Jurrell Casey was a First Team All-Pac 10 Selection at USC, and the Tennessee Titans chose the Defensive Lineman in the Third Round of the 2011 Draft.

Casey became the starting Right Defensive Tackle as a rookie and moved to Defensive End in his fourth season.  The former Trojan was close to Pro Bowl worthy early in his career and likely should have been named to one in 2013, where he had a career-high 10.5 Sacks.  Casey did make the Pro Bowl in 2015 and did so again in the four years after, making him one of the top DEs in football.

Casey’s tenure in Tennessee ended after the 2019 season when he was traded to Denver.  With the Titans, Casey accumulated 51 Sacks and 493 Combined Tackles.

An original Oiler, Jim Norton mainly played off of the bench as a rookie, which was the year that Houston won the inaugural AFL Championship.  He would be a much more significant contributor in the years that followed.

Norton was a starting Safety in his sophomore season, posting a career-high nine Interceptions.  The Oilers won the AFL Championship again, and Norton's performance against Denver cemented them a spot in the 1962 AFL Title Game when he picked off Bronco's Quarterback, Frank Tripucka, three times.  The Oilers did not three-peat, but Norton was named to the AFL All-Star Team that year.

Norton was an All-Star again in 1963 and 1967, and twice was a Second Team All-Pro.  He retired after the 1968 season with 45 career Interceptions.  Norton was also a star Punter who led the AFL in Punts and Punting Yards in 1965.

Norton, who was beloved by the Oilers, would have his number 43 retired by the team in 1968, becoming the first player to earn that in franchise history.  He would later be inducted to the Oilers/Titans Ring of Honor in 1999.

One of the best offensive players that East Carolina ever produced, Chris Johnson was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the First Round and was immediately the team’s workhorse.

Johnson was a Pro Bowler in his first three seasons, with his sophomore campaign (2009) proving to be special.  Named the Offensive Player of the Year, Johnson rushed for a league-leading 2,006 Yards, and he caught 50 passes for another 503 Yards.  His 16 Touchdowns would also be a personal best.  Johnson's last Pro Bowl year was 2010, but his next three years saw him crack the four-digit mark in Rushing Yards, making it six years in total that he accomplished that feat.  

Johnson left Tennessee when he was released after the 2014 season, and he never came close to that success again.  He accumulated 9,968 Yards From Scrimmage as a Titan.

Taken in the Third Round in 1968, Elvin Bethea generated colossal value for the Houston Oilers, the only team that the star from North Carolina A&T ever played for in his 210 Games as a pro.

The powerful Defensive End would prove to be one of the top players at his position in the 1970s, going to eight Pro Bowls and recording 105 (unofficial) Sacks for his team.  As good as Bethea was a pass-rushing, he was also a certifiable run stuffer, and thanks to his durability, he often did.  Bethea did not miss a game until his tenth season (due to a broken arm), and his leadership on and off the field was also widely known.  

The Oilers retired his number in the year he retired in 1983, and along with George Blanda, he was part of the first class of the Titans Ring of Honor in 1999.  Bethea entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2003.

The University of Florida and other high-profile Division I programs coveted Steve McNair as a Running Back, but he wanted to play Quarterback, and he chose to play at Alcorn State in the SWAC.  McNair’s belief in his ability as a pivot was correct, as he dominated the conference and was so good that he was a Heisman Finalist and won the Walter Payton Award as the top Division I-AA player in 1994.  The Houston Oilers took him third overall in the draft, and they had no plans to use him as a Running Back.

McNair was a backup in his first two years and took over in 1997, the franchise's first in Tennessee.  When the team was renamed the Titans in 1999, McNair led the team to the Super Bowl, a narrow loss as the St. Louis Rams stopped the Titan's last drive at the one-yard line.   Nevertheless, McNair was considered a top Quarterback, and in 2003, he won the MVP and was the youngest player at the time to throw for 20,000 Yards.

A three-time Pro Bowler, McNair took the Titans to four playoffs. Still, issues with his contract and actions by the Tennessee (they would not let him rehab his injury during the offseason at team facilities fearing that an injury in the building would activate another year) led to his release.  Injuries would, however, take him out of football two years later.  McNair died tragically in 2009 at age 36, when he was shot and killed by a woman who was alleged to be his mistress.

In 2019, the Titans retired McNair’s number, 11 years after the organization inducted him into their RIng of Honor.

George Blanda played for George Halas’ Chicago Bears in the 1950s, but Halas used him more as a Kicker than Quarterback, and a frustrated Blanda retired after the 1958 season.  When the American Football League formed, Blanda returned to the game, signing with the Houston Oilers, where he was able to prove that he belonged as a pivot all along.

Blanda was the Oilers Quarterback and Kicker for seven seasons, and he led the Oilers to the first AFL Championship. Blanda repeated that in 1961, but individually, he had his best year, leading the AFL in Passing Yards (3,330) and Touchdowns (36) while winning the MVP.  An AFL All-Star that season, Blanda would be again in 1962 and 1963, the latter year winning his second Passing Yard Title.  

Blanda threw for 19,149 Yards and kicked for another 91 Field Goals and 301 Extra Points as an Oiler.

He joined the Oakland Raiders after the 1966 season and played until his mid-40s, donning the pads for 26 total seasons.

Blanda was chosen for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1981, and arguably it was on the strength of his accomplishments in Houston.  He would be inducted into the Titans Ring of Honor in 1999.

With the imposing nickname of "Dr. Doom," Robert Brazile was one of the first players from an HBCU to be a high First Round selection when the Houston Oilers took the Jackson State star sixth in 1975.

Brazile instantly won the starting Right Outside Linebacker job for the Oilers and was named the Defensive Rookie of the Year.  A devastating tackler, Brazile was one of the few Linebackers who could stop the run at the same high level that he could pass rush, and his leadership on defense helped take Houston to back-to-back AFC Championship Games in the late 70s.

The seven-time Pro Bowler played all of his career with Houston, retiring after the 1984 season following the death of his wife, Cookie, in a car crash.  

Brazile entered the Titans Ring of Honor in 2018, the same year that he was chosen for the Pro Football Hall of Fame via the Senior Committee.   

Had it not been for Bruce Matthews, his longtime Offensive Linemate, Mike Munchak, would have easily been the best Lineman in franchise history, but second, to Matthews is nothing to be ashamed of.

Munchak was a high First Round pick from Penn State in 1982, and after an injury-riddled and mediocre rookie year, Munchak settled in as their starting Left Guard, becoming one of the best in the business.  A Pro Bowl Selection in 1984 and 1985, Munchak finished his career with a seven-year stretch of Pro Bowls, with two First Team All-Pro nods.  The All-Decade Guard played all 12 of his seasons with Houston, starting all but three of his 159 Games.  Munchak retired in 1993, and his number 63 was retired the year after.

Munchak was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001, two years after he was inducted to their Ring of Honor. The Olers would retire his number 63 in 1994.

Warren Moon was a star Quarterback at the University of Washington, but in the late 1970s, the NFL was not interested in black QBs.  Before the draft, Moon decided to sign with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League, and he led them to five consecutive Grey Cups.  Moon’s performance north of the border caused a bidding war for his services in the U.S., and he signed with the Houston Oilers in 1984.

The Oilers were not a good team when he arrived, and while they were not winning many games in Moon's early seasons, the gunslinger did what he could to make them competitive.  Moon gained weapons, and from 1988 to 1993, he was a perennial Pro Bowl selection, and took Houston to the playoffs in all of those seasons.  

Moon was at his best in 1990, where he led the league in Pass Completions (362), Passing Yards (4,689), and Passing Touchdowns (33), and he won the Offensive Player of the Year Award.  He again led the NFL in Completions (404) and Yards (4,690) the following season.  

