The 5 Greatest Tennessee Titans of All Time

To call out the 5 greatest Tennessee Titans of all time is to obviously beg a heated discussion. The team we know as the Tennessee Titans started out as a charter member of the American Football League as the Houston Oilers, winning two AFL championships before joining the NFL in 1970. Owner Bud Adams decided to relocate the Oilers to Nashville, Tennessee, where they played as the Tennessee Oilers for both the 1997 and 1998 seasons. In 1999 Adams had the name changed to the Tennessee Titans, the National Football League team we know today. There have been many great players for the Titans, from wide receivers Drew Bennett and Derrick Mason, to safeties Marcus Robinson and Blaine Bishop. But there are not too many people who will argue with this list of great Tennessee Titans as being five of the best ever.

5 – Keith Bulluck, Linebacker

From 2000 to 2009, Keith Bulluck was one of the best tacklers in the entire National Football League. A three-time All-Pro during his career, an argument can be made that Bulluck is the best defensive player in the history of the Tennessee Titans franchise. Tabulating 15 forced fumbles, 19 interceptions, 18 sacks, 69 defended passes and 770 tackles in his nine year career at Tennessee, he never missed a game of from 2002 forward. A durable leader on the field frequently making big plays whenever needed, Bulluck played one year as a New York Giant before retiring as a Titan in 2012.

4 – Jevon Kearse, Defensive End

“The Freak” was a Tennessee Titan from 1999 to 2003, and again during the 2008 and 2009 seasons. He received his name when playing in North Carolina, and the freak of nature is without doubt the best pass rusher in Titans franchise history. He chalked up 14.5 sacks and forced 8 fumbles in his rookie season, and was basically double-team to the rest of his career. Even though, Kearse finished with 28 forced fumbles, 74 quarterback sacks, 22 defended passes and 245 total tackles. A three-time Pro Bowler, Kearse happily returned to Tennessee for his last two seasons so he could retire as a Titan.

3 – Eddie George, Running Back

From 1996 to 2003, Eddie George solidified his position as the greatest running back the Tennessee Titans franchise has ever seen. Chris Johnson is a great back, but in Tennessee, there is no argument about the best RB in Titans history. The Heisman Trophy winner out of Ohio State was incredibly consistent for the Titans, playing four Pro Bowls while rushing for 1,000 yards or more in all but one season with Tennessee. Alongside Tennessee great Steve McNair, the team made its Super Bowl run in 2000, falling just 1 yard short of taking home the Lombardi trophy. George totaled 2,733 carries for 10,009 rushing yards, and added 2,144 receiving yards and 74 touchdowns at Tennessee.

2 – Steve McNair, Quarterback

Playing from 1995 to 2005, Steve McNair was a leader on and off the field. Entrenched in the community and a focused winner, he has to be considered as the only true franchise quarterback Tennessee has ever had. “Air McNair” took the Titans to the playoffs four times and split an MVP award with Peyton Manning, while also getting selected to three Pro Bowls after picking up the Walter Payton award in 1993 as the most outstanding offensive player in college football. In his 10 years at the helm of the Titans franchise, McNair threw for 156 touchdowns, and as a talented running quarterback rushed for 36 more. One of the most beloved Tennessee Titans of all time, Steve McNair was tragically taken from us as the victim of a murder suicide in 2009.

1 – Bruce Matthews, Center

The NFL is predominantly about the skill positions since the advent of the Internet, ESPN and 24/7 support coverage. However, any intelligent NFL fan will tell you the games are won and lost in the trenches. As the only Hall of Fame player from Tennessee, Bruce Matthews was chosen for an incredible 14 Pro Bowls and was also an All-Pro choice 10 times in the 19 years in which he played. At a position, center, where contact is made with a minimum of at least one 300+ pound defensive player on each and every snap, the insanely durable Matthews also deserves an argument as the best center of all time in the NFL. Entering the 2013 season, Matthews was serving as offensive line coach for the Titans.

The National Football League is a bruising, as well as mentally demanding, professional sport. All Tennessee Titans players deserve credit as some of the best and most talented athletes on the planet. And an argument can probably be made for other players as deserving inclusion In a Top 10 or Top 100 list for the franchise. But the sacrifices and contributions these five incredible players made for Nashville’s Tennessee Titans have earned them a deserving designation as the five greatest Tennessee Titans of all time.

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