Tag: Chris Johnson

Titans great Chris Johnson believes he has Hall of Fame credentials

Former Titans RB Chris Johnson believes he has Hall of Fame credentials.

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Former Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson remains one of the best players at the position in franchise history, but did he do enough during his impressive career to be considered a Hall of Famer?

After one fan on social media questioned another calling Johnson’s career “amazing,” the fan shot back by listing some of Johnson’s career accolades that include but are not limited to:

  • Three Pro Bowