Glanville
, who saw the team through the last two games to finish 5-9. A 31-3 rout of Green Bay
on the 1986
season opener looked promising, but in the end Houston
only managed another 5-11 record. Another strike in 1987
reduced the season to 15 games, three by substitute players. After ending 9-6, the team achieved its first winning record and playoff berth in seven years. After beating the Seahawks
in overtime, they fell to Denver
in the divisional round. Going 10-6 in 1988
, the Oilers
again got into the playoffs
as a wild card, beat Cleveland
in a snowy 24-23 match, and then lost to Buffalo
a week later. 1989
saw a 9-7 regular season, but as always the team could only manage a wild card. In a messy, penalty-ridden game, they were beaten by Pittsburgh
.
The Oilers' resurgence came in the midst of a battle for the franchise's survival. In 1987, Adams threatened to move the team to Jacksonville, Florida
(later the home of one of the team's division rivals
) unless the Astrodome was "brought up to date." At the time the Astrodome only seated about 50,000 fans, the smallest capacity in the NFL. Not willing to lose the Oilers, Harris County responded with $67 million in improvements to the Astrodome that included new Astroturf, 10,000 additional seats and 65 luxury boxes. These improvements were funded by increases in property taxes and the doubling of the hotel tax, as well as bonds to be paid over 30 years. However, Adams' increasing demands for greater and more expensive accommodations to be funded at taxpayer expense sowed seeds of tension that assisted the team's departure (some would say expulsion) from Houston.
, the Oilers won their first division title in 25 years, and their first as an NFL team. However, only two minutes away from their first conference title game in 13 years, they were the victims of a 80-yard march by John Elway
and the Denver Broncos
before David Treadwell
kicked a 28-yard field goal to win the game 26-24. In 1992
, the Oilers compiled a 10–6 regular season record, but made history against the Buffalo Bills
in the AFC Wild Card playoffs by blowing an NFL record 35–3 lead and eventually losing 41–38 in overtime, a game now known simply as "The Comeback
."
Adams had been blamed for the team's previous spells of incompetence, largely because he had overly micromanaged
the Oilers (for instance, all expenditures over $200 required his personal approval). He displayed this tendency again before the 1993 season
. After three losses in the wild card playoffs and three losses in the divisional playoffs, he gave the Oilers an ultimatum – unless they made the Super Bowl
in 1993, he would break up the team. While the Oilers responded with a 12–4 record, their best record ever in Texas, and another AFC Central title, they lost in the second round to the Chiefs. Adams made good on his threat to hold a fire sale
, most significantly trading Moon to the Minnesota Vikings
. Without Moon, the Oilers appeared to be a rudderless team. They finished the next season 2–14, the third-worst record for a full season in franchise history. The Oilers managed to get back to respectability over the next two years, but would never make the playoffs again in Texas. However, they did manage to establish the future cornerstone of the offense by drafting Steve McNair
in 1995
.
At the same time, Adams again lobbied the city for a new stadium, one with club seating and other revenue generators present in recently–built NFL stadiums. However, mayor Bob Lanier
turned him down almost out of hand. Although Houstonians wanted to keep the Oilers, they were leery of investing more money on a stadium so soon after the Astrodome improvements. The city was also still struggling to recover from the oil collapse of the 1980s
. Adams, sensing that he was not going to get the stadium he wanted, began shopping the Oilers to other cities. He was particularly intrigued by Nashville, and opened secret talks with mayor Phil Bredesen
. At the end of the 1995 season
, Adams announced that the Oilers would be moving to Nashville for the 1998 season
. City officials there promised to contribute $144 million toward a new stadium, as well as $70 million in ticket sales. At that point, support for the Oilers in the Houston area all but disappeared. The 1996 season
was a disaster for the Oilers; they played before crowds of less than 20,000 and games were so quiet that it was possible to hear conversations on the field from the grandstand. Meanwhile, the team's radio network, which once stretched across the state, was reduced to the flagship station in Houston and a few affiliates in Tennessee. The team went 8–8, finishing 6–2 in road games and finishing only 2–6 in home games. Adams, the city and the league were unwilling to see this continue for another season, so a deal was reached to let the Oilers out of their lease a year early and move to Tennessee.
, however, and the largest stadium in Nashville at the time, Vanderbilt Stadium
on the campus of Vanderbilt University
, seated only 41,000 and would not allow for alcohol sales. At first, Adams rejected Vanderbilt Stadium even as a temporary facility and announced that the renamed Tennessee Oilers would play the next two seasons at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
in Memphis
. The team would be based in Nashville, commuting to Memphis only for games—in effect, consigning the Oilers to 32 road games for the next two years.
Even though this arrangement was acceptable to the NFL and the Oilers at the time, few people in either Memphis or Nashville were happy about it. Memphis had made numerous attempts to get an NFL team, and many people in the area wanted nothing to do with a team that would be lost in only two years—especially to longtime rival Nashville. Conversely, Nashvillians showed little inclination to drive over 200 miles (321.9 km) to see "their" team. In a case of exceptionally bad timing, Interstate 40
was in the midst of major reconstruction in the Memphis area, lengthening the normal three-hour drive between Nashville and Memphis to five hours.
In Memphis, the CPAC Oilers played before some of the smallest NFL crowds since the 1950s, with no crowd bigger than 27,000 (in a 62,000-seat stadium). The few fans there were usually indifferent, and often those that attended were fans of the opposing team. Oddly enough, the Oilers went 6-2 in Memphis while going 2-6 on the road. Despite this, Adams had every intention of playing in Memphis the next season. That changed after the final game of the 1997 season
. The Oilers faced the Pittsburgh Steelers
in front of 50,677 fans—the only crowd that could not have been reasonably accommodated in Vanderbilt. However, by at least one estimate, three-fourths of the crowd was Steeler fans
. Adams was so embarrassed that he abandoned plans to play the 1998 season
in Memphis and ended up moving to Vanderbilt after all. The team rebounded that season, and was in playoff contention until losing their last two games for another 8–8 record.
Adams appointed an advisory committee to decide on a new name. He let it be known that the new name should reflect power, strength, leadership and other heroic qualities. On December 22, Adams announced that the Oilers would be known as the Tennessee Titans starting in 1999
. The new name met all of Adams' requirements, and also served as a nod to Nashville's nickname of "The Athens of the South" (for its large number of higher-learning institutions, Classical architecture, and its full scale replica
of the Parthenon
).
, Adelphia Coliseum, now known as LP Field
, was completed and the newly christened Titans had a grand season, finishing with a 13–3 record — the best season in franchise history. They won their first game as the "Titans," defeating the Bengals before a sold out stadium (Every game since the Titans moved to Nashville has been sold out). They finished one game behind the Jacksonville Jaguars
for the AFC Central title. The Titans did not lose a game at home. Tennessee then won their first round playoff game over the Buffalo Bills
on a designed play, known as "Home Run Throwback" in the Titans playbook, that is commonly referred to as the "Music City Miracle
": Tight-end Frank Wycheck
made a lateral pass to Kevin Dyson
on a kickoff return with 16 seconds left in the game and the Titans trailing by 1 point; Dyson returned the pass 75 yds for a touchdown to win the game. After replay review, the call on the field was upheld as a touchdown. The original play did not call for Kevin Dyson
to be on the field and he was only involved due to an injury of another player. The Titans went on to defeat the Indianapolis Colts in Indy, and then defeated the Jaguars in Jacksonville in the AFC Championship Game. The Titans' magnificent season led to a trip to Super Bowl XXXIV
, where they lost a heartbreaker to the St. Louis Rams
when Kevin Dyson was tackled one yard short of the end zone (preserving a 23-16 Rams' lead) as regulation time expired, in a play known as "The Tackle
".
, the Titans finished with an NFL-best 13–3 record and won their third AFC Central title—their first division title as the Tennessee Titans. They won Central division titles in '91 and '93 while still in Houston as the Oilers. The Titans would go on to lose their home Divisonal playoff game to the eventual Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens.
In 2002
, despite starting the season 1–4 the Titans finished the season 11-5 and made it to the AFC Championship Game but lost to Oakland. In 2003
, quarterback Steve McNair won the MVP award, sharing it with Peyton Manning
. The Titans went 12-4 and made the 2003 playoffs, winning their wild card game over the Baltimore Ravens
and losing in the AFC divisionals to the New England Patriots
who went on to win the Super Bowl.
season created an unusual number of injuries to key players for the Titans and a 5–11 record. Their 5–11 record turned out to be their second-worst record ever since the Houston/Tennessee Oilers became the Tennessee Titans. Numerous key players were cut or traded by the Titans front office during the off season, including Eddie George
, Derrick Mason
, Samari Rolle
, Kevin Carter
, and others. This was done due to the Titans being well over the salary cap
.
In 2005
, the Titans took the field with the youngest team in the NFL. Several rookies made the 2005 team including 1st round pick, cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones, offensive tackle Michael Roos
, and three wide receivers, Brandon Jones
, Courtney Roby
, and Roydell Williams
. After losing their first game of the season on the road to the Pittsburgh Steelers
34–7 and then winning their Week 2 home-opener against the Baltimore Ravens
25–10, the Titans began the season 1–1, but quickly fell out of contention. They lost on the road to the St. Louis Rams
31–27 and lost to their division rival, the Indianapolis Colts
31–10. After getting some redemption on the road against their new division rival, the Houston Texans
34–20, they lost five-straight games to the Cincinnati Bengals
(31–23), the Arizona Cardinals
(20–10), the Oakland Raiders
(34–25), the Cleveland Browns
(20–14), and then (coming off of their Week 10 Bye), their division rival, the Jacksonville Jaguars
31–28. The Titans would win at home against the San Francisco 49ers
33–22, but then, they went on the road and got swept by the Colts 35–3. The Titans would sweep the luckless Texans 13–10 at home, but that would be their last win of the year, as they lost their remaining three games to the Seattle Seahawks
(28–24), the Miami Dolphins
(24–10), and the Jacksonville Jaguars
(40–13). Their record for the season was 4–12.
lead the team to an 8–5 record as the starting quarterback. That span also included 6 straight victories. The team's chances of making the postseason at 9–7 ended at the hands of the New England Patriots
in a 40–23 defeat. Floyd Reese
resigned as the franchise's Executive Vice President/General Manager on January 5, 2007 after thirteen seasons at the helm. He was replaced by Mike Reinfeldt
on February 12 of the same year.
After starting a promising 6–2, the Titans lost 4 of their next 5 games to fall to 7–6. They then won their next 3 games including a must-win game against the Indianapolis Colts
. They were tied for the final playoff spot with the Cleveland Browns
, but they had the tiebreaker and the Titans made the playoffs at 10–6. In the wild card round they lost to the San Diego Chargers
, 17–6.
out of East Carolina University
in the first round of the NFL draft, and subsequently acquired former Titan (most recently Eagle) DE Jevon Kearse
and former Falcons TE Alge Crumpler
. After a Week 1 injury to Vince Young
, Kerry Collins
took over the starting quarterback position and led the Titans to a 10-0 record before their first defeat at the hands of the New York Jets
on November 23. The Titans followed up the 34-13 loss by defeating the winless Lions on Thanksgiving by a score of 47–10. In week 14, Tennessee clinched its second AFC South
title with a 28-9 victory over the Cleveland Browns
. In the week 14 game against the Browns, Rookie Chris Johnson rushed 19 times for 136 yards and 1 touchdown and Lendale White rushed for 99 yards and 1 touchdown. They later clinched a first round playoff bye with a loss of the New York Jets in San Francisco. On December 21, 2008, the Titans played the Pittsburgh Steelers
in a contest to decide the number one seed in the AFC. The Titans won 31-14 and clinched home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Their final record was 13–3, which ties their franchise record for most wins. On Saturday, January 10, they lost their home playoff game 13–10 to the Baltimore Ravens
, who had previously won their Wildcard game at Miami on January 4. The playoff game against Baltimore included 3 red zone turnovers and 12 penalties by the Titans.
, on a 99 yard game winning drive by Vince Young, culminating in a touchdown pass on 4th down with 6 seconds left from the 10 yard line. During the Week 10 game in Buffalo, Bud Adams
was seen making an obscene gesture towards Bills fans, and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell
(who was also attending the game) fined him $250,000. Afterwards, the Titans sustained a defeat against Indianapolis, wins over St. Louis and Miami, a loss to San Diego, and finally a victory in Seattle to end the season at 8-8. Not only did the Tennessee Titans have a great 8-2 finish, but along the way, Tennessee Titans running back
Chris Johnson became only the 6th player in NFL history to rush for over 2000 yards, surpassing Marshall Faulk's record for the most yards from scrimmage during a season with over 2,500 total yards.
. Even after this widely-publicized claim, the team was still unable to beat the Dolphins after their bye week, 29-17. In Week 11, at home against the Washington Redskins
, the Titans lost Young to a thumb injury in-game and they snapped their NFL-leading interconference win streak at 14 games, losing to Washington 19-16 in overtime. After the game, Young had a highly-publicized meltdown in the locker room and walked out on Fisher, causing him to not only be promptly put on injured reserve, but also essentially guaranteeing his release from the team in the offseason. Losses continued to mount for the Titans, until a week 15 win against the Houston Texans
kept their season alive at 6-8. Needing a miracle to get into the playoffs, this nonetheless happened with consequent losses against the Chiefs and Colts. The Titans' season ended at 6-10.
's departure, on February 7, 2011, Mike Munchak
was named head coach of the Titans.
During the 2011 NFL Draft
the Titans took Washington QB Jake Locker
with the 8th pick overall. Meanwhile, 15-year veteran Kerry Collins retired from the NFL in July (Unretiring a month later to join the Indianapolis Colts).
On July 29, 2011 veteran Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck
signed a 3-year, $21 million deal to play for the Tennessee Titans.
During the summer training camp prior to the 2011 season, Chris Johnson
did not show up to camp, pending contract negotiations. Johnson felt he was due a considerably larger sum of money. As the leading rusher since 2008 (4,598 yards) he was set to make $1.065 million in 2011, under current contract terms. On September 1, Johnson became the highest paid running back, agreeing to a four-year, $53.5 million contract extension, including $30 million guaranteed, with the Titans, ending his holdout.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team based in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. They are members of the South Division
AFC South
The AFC South is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference. It was created before the 2002 season when the league realigned divisions after expanding to 32 teams...
of the American Football Conference
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
(AFC) in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL). Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the then-Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, team began play in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
. The Oilers won two AFL championships before joining the NFL as part of the AFL–NFL Merger.
1960s
The Houston Oilers began in 19601960 American Football League season
The 1960 American Football League season was the inaugural regular season of the American Football League.The season ended when the Houston Oilers defeated the Los Angeles Chargers in the inaugural AFL Championship game.-Division races:...
as a charter member of the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
. They were owned by Bud Adams
Bud Adams
Kenneth Stanley "Bud" Adams, Jr. is the owner of the Tennessee Titans' National Football League franchise. He was instrumental in the founding and establishment of the former American Football League. Adams became a charter AFL owner with the establishment of the Titans franchise, which was...
, a Houston oilman, who had made several previous unsuccessful bids for an NFL expansion team in Houston. Adams was an influential member of the eight original AFL owners, since he and Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
founder Lamar Hunt
Lamar Hunt
Lamar Hunt was an American sportsman and promoter of American football, soccer, basketball, and ice hockey in the United States and an inductee into three sports' halls of fame. He was one of the founders of the American Football League and Major League Soccer , as well as MLS predecessor the...
were more financially stable than the others.
The Oilers appeared in the first three AFL championships. They scored an important victory over the NFL when they signed LSU's Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winner, All-America running back Billy Cannon
Billy Cannon
William Abb "Billy" Cannon is an All-American, 1959 Heisman Trophy winner and 2008 inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, and one of the American Football League's most celebrated players.He was born in Philadelphia, Mississippi, and moved...
. Cannon joined other Oiler offensive stars such as quarterback George Blanda
George Blanda
George Frederick Blanda was a collegiate and professional football quarterback and placekicker...
, flanker Charlie Hennigan
Charlie Hennigan
Charles Taylor Hennigan, Sr., known as Charlie Hennigan , is a retired American football player with the former Houston Oilers who resides in Shreveport, Louisiana. Born in Bienville in Bienville Parish in north Louisiana, Hennigan grew up in nearby Minden, the seat of Webster Parish, located...
, running back Charlie Tolar
Charlie Tolar
Charlie Tolar was an early American Football League star.Tolar attended Northwestern State University of Louisiana...
, and guard Bob Talamini
Bob Talamini
Robert Guy "Bob" Talamini , a stout, 6'1", 250 lb lineman, earned third-team All-SEC honors at the University of Kentucky and was drafted by the Houston Oilers of the American Football League...
. After winning the first-ever AFL championship over the Los Angeles Chargers
1960 Los Angeles Chargers season
The 1960 Los Angeles Chargers season was the team's inaugural season. It was also the inaugural season of the American Football League. The team's only season in Los Angeles ended with a loss in the AFL Championship to the Houston Oilers.-Season schedule:...
in 1960, they repeated over the same team (then in San Diego) in 1961
1961 American Football League season
The 1961 American Football League season was the second regular season of the American Football League. The Los Angeles Chargers moved to San Diego, California following the 1960 season, retaining the Chargers name....
. They lost to the Dallas Texans
1962 Dallas Texans season
The 1962 Dallas Texans season was the final season of Lamar Hunt’s American Football League franchise before its relocation to Kansas City, Missouri from Dallas, Texas....
in the classic 1962 double-overtime AFL championship game, at the time the longest professional football championship game
Professional American football championship games
Below is a list of professional football championship games in the United States, involving:* the informal Pittsburgh circuit of professional football teams ;...
ever played. In 1962
1962 American Football League season
The 1962 American Football League season was the third regular season of the American Football League. The Dallas Texans moved to Kansas City, Missouri following the season and changed their name to the Kansas City Chiefs....
, the Oilers were the first AFL team to sign an active NFL player away from the other league, when wide receiver Willard Dewveall
Willard Dewveall
Willard Charles Dewveall is a former American football end. He was the first player to jump from one American professional football league to another, leaving the National Football League's Chicago Bears to play for the American Football League's Houston Oilers for the 1961 season...
left the Bears to join the champion Oilers. Dewveall that year caught the longest pass reception for a touchdown in professional American football history, 99 yd, from Jacky Lee, against the San Diego Chargers
1962 San Diego Chargers season
The 1962 San Diego Chargers season began with the team trying to improve on their 12–2 record in 1961. The Chargers finished third in the AFL West at 4–10 that season. At the time it was their worst ever season. This would be the only time the Chargers would endure a losing season during their...
. In Canadian football, paid players have caught passes for touchdowns in excess of 100 yards since the playing field is 110 yards long.
The Oilers
1967 Houston Oilers season
The 1967 Houston Oilers season was their eighth in the league. The team improved on their previous output of 3–11, winning nine games. They qualified for the playoffs for the first time in five seasons.-Season schedule:-Playoffs:-Division standings:...
won the AFL Eastern Division title again in 1967
1967 American Football League season
The 1967 American Football League season was the eighth regular season of the American Football League, and one of the last before the AFL-NFL Merger....
, then became the first professional football team to play in a domed stadium, when they moved into Houston's Astrodome
Reliant Astrodome
Reliant Astrodome, also known as the Houston Astrodome or simply the Astrodome, is the world's first multi-purpose, domed sports stadium, located in Houston, Texas, USA. The stadium is part of the Reliant Park complex...
for the 1968 season
1968 American Football League season
The 1968 American Football League season was the ninth regular season of the American Football League, and its penultimate season prior to the AFL-NFL Merger....
. Previously, the Oilers had played at Jeppesen Stadium
Robertson Stadium
John O'Quinn Field at Corbin J. Robertson Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Houston, located on the campus of the University of Houston. It is the home of the Houston Cougars football and women's soccer teams...
at the University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
(now called Robertson Stadium) from 1960 to 1964, and Rice University's
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
stadium
Rice Stadium
Rice Stadium is a football stadium located on the Rice University campus in Houston, Texas. It has been the home of the Rice University football team since its completion in 1950 and hosted Super Bowl VIII in 1974....
from 1965 to 1967. Adams had intended the team play at Rice from the first, but Rice's board of regents initially rejected the move. After the Astrodome opened for business, Adams attempted to move there, but could not negotiate an acceptable lease with the Houston Sports Association (owners of the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
) from whom he would sublease the Dome. The 1969 season, the last as an AFL team, saw Houston
1969 Houston Oilers season
The 1969 Houston Oilers season was their tenth and final in the American Football League before moving to the National Football League when the two merged. The team equaled their 1968 record of 7–7 , finishing 6–6–2. They qualified for the playoffs, but lost in the Divisional Round to the Oakland...
begin 3-1, but tumble afterwards. They qualified for the playoffs
AFL playoffs, 1969
-Playoffs:-Divisional playoffs:Kansas City Chiefs 13, New York Jets 6|referee= Jack ReaderScoring*NY - Field goal Turner 27*KC - Field goal Stenerud 23*KC - Field goal Stenerud 25*NY - Field goal Turner 7...
, but were annihilated by the Raiders
1969 Oakland Raiders season
Kansas City Chiefs 17, Oakland Raiders 7-Scoring Summary:*OAK – Smith 3 run *KC – Haynes 1 run *KC – Holmes 5 run *KC – Field goal Stenerud 22-Awards and honors:* Daryle Lamonica, Co-AFL MVP...
56-7, to finish the year with a record of 6-6-1.
1970s
The years immediately after the AFL-NFL mergerAFL-NFL Merger
The AFL–NFL merger of 1970 was the merger of the two major professional American football leagues in the United States at the time: the National Football League and the American Football League...
were not as kind to the Oilers, who sank to the bottom of the AFC Central division. After going 3-10-1 in 1970
1970 NFL season
The 1970 NFL season was the 51st regular season of the National Football League, and the first one after the AFL-NFL Merger.The merger forced a realignment between the combined league's clubs. Because there were 16 NFL teams and 10 AFL teams, three teams needed to transfer to balance the two new...
, they went 4-9-1 in 1971
1971 NFL season
The 1971 NFL season was the 52nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl VI when the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Miami Dolphins...
, and then suffered back-to-back 1-13 seasons in 1972
1972 NFL season
The 1972 NFL season was the 53rd regular season of the National Football League. The Miami Dolphins became the first NFL team to finish a championship season undefeated and untied when they beat the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII.-Major rule changes:...
-73
1973 NFL season
The 1973 NFL season was the 54th regular season of the National Football League. The season featured O.J. Simpson becoming the first man to rush for 2,000 yards in one season...
. But by 1974
1974 NFL season
The 1974 NFL season was the 55th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl IX when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Minnesota Vikings...
, the Oilers
1974 Houston Oilers season
The 1974 Houston Oilers season was the 15th season the team was with the league. The team improved upon their previous season's output of 1–13, winning seven games. Despite the improvement, they failed to qualify for the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:...
led by Hall of Fame coach Sid Gilman brought the team back to respectability by reaching .500 at season's end. The next year
1975 NFL season
The 1975 NFL season was the 56th regular season of the National Football League. It was also the first time that featured an entire season with no games ending in a tie. The league made two significant changes to increase the appeal of the game:...
, Bum Phillips
Bum Phillips
Oail Andrew "Bum" Phillips is a retired American football coach and the father of Wade Phillips, the Defensive Coordinator for the Houston Texans...
arrived and with talented stars like Elvin Bethea
Elvin Bethea
Elvin Lamont Bethea is a former American football defensive end who played his entire career with the Houston Oilers...
and Billy "White Shoes" Johnson, the Oilers
1975 Houston Oilers season
-NFL Draft:-Regular season:The 1975 season was the Oilers' 6th with the NFL and 16th overall. "Bum" Phillips replaced Sid Gillman as head coach and general manager. The team achieved a winning record with ten wins and four losses, but finished only third in the division and missed the playoffs for...
had their first winning season of the decade. Inadequate offense doomed them to a 5-9 season in 1976
1976 NFL season
The 1976 NFL season was the 57th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 28 teams with the addition of the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
, but the team
1976 Houston Oilers season
The 1976 Houston Oilers season was the 17th season the team was with the league. The team failed to improve upon their previous season's output of 10–4, winning only five games, They failed to qualify for the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season....
improved to 8-6 the following year, and in 1978
1978 NFL season
The 1978 NFL season was the 59th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded the regular season from a 14-game schedule to 16. Furthermore, the playoff format was expanded from 8 teams to 10 teams by adding another wild card from each conference...
, the Oilers'
1978 Houston Oilers season
The 1978 season was the Houston Oilers 19th season and their ninth in the NFL. The franchise scored 283 points while the defense gave up 298 points. Their record of 10 wins and 6 losses resulted in a second place finish in the AFC Central Division. The Oilers appeared twice on Monday Night Football...
fortunes improved when they draft
1978 NFL Draft
The 1978 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 2–3, 1978...
ed University of Texas
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
football star Earl Campbell
Earl Campbell
Earl Christian Campbell , nicknamed The Tyler Rose, is a former professional American Football running back. He, Paul Hornung and O.J Simpson are the only people to have won the Heisman Trophy , were first overall National Football League draft picks and are in both the Pro Football Hall of Fame...
, who was Rookie of the Year that year and led the Oilers to their first playoff appearance since the merger. Defeating Miami
1978 Miami Dolphins season
-NFL Draft:-Schedule:- Standings :-Roster:-AFC Wildcard Playoff : vs. Houston Oilers:-Notes and references:**...
in the wild-card round, they then trumped New England
1978 New England Patriots season
The New England Patriots finished the National Football League's 1978 season with a record of eleven wins and five losses, and finished tied for first in the AFC East division.-Staff:-Regular season:...
, who would not lose another home playoff game until 2009. But in the AFC Championship, the Steelers
1978 Pittsburgh Steelers season
The 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 46th season in the National Football League . The season concluded with the team winning Super Bowl XIII to become the first franchise in the NFL to win three Super Bowl titles. The championship run was led by quarterback Terry Bradshaw and...
routed them 34-5. The 1979 season
1979 NFL season
The 1979 NFL season was the 60th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XIV when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Los Angeles Rams...
was a near rerun of 1978 as the Oilers
1979 Houston Oilers season
The 1979 season was the Houston Oilers 20th season and their 10th in the NFL. The franchise scored 362 points while the defense gave up 331 points. Their record of 11 wins and 5 losses resulted in a second place finish in the AFC Central Division. The Oilers appeared once on Monday Night Football...
finished 11-5 in the regular season and again earned a wild card spot. Passing the Broncos
1979 Denver Broncos season
The 1979 Denver Broncos season was the team's 20th year in professional football and its 10th with the National Football League.-Schedule:-Standings:-Playoffs:-References:* *...
, they edged by San Diego
1979 San Diego Chargers season
The 1979 San Diego Chargers season began with the team trying to improve on their 9–7 record in 1978. They made the playoffs for the first time in 14 years...
in the divisional round. Despite this, several of their starters had been taken out of commission by injuries and for the second year in a row the AFC Championship witnessed the team go down to defeat in Pittsburgh
1979 Pittsburgh Steelers season
The 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers season saw the Steelers successfully defend their Super Bowl Championship from the previous year as they achieved a 12–4 record and went on to defeat the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl XIV.-Roster:-Schedule:...
27-13. A controversial out-of-bounds call nullified a touchdown by wide receiver Mike Renfro
Mike Renfro
Michael Ray Renfro is a former American professional football player.- NFL draft :Renfro was selected by the Houston Oilers in the fourth round of the 1978 NFL Draft. A 6'0", 186-lb...
.
1980s
The team suffered through more lean years in the early 1980s. 19801980 NFL season
The 1980 NFL season was the 61st regular season of the National Football League.After the league declined to approve the proposed move by the Raiders from Oakland, California to Los Angeles, the team along with the Los Angeles Coliseum sued the NFL for violating antitrust laws...
saw the Oilers
1980 Houston Oilers season
The 1980 season was the Houston Oilers 21st season and their 11th in the NFL. The franchise scored 295 points while the defense gave up 251 points. Their record of 11 wins and 5 losses resulted in a second place finish in the AFC Central Division. The Oilers appeared twice on Monday Night Football....
go 11-5 and achieve a wild card spot for the third year in a row, but they were quickly vanquished by Oakland
1980 Oakland Raiders season
-Staff:HC: Tom FloresAst: Ray Willsey , Lew Erber , Sam Boghosian , Earl Leggett , Charlie Sumner , Chet Franklin , Steve Ortmayer , Bob Mischak , Joe Madro , Willie Brown -Regular season:...
27-7. A frustrated Bud Adams fired Bum Phillips
Bum Phillips
Oail Andrew "Bum" Phillips is a retired American football coach and the father of Wade Phillips, the Defensive Coordinator for the Houston Texans...
, who was succeeded by Ed Biles
Ed Biles
Ed Biles is a former American football coach whose most prominent position was as head coach of the National Football League's Houston Oilers from 1981 to 1983....
. Afterwards began a long playoff drought as the Oilers fell to 7-8 in 1981
1981 NFL season
The 1981 NFL season was the 62nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVI when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.-Major rule changes:...
, and 1-8 in the strike-shorted 1982 season
1982 NFL season
The 1982 NFL season was the 63rd regular season of the National Football League. A 57-day long players' strike reduced the 1982 season from a 16-game schedule per team to an abbreviated nine game schedule...
. Another miserable year followed in 1983
1983 NFL season
The 1983 NFL season was the 64th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVIII when the Los Angeles Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins.-Major rule changes:...
, as Houston
1983 Houston Oilers season
The 1983 Houston Oilers season was the 24th season the team was with the league. The team improved upon their previous season's output of 1–8, winning two games, but failed to qualify for the playoffs for the third consecutive season.-Schedule:-Standings:...
went 2-14. Biles resigned in Week 6 and was succeeded by Chuck Studley
Chuck Studley
Charles B. "Chuck" Studley is a former American football coach. He served as interim head coach of the Houston Oilers in 1983. Studley would finish with a 2-8 record in his only job as an NFL head coach....
, who served merely as an interim coach until Hugh Campbell was hired in the offseason. In 1984
1984 NFL season
The 1984 NFL season was the 65th regular season of the National Football League. The Colts relocated from Baltimore, Maryland to Indianapolis, Indiana....
, the Oilers
1984 Houston Oilers season
The 1984 Houston Oilers season was the 25th season the team was with the league. The team improved upon their previous season's output of 2–14, winning three games, but failed to qualify for the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.-NFL Draft:...
won a bidding war for CFL
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
legend Warren Moon
Warren Moon
Harold Warren Moon is a former American professional gridiron football quarterback who played for the Canadian Football League's Edmonton Eskimos and the National Football League's Houston Oilers, Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs...
but didn't return to the playoffs that year either, with two wins and fourteen losses. The aging Earl Campbell was traded to New Orleans
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
during the offseason and replaced by Mike Rozier
Mike Rozier
Michael Rozier is a former American collegiate and professional football running back who won the Heisman Trophy in 1983. He was born in Camden, New Jersey. Mike and his wife, Rochelle, an attorney, reside in South Jersey and together they have one son. Mike has two other children who reside in...
from University of Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
. In week 14 of the 1985 season
1985 NFL season
The 1985 NFL season was the 66th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XX when the Chicago Bears defeated the New England Patriots.-Major rule changes:...
, Hugh Campbell
Hugh Campbell
Hugh Campbell is a former American football and Canadian football player, coach, and executive. He served as a head coach in three different professional gridiron football leagues: the Canadian Football League, the United States Football League and the National Football League. Campbell retired...
was replaced by Jerry Glanville
Jerry Glanville
Jerry Glanville is a former American football player and current head coach of the Hartford Colonials of the United Football League, former NASCAR driver and owner, and sportscaster in the United States. He served the head coach of the Houston Oilers from 1986 to 1990 and the Atlanta Falcons from...
, who saw the team through the last two games to finish 5-9. A 31-3 rout of Green Bay
1986 Green Bay Packers season
The 1986 Green Bay Packers season was their 66th season in the National Football League. The club posted a 4–12 record under coach Forrest Gregg, earning them 4th place finish in the NFC Central division.-NFL Draft:-Staff:-Roster:-Schedule:...
on the 1986
1986 NFL season
The 1986 NFL season was the 67th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXI when the New York Giants defeated the Denver Broncos to win their first league title in 30 years.-Major rule changes:...
season opener looked promising, but in the end Houston
1986 Houston Oilers season
The 1986 Houston Oilers season was the 27th season the team was with the league. The team matched their previous season's output of 5–11, and missed the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season.-Staff:-Schedule:-Standings:-References:...
only managed another 5-11 record. Another strike in 1987
1987 NFL season
The 1987 NFL season was the 68th regular season of the National Football League. A 24-day players' strike reduced the 16-game season to 15. The games that were scheduled for the third week of the season were canceled, but the games for weeks 4–6 were played with replacement players...
reduced the season to 15 games, three by substitute players. After ending 9-6, the team achieved its first winning record and playoff berth in seven years. After beating the Seahawks
1987 Seattle Seahawks season
The 1987 Seattle Seahawks season was the team's 12th season with the National Football League.-1987 NFL Draft:-Staff:-Regular season:A 24-day players' strike reduced the 16-game season to 15. The games that were scheduled for the third week of the season were canceled, but the games for weeks 4-6...
in overtime, they fell to Denver
1987 Denver Broncos season
-Schedule:-Playoffs:-External links:* *...
in the divisional round. Going 10-6 in 1988
1988 NFL season
The 1988 NFL season was the 69th regular season of the National Football League. The Cardinals relocated from St. Louis, Missouri to the Phoenix, Arizona area becoming the Phoenix Cardinals but remained in the NFC East division....
, the Oilers
1988 Houston Oilers season
-Schedule:-Standings:-Playoffs:-References:* *...
again got into the playoffs
NFL playoffs, 1988-89
The NFL playoffs following the 1988 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXIII.Due to Christmas, the two wild card playoff games were held in a span of three days....
as a wild card, beat Cleveland
1988 Cleveland Browns season
The 1988 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 39th season with the National Football League.-NFL Draft:-Staff:-Schedule:-Playoffs:-Standings:-Roster:-AFC Wild Card Game:...
in a snowy 24-23 match, and then lost to Buffalo
1988 Buffalo Bills season
The 1988 Buffalo Bills season was the 29th season for the team and the 19th season in the National Football League. The Buffalo Bills finished in first place in the AFC East and finished the National Football League's 1988 season with a record of 12 wins and 4 losses. The Bills were 8–0 at home for...
a week later. 1989
1989 NFL season
The 1989 NFL season was the 70th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle announced his retirement...
saw a 9-7 regular season, but as always the team could only manage a wild card. In a messy, penalty-ridden game, they were beaten by Pittsburgh
1989 Pittsburgh Steelers season
The 1989 Pittsburgh Steelers were considered a rebuilding team filled with many young players, especially after the release of longtime center Mike Webster in the offseason. The young team showed its inexperience in the first game of the season, when they lost at home to the archrival Cleveland...
.
Renovation to the Astrodome
The Oilers' resurgence came in the midst of a battle for the franchise's survival. In 1987, Adams threatened to move the team to Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
(later the home of one of the team's division rivals
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
) unless the Astrodome was "brought up to date." At the time the Astrodome only seated about 50,000 fans, the smallest capacity in the NFL. Not willing to lose the Oilers, Harris County responded with $67 million in improvements to the Astrodome that included new Astroturf, 10,000 additional seats and 65 luxury boxes. These improvements were funded by increases in property taxes and the doubling of the hotel tax, as well as bonds to be paid over 30 years. However, Adams' increasing demands for greater and more expensive accommodations to be funded at taxpayer expense sowed seeds of tension that assisted the team's departure (some would say expulsion) from Houston.
1990s
The Oilers briefly rose to become a league power once again in the first half of the 1990s. In 19911991 NFL season
The 1991 NFL season was the 72nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXVI when the Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills....
, the Oilers won their first division title in 25 years, and their first as an NFL team. However, only two minutes away from their first conference title game in 13 years, they were the victims of a 80-yard march by John Elway
John Elway
John Albert Elway, Jr. is a former American football quarterback and currently is the executive vice president of football operations for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He played college football at Stanford and his entire professional career with the Denver Broncos...
and the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
before David Treadwell
David Treadwell
David Mark Treadwell is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League for the Denver Broncos and the New York Giants . He played college football for the Clemson Tigers from 1984 to 1987, where he graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering...
kicked a 28-yard field goal to win the game 26-24. In 1992
1992 NFL season
The 1992 NFL season was the 73rd regular season of the National Football League.Due to the damage caused by Hurricane Andrew, the New England Patriots–Miami Dolphins game that was scheduled for September 6 at Joe Robbie Stadium was rescheduled to October 18. Both teams originally had that...
, the Oilers compiled a 10–6 regular season record, but made history against the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the AFC Wild Card playoffs by blowing an NFL record 35–3 lead and eventually losing 41–38 in overtime, a game now known simply as "The Comeback
The Comeback (American football)
The Comeback was a NFL playoff game between the Buffalo Bills and the Houston Oilers played January 3, 1993. It featured the Bills recovering from a 32-point deficit to win in overtime, and it remains the largest comeback in NFL history...
."
Adams had been blamed for the team's previous spells of incompetence, largely because he had overly micromanaged
Micromanagement
In business management, micromanagement is a management style where a manager closely observes or controls the work of her or his subordinates or employees...
the Oilers (for instance, all expenditures over $200 required his personal approval). He displayed this tendency again before the 1993 season
1993 NFL season
The 1993 NFL season was the 74th regular season of the National Football League. For the first time in league history, all NFL teams played their 16-game schedule over a span of 18 weeks. After the success of expanding the regular season to a period of 17 weeks in 1990, the league hoped this new...