After a good 1993 season, the Oilers sent the Quarterback to Minnesota, ending his incredible run in the state of Texas.  Moon had 33,685 Yards and 196 Touchdowns in Houston, and he would enter both the Canadian Football and Pro Football Hall of Fame.  The Titans also retired his number 1 and inducted him to their Ring of Honor in 2007.

The decision to make Bruce Matthews the greatest Oiler/Titan, was a very simple one.  Matthews is not only one of the most prolific Offensive Lineman in the last 50 years; he is also the most versatile and durable.

Matthews was an iron man of sorts, playing an astounding 296 Regular Season Games (currently 14^th all-time) and starting 293 of them.  Matthews, who was taken ninth overall in 1983, hit his stride in his sixth season, beginning a 14-year streak of Pro Bowls, which is tied for the most ever.  Matthews was a seven-time First Team All-Pro, which he accomplished at three different positions, Right Guard, Center, and Left Guard.  This ability to excel at different slots at the Offensive Line was invaluable to the Oilers/Titans, who could use other Lineman to their strengths.

Playing until 2001, Matthews is still in the top ten all-time in Approximate Value (226), and he was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.  Matthews was named to the 1990s All-Decade Team and the NFL 100^th Anniversary Team.  The Titans retired his number 74 in 2002 and installed him in their franchise RIng of Honor the same year.

Known for his brute strength, Curley Culp played the first half of his career with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he helped them win Super Bowl IV.  He was traded to Houston during the 1974 Season, and it was in the state of Texas where he proved himself Canton worthy.

In 1975, which was Culp's first full season in Houston, he was a First Team All-Pro and went to his third Pro Bowl.  Culp went to the Pro Bowl the next three seasons and was regarded as one of the top Nose Tackles in the game.  Culp was the star of Defensive Coordinator Bum Phillips' 3-4 Defense, and his skill was the centerpiece of what was created in Houston.

Culp entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013.

Drafted 3^rd Overall in the 1985 NFL Draft, the former Texas A&M Aggie was settling into a nice role where he played Defensive End for the Houston Oilers.  He did well and would go to his first Pro Bowl in 1988, but a switch from the 3-4 to 4-3 Defense forced Childress to move to Defensive Tackle, and it fit him perfectly.

From 1990 to 1993, he would be selected for the Pro Bowl, and he landed a First Team All-Pro Selection in 1992.  Childress was regarded during that era as an elite Defensive Tackle, and the iron man was stuffing opposing rushers at will.  He would be very popular in the Houston area with his work ethic and philanthropy, and though that franchise is gone, he is still a legend in the state of Texas.

From the University of Kentucky, Bob Talamini would play his entire nine-year professional career in the American Football League.  The first eight of those campaigns were with the Houston Oilers, where the Left Guard was a six-time AFL All-Star (1962-67) who played his way into three First Team All-Pros.  The Oilers were one of the powers of the league, and Talamini was a member of the first two AFL Titles (1960 & 1961), and after his run with Houston, he played one final year with the New York Jets.  

That year, he was part of the history making team that won Super Bowl III.  Not a bad way to finish your career!

Charley Hennigan went undrafted in both the NFL and AFL, but the Houston Oilers of the latter gave him a chance, and aren't they glad they did!

The Wide Receiver managed 722 Yards as a rookie, and he is credited with scoring the first TD in Oilers history.  He was a large part of Houston getting to the AFL Championship and subsequently winning it as he caught four passes for 71 Yards.  He wasn't going to sneak up anyone in 1961, but it didn't matter as he was unstoppable, leading the AFL in Receiving Yards and Yards from Scrimmage (1,746) and was so dominant in the month of October that he had 822 Yards, a record that stood for 34 years!  He set (and will forever hold) the single game Receiving Yard Game with 272 Yards.  The Oilers won their second AFL Title, which never happens without Hennigan.

Hennigan, who was an All-Star and First Team All-Pro in 1961, was an All-Star again perennially until 1965.  He would win his second First Team All-Pro in 1964, a season in which he would once again lead the AFL in Receiving Yards and Yards from Scrimmage.  After a steep decline, he retired after the 1966 season, but his dominance in the first half of the 1960s should never be forgotten.  We know that we won't.

Eddie George broke out as an upper-end Running Back immediately as the former Ohio State Buckeye won the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award in the last year of the Houston Oilers' existence (1996).  That year, he rushed for 1,368 Yards, but that wasn't just the beginning, it was a pattern.

2023 Pre-Season Rank #20, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #28, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #30, 2020 Pre-Season Rank #44.  Peak Period: 2015-19

From 2017 to 2019, Hopkins was regarded as the best Wide Receiver in the game and will be honored by the Houston Texans one day.  As for now, the veteran is entering his. second season in Tennessee, the first of which saw Hopkins eclipse 1,000 Yards for the first time since 2020. 

Assuming that Julio Jones does not return this year, Hopkins enters 2024 as the league’s active leader in Receiving Yards (12,355), and if he stays healthy, there are many rungs he can climb in the all-time rank.  690 Yards this season places him in the top 20 all-time, and a top ten slot is not out of the question (he needs 1,991 Yards to overtake Reggie Wayne for 10^th).

Regular visitors of Notinhalloffame.com know that we are slowly working on the top 50 of every major team in the NHL, NBA, NFL and MLB. Once that is done, we intend to look at how each team honor their past players and executive.  As such it is news to us that the Tennessee Titans will be retiring the numbers of both Eddie George and Steve McNair.

Eddie George was drafted 14^thOverall in 1996, which would be the final season the organization was in Houston.  George rushed for 1,368 Yards as a rookie and in the next three seasons he would not fall below 1,294 Yards in Rushing but would also be more of a receiving threat and was named to the Pro Bowl in all three of those seasons.  He would go his fourth (and fourth straight) tight after with a career high 1,509 Rushing Yards, 14 Rushing Touchdowns and would be chosen for what would be his only First Team All-Pro roster spot.  He would have two more 1,000 rushing campaigns and in his eight years as an Oiler/Titan he would accumulate 10,009 Rushing Yards and another 2,992 in the air with 74 Touchdowns.

Steve McNair was drafted 3^rdOverall in 1995 and he would be cemented as the starting Quarterback in 1997, the first year the franchise was entrenched in the state of Tennessee.  McNair would be a Pro Bowl Selection three times (2000, 2003 & 2005) and he would throw for 27,141 Yards and 156 Touchdowns while rushing for another 3,439 Yards and 36 TDs.  McNair was shot and killed by his mistress in a murder-suicide in 2009.

George (#23) and McNair (#9) become the seventh and eighth numbers retired by the franchise.  They join Warren Moon (#1), Earl Campbell (#34), Jim Norton (#43), Mike Munchak (#63), Elvin Bethea (#65) and Bruce Matthews (#74). 

The official ceremony will take place during the Titans home opener against the Indianapolis Colts on September 15.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Eddie George and the late Steve McNair for earning this very prestigious honor.

Although Derrick Mason produced strong career statistics and had multiple seasons tabulating over 1,000 Receiving Yards, it is hard to make the strong case for Mason to receive a Hall of Fame induction. Mason would be the star receiver for both Tennessee and Baltimore, though he played in an era where the game opened up and there were stars that were perceived as superior at Wide Receiver. Only earning a trip to the Pro Bowl twice and one All-Pro Selection reflects that fact, though that was primarily from his Punt and Kick Returning. Still, that was the season (2000) in which he led the NFL in All-Purpose Yards.

It is a shame how Steve McNair’s tragic ending may overshadow what was a very productive (and one tackle away from a Super Bowl) career. Unfortunately, professional sports have far too many of these stories.