. After three losses in the wild card playoffs and three losses in the divisional playoffs, he gave the Oilers an ultimatum – unless they made the Super Bowl
Super Bowl XXVIII
Super Bowl XXVIII was an American football game played on January 30, 1994, at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia, to decide the National Football League champion following the 1993 regular season. The National Football Conference champion Dallas Cowboys defeated the American Football...
in 1993, he would break up the team. While the Oilers responded with a 12–4 record, their best record ever in Texas, and another AFC Central title, they lost in the second round to the Chiefs. Adams made good on his threat to hold a fire sale
Fire sale
A fire sale is the sale of goods at extremely discounted prices, typically when the seller faces bankruptcy or other impending distress. The term may originally have been based on the sale of goods at a heavy discount due to fire damage...
, most significantly trading Moon to the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
. Without Moon, the Oilers appeared to be a rudderless team. They finished the next season 2–14, the third-worst record for a full season in franchise history. The Oilers managed to get back to respectability over the next two years, but would never make the playoffs again in Texas. However, they did manage to establish the future cornerstone of the offense by drafting Steve McNair
Steve McNair
Stephen LaTreal McNair was an American football quarterback who spent the majority of his NFL career with the Tennessee Titans....
in 1995
1995 NFL Draft
The 1995 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 22–23, 1995 at the Paramount Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City...
.
Final years in Houston
At the same time, Adams again lobbied the city for a new stadium, one with club seating and other revenue generators present in recently–built NFL stadiums. However, mayor Bob Lanier
Bob Lanier (politician)
Bob Lanier is a businessman in the real estate industry who served as mayor of the city of Houston, Texas from 1992 to 1998...
turned him down almost out of hand. Although Houstonians wanted to keep the Oilers, they were leery of investing more money on a stadium so soon after the Astrodome improvements. The city was also still struggling to recover from the oil collapse of the 1980s
1980s oil glut
The 1980s oil glut was a serious surplus of crude oil caused by falling demand following the 1970s Energy Crisis. The world price of oil, which had peaked in 1980 at over US$35 per barrel , fell in 1986 from $27 to below $10...
. Adams, sensing that he was not going to get the stadium he wanted, began shopping the Oilers to other cities. He was particularly intrigued by Nashville, and opened secret talks with mayor Phil Bredesen
Phil Bredesen
Philip Norman "Phil" Bredesen Jr. was the 48th Governor of Tennessee, serving from 2003 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he was first elected Governor in 2002, and was re-elected in 2006. He previously served as the fourth mayor of Nashville and Davidson County from 1991 to...
. At the end of the 1995 season
1995 NFL season
The 1995 NFL season was the 76th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 30 teams with the addition of the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars...
, Adams announced that the Oilers would be moving to Nashville for the 1998 season
1998 NFL season
The 1998 NFL season was the 79th regular season of the National Football League.The Tennessee Oilers moved their home games from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, still awaiting construction on a new stadium in Nashville.This was the first season that CBS...
. City officials there promised to contribute $144 million toward a new stadium, as well as $70 million in ticket sales. At that point, support for the Oilers in the Houston area all but disappeared. The 1996 season
1996 NFL season
The 1996 NFL season was the 77th regular season of the National Football League and the season was marked by notable controversies from beginning to end...
was a disaster for the Oilers; they played before crowds of less than 20,000 and games were so quiet that it was possible to hear conversations on the field from the grandstand. Meanwhile, the team's radio network, which once stretched across the state, was reduced to the flagship station in Houston and a few affiliates in Tennessee. The team went 8–8, finishing 6–2 in road games and finishing only 2–6 in home games. Adams, the city and the league were unwilling to see this continue for another season, so a deal was reached to let the Oilers out of their lease a year early and move to Tennessee.
Tennessee Oilers era (1997–98)
The Oilers' new stadium would not be ready until 19991999 NFL season
The 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 season...
, however, and the largest stadium in Nashville at the time, Vanderbilt Stadium
Vanderbilt Stadium
Vanderbilt Stadium at Dudley Field is a football stadium located in Nashville, Tennessee. Completed in 1922 as the first stadium in the South to be used exclusively for college football, it is the home of the Vanderbilt University football team...
on the campus of Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
, seated only 41,000 and would not allow for alcohol sales. At first, Adams rejected Vanderbilt Stadium even as a temporary facility and announced that the renamed Tennessee Oilers would play the next two seasons at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium is a football stadium, located at the Mid-South Fairgrounds, in Midtown Memphis, Tennessee, United States. The stadium is the site of the annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl, and is the home field of the University of Memphis Tigers football team...
in Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
. The team would be based in Nashville, commuting to Memphis only for games—in effect, consigning the Oilers to 32 road games for the next two years.
Even though this arrangement was acceptable to the NFL and the Oilers at the time, few people in either Memphis or Nashville were happy about it. Memphis had made numerous attempts to get an NFL team, and many people in the area wanted nothing to do with a team that would be lost in only two years—especially to longtime rival Nashville. Conversely, Nashvillians showed little inclination to drive over 200 miles (321.9 km) to see "their" team. In a case of exceptionally bad timing, Interstate 40
Interstate 40
Interstate 40 is the third-longest major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90 and I-80. Its western end is at Interstate 15 in Barstow, California; its eastern end is at a concurrency of U.S. Route 117 and North Carolina Highway 132 in Wilmington, North Carolina...
was in the midst of major reconstruction in the Memphis area, lengthening the normal three-hour drive between Nashville and Memphis to five hours.
In Memphis, the CPAC Oilers played before some of the smallest NFL crowds since the 1950s, with no crowd bigger than 27,000 (in a 62,000-seat stadium). The few fans there were usually indifferent, and often those that attended were fans of the opposing team. Oddly enough, the Oilers went 6-2 in Memphis while going 2-6 on the road. Despite this, Adams had every intention of playing in Memphis the next season. That changed after the final game of the 1997 season
1997 NFL season
The 1997 NFL season was the 78th regular season of the National Football League. The Oilers relocated from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee...
. The Oilers faced the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
in front of 50,677 fans—the only crowd that could not have been reasonably accommodated in Vanderbilt. However, by at least one estimate, three-fourths of the crowd was Steeler fans
Steeler Nation
Steeler Nation is the unofficial name of the fan base of the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers, coined by NFL Films narrator John Facenda in "Blueprint for Victory," the team's 1975 highlights film...
. Adams was so embarrassed that he abandoned plans to play the 1998 season
1998 NFL season
The 1998 NFL season was the 79th regular season of the National Football League.The Tennessee Oilers moved their home games from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, still awaiting construction on a new stadium in Nashville.This was the first season that CBS...
in Memphis and ended up moving to Vanderbilt after all. The team rebounded that season, and was in playoff contention until losing their last two games for another 8–8 record.
Name change
During the 1998 season, Adams announced that in response to fan requests, he was changing the Oilers' name to coincide with the opening of their new stadium and to better connect with Nashville. He also declared that the renamed team would retain the Oilers' heritage (including team records), as had all other relocated teams except the Browns/Ravens, and that there would be a Hall of Fame honoring the greatest players from both eras.Adams appointed an advisory committee to decide on a new name. He let it be known that the new name should reflect power, strength, leadership and other heroic qualities. On December 22, Adams announced that the Oilers would be known as the Tennessee Titans starting in 1999
1999 NFL season
The 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 season...
. The new name met all of Adams' requirements, and also served as a nod to Nashville's nickname of "The Athens of the South" (for its large number of higher-learning institutions, Classical architecture, and its full scale replica
Parthenon (Nashville)
The Parthenon in Nashville, Tennessee is a full-scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens. It was built in 1897 as part of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition.-Early history:...
of the Parthenon
Parthenon
The Parthenon is a temple on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece, dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their virgin patron. Its construction began in 447 BC when the Athenian Empire was at the height of its power. It was completed in 438 BC, although...
).
1999 Super Bowl run
In 19991999 NFL season
The 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 season...
, Adelphia Coliseum, now known as LP Field
LP Field
LP Field is a football stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, United States, owned by the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County....
, was completed and the newly christened Titans had a grand season, finishing with a 13–3 record — the best season in franchise history. They won their first game as the "Titans," defeating the Bengals before a sold out stadium (Every game since the Titans moved to Nashville has been sold out). They finished one game behind the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
for the AFC Central title. The Titans did not lose a game at home. Tennessee then won their first round playoff game over the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on a designed play, known as "Home Run Throwback" in the Titans playbook, that is commonly referred to as the "Music City Miracle
Music City Miracle
The Music City Miracle is the name commonly given to a play that took place on January 8, 2000 during the National Football League's 1999–2000 playoffs...
": Tight-end Frank Wycheck
Frank Wycheck
Frank John Wycheck is a former American football tight end in the National Football League. Wycheck attended Archbishop Ryan High School in Northeast Philadelphia. Drafted in sixth round of the 1993 NFL Draft out of the University of Maryland by the Washington Redskins...
made a lateral pass to Kevin Dyson
Kevin Dyson
Kevin Tyree Dyson is a former American football wide receiver of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Tennessee Oilers 16th overall in the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Utah....
on a kickoff return with 16 seconds left in the game and the Titans trailing by 1 point; Dyson returned the pass 75 yds for a touchdown to win the game. After replay review, the call on the field was upheld as a touchdown. The original play did not call for Kevin Dyson
Kevin Dyson
Kevin Tyree Dyson is a former American football wide receiver of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Tennessee Oilers 16th overall in the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Utah....
to be on the field and he was only involved due to an injury of another player. The Titans went on to defeat the Indianapolis Colts in Indy, and then defeated the Jaguars in Jacksonville in the AFC Championship Game. The Titans' magnificent season led to a trip to Super Bowl XXXIV
Super Bowl XXXIV
Super Bowl XXXIV featured the National Football Conference champion St. Louis Rams and the American Football Conference champion Tennessee Titans in an American football game to decide the National Football League champion for the 1999 regular season...
, where they lost a heartbreaker to the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
when Kevin Dyson was tackled one yard short of the end zone (preserving a 23-16 Rams' lead) as regulation time expired, in a play known as "The Tackle
The Tackle
The final play of Super Bowl XXXIV happened in a game played between the St. Louis Rams and the Tennessee Titans on January 30, 2000. It resulted in Titans wide receiver Kevin Dyson being tackled by Rams linebacker Mike Jones at the one-yard line, preserving a 23–16 Rams victory...
".
2000–2003
In 20002000 NFL season
The 2000 NFL season was the 81st regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXXV when the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Giants.Week 1 of the season reverted to Labor Day weekend in 2000...
, the Titans finished with an NFL-best 13–3 record and won their third AFC Central title—their first division title as the Tennessee Titans. They won Central division titles in '91 and '93 while still in Houston as the Oilers. The Titans would go on to lose their home Divisonal playoff game to the eventual Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens.
In 2002
2002 NFL season
The 2002 NFL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Football League.The league went back to an even number of teams, expanding to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans. The clubs were then realigned into eight divisions, four teams in each...
, despite starting the season 1–4 the Titans finished the season 11-5 and made it to the AFC Championship Game but lost to Oakland. In 2003
2003 NFL season
-Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *...
, quarterback Steve McNair won the MVP award, sharing it with Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
. The Titans went 12-4 and made the 2003 playoffs, winning their wild card game over the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
and losing in the AFC divisionals to the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
who went on to win the Super Bowl.
2004–05
The 20042004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
season created an unusual number of injuries to key players for the Titans and a 5–11 record. Their 5–11 record turned out to be their second-worst record ever since the Houston/Tennessee Oilers became the Tennessee Titans. Numerous key players were cut or traded by the Titans front office during the off season, including Eddie George
Eddie George
Edward Nathan "Eddie" George, Jr. is a former American football running back in the National Football League. He played for the Tennessee Titans both in Tennessee and in Houston when the franchise was known as the Houston Oilers, and spent his final season with the Dallas Cowboys...
, Derrick Mason
Derrick Mason
Derrick James Mason is an American football wide receiver for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tennessee Oilers in the fourth round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan State.Mason has also played for the Baltimore Ravens where he...
, Samari Rolle
Samari Rolle
Samari Toure Rolle is a retired American football cornerback. He was drafted by the Tennessee Oilers in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State....
, Kevin Carter
Kevin Carter (football player)
Kevin Louis Carter is a former American college and professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League for fourteen seasons in the 1990s and 2000s. Carter played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for the St...
, and others. This was done due to the Titans being well over the salary cap
Salary cap
In professional sports, a salary cap is a cartel agreement between teams that places a limit on the amount of money that can be spent on player salaries. The limit exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both...
.
In 2005
2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
, the Titans took the field with the youngest team in the NFL. Several rookies made the 2005 team including 1st round pick, cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones, offensive tackle Michael Roos
Michael Roos
Michael Roos is an American football offensive tackle for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League.-High school career:...
, and three wide receivers, Brandon Jones
Brandon Jones (football player)
Brandon Jones is an American football wide receiver for the Baltimore Ravens. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
, Courtney Roby
Courtney Roby
Courtney Eugene Roby is an American football wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
, and Roydell Williams
Roydell Williams
Roydell Williams is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tulane....
. After losing their first game of the season on the road to the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
34–7 and then winning their Week 2 home-opener against the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
25–10, the Titans began the season 1–1, but quickly fell out of contention. They lost on the road to the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
31–27 and lost to their division rival, the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
31–10. After getting some redemption on the road against their new division rival, the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
34–20, they lost five-straight games to the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
(31–23), the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
(20–10), the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(34–25), the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(20–14), and then (coming off of their Week 10 Bye), their division rival, the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
31–28. The Titans would win at home against the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
33–22, but then, they went on the road and got swept by the Colts 35–3. The Titans would sweep the luckless Texans 13–10 at home, but that would be their last win of the year, as they lost their remaining three games to the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
(28–24), the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(24–10), and the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(40–13). Their record for the season was 4–12.
2006–2007
In 2006, The team finished at 8–8, a definite improvement over the previous year's mark of 4–12. The year saw Vince YoungVince Young
Vincent Paul Young, Jr. , nicknamed "VY", is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He spent the first five seasons of his career with the Tennessee Titans. Young was the third overall draft pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college...
lead the team to an 8–5 record as the starting quarterback. That span also included 6 straight victories. The team's chances of making the postseason at 9–7 ended at the hands of the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
in a 40–23 defeat. Floyd Reese
Floyd Reese
Floyd Reese is a senior football advisor for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. From 1994–2006 Reese held the position of general manager of the Tennessee Titans...
resigned as the franchise's Executive Vice President/General Manager on January 5, 2007 after thirteen seasons at the helm. He was replaced by Mike Reinfeldt
Mike Reinfeldt
Michael Ray Reinfeldt is a former American football safety who played 8 seasons in the National Football League. Reinfeldt attended UWM, and was the captain of the football team in 1974, the last year the school fielded a football team...
on February 12 of the same year.
After starting a promising 6–2, the Titans lost 4 of their next 5 games to fall to 7–6. They then won their next 3 games including a must-win game against the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
. They were tied for the final playoff spot with the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, but they had the tiebreaker and the Titans made the playoffs at 10–6. In the wild card round they lost to the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, 17–6.
2008
The year began with the Titans selecting Chris JohnsonChris Johnson (running back)
Christopher Duan Johnson is an American football running back for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League...
out of East Carolina University
East Carolina University
East Carolina University is a public, coeducational, engaged doctoral/research university located in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. Named East Carolina University by statute and commonly known as ECU or East Carolina, the university is the largest institution of higher learning in...
in the first round of the NFL draft, and subsequently acquired former Titan (most recently Eagle) DE Jevon Kearse
Jevon Kearse
Jevon Kearse , nicknamed "The Freak," is a former American college and professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League for eleven seasons during the late 1990s and 2000s...
and former Falcons TE Alge Crumpler
Alge Crumpler
-Atlanta Falcons:Crumpler was drafted by the Falcons in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. Crumpler made the first start of his NFL career against the Carolina Panthers on September 23, 2001. He caught his first two passes for a total of 13 yards. His first touchdown was scored against the...
. After a Week 1 injury to Vince Young
Vince Young
Vincent Paul Young, Jr. , nicknamed "VY", is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He spent the first five seasons of his career with the Tennessee Titans. Young was the third overall draft pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college...
, Kerry Collins
Kerry Collins
Kerry Michael Collins is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers with the fifth overall pick of the 1995 NFL Draft, the first choice in the franchise's history...
took over the starting quarterback position and led the Titans to a 10-0 record before their first defeat at the hands of the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on November 23. The Titans followed up the 34-13 loss by defeating the winless Lions on Thanksgiving by a score of 47–10. In week 14, Tennessee clinched its second AFC South
AFC South
The AFC South is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference. It was created before the 2002 season when the league realigned divisions after expanding to 32 teams...
title with a 28-9 victory over the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. In the week 14 game against the Browns, Rookie Chris Johnson rushed 19 times for 136 yards and 1 touchdown and Lendale White rushed for 99 yards and 1 touchdown. They later clinched a first round playoff bye with a loss of the New York Jets in San Francisco. On December 21, 2008, the Titans played the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
in a contest to decide the number one seed in the AFC. The Titans won 31-14 and clinched home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Their final record was 13–3, which ties their franchise record for most wins. On Saturday, January 10, they lost their home playoff game 13–10 to the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
, who had previously won their Wildcard game at Miami on January 4. The playoff game against Baltimore included 3 red zone turnovers and 12 penalties by the Titans.
2009
After their successful 2008 season, the Titans looked to be very promising in 2009. However, the opening game against Pittsburgh resulted in a 13-10 overtime loss and things disintegrated from there as they dropped the next five matches. This losing streak culminated in a catastrophic 59-0 defeat at the hands of New England. After the bye week, it was decided that Vince Young would succeed Kerry Collins as the starting Quarterback. The team began recovering and won five in a row including a game against the defending NFC Champion Arizona CardinalsArizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, on a 99 yard game winning drive by Vince Young, culminating in a touchdown pass on 4th down with 6 seconds left from the 10 yard line. During the Week 10 game in Buffalo, Bud Adams
Bud Adams
Kenneth Stanley "Bud" Adams, Jr. is the owner of the Tennessee Titans' National Football League franchise. He was instrumental in the founding and establishment of the former American Football League. Adams became a charter AFL owner with the establishment of the Titans franchise, which was...
was seen making an obscene gesture towards Bills fans, and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell
Roger Goodell
Roger S. Goodell is the Commissioner of the National Football League , having been chosen to succeed the retiring Paul Tagliabue on August 8, 2006. He was chosen over four finalists for the position, winning a close vote on the fifth ballot before being unanimously approved by acclamation of the...
(who was also attending the game) fined him $250,000. Afterwards, the Titans sustained a defeat against Indianapolis, wins over St. Louis and Miami, a loss to San Diego, and finally a victory in Seattle to end the season at 8-8. Not only did the Tennessee Titans have a great 8-2 finish, but along the way, Tennessee Titans running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Chris Johnson became only the 6th player in NFL history to rush for over 2000 yards, surpassing Marshall Faulk's record for the most yards from scrimmage during a season with over 2,500 total yards.
2010
The Titans started 2010 with alternating wins and losses. They crushed Oakland at home in Week 1 and then were beaten 19-11 by the Steelers in Week 2. In Week 3, Tennessee beat the Giants 29-10 in the New Meadowlands. In week 4, Tennessee lost 26-20 to Denver, and finally won 34-27 in Dallas to reach a 3-2 record by Week 5. The following game was a MNF rout of Jacksonville (30-3). In Week 7, they beat Philadelphia 37-19 in a come-from- behind win that included scoring 27 points in the fourth quarter. Wide Receiver Kenny Britt had his break out performance with 225 reception yards, 3 touchdowns, and 7 receptions. However, after a loss to the Chargers in Week 8, they were the only team to submit in a claim for the recently-waived Randy MossRandy Moss
Randy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
. Even after this widely-publicized claim, the team was still unable to beat the Dolphins after their bye week, 29-17. In Week 11, at home against the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, the Titans lost Young to a thumb injury in-game and they snapped their NFL-leading interconference win streak at 14 games, losing to Washington 19-16 in overtime. After the game, Young had a highly-publicized meltdown in the locker room and walked out on Fisher, causing him to not only be promptly put on injured reserve, but also essentially guaranteeing his release from the team in the offseason. Losses continued to mount for the Titans, until a week 15 win against the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
kept their season alive at 6-8. Needing a miracle to get into the playoffs, this nonetheless happened with consequent losses against the Chiefs and Colts. The Titans' season ended at 6-10.
2011
In the week following the Titans' final loss to the Colts, the generally pro-Young Bud Adams agreed that it would be best for the team to release or trade Young. Later that week, on January 7, 2011, Adams released a statement in which he would bring Coach Jeff Fisher back for his last season in Tennessee. On January 27, 2011 the Titans announced that Jeff Fisher would not return for his 18th and final season under contract as Head Coach in Tennessee. Following former head coach Jeff FisherJeff Fisher
Jeffrey Michael "Jeff" Fisher is the former head coach of the Tennessee Titans of the NFL. He has a 146-120 career record as an NFL head coach.-Early life:...
's departure, on February 7, 2011, Mike Munchak
Mike Munchak
Michael Anthony Munchak is the head coach of the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He played college football as a offensive lineman for Penn State University from 1978 to 1981. After his career at Penn State, He was drafted in the first round of the 1982 NFL Draft by the Houston...
was named head coach of the Titans.
During the 2011 NFL Draft
2011 NFL Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players...
the Titans took Washington QB Jake Locker
Jake Locker
Jacob Cooper "Jake" Locker is an American football quarterback selected by the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League in the 2011 Draft...
with the 8th pick overall. Meanwhile, 15-year veteran Kerry Collins retired from the NFL in July (Unretiring a month later to join the Indianapolis Colts).
On July 29, 2011 veteran Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck
Matt Hasselbeck
Matthew Michael Hasselbeck is a National Football League quarterback for the Tennessee Titans. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 1998 NFL Draft, and traded to Seattle in 2001. After becoming the starter in 2003, Hasselbeck led Seattle to six playoff appearances and...
signed a 3-year, $21 million deal to play for the Tennessee Titans.
During the summer training camp prior to the 2011 season, Chris Johnson
Chris Johnson (running back)
Christopher Duan Johnson is an American football running back for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League...
did not show up to camp, pending contract negotiations. Johnson felt he was due a considerably larger sum of money. As the leading rusher since 2008 (4,598 yards) he was set to make $1.065 million in 2011, under current contract terms. On September 1, Johnson became the highest paid running back, agreeing to a four-year, $53.5 million contract extension, including $30 million guaranteed, with the Titans, ending his holdout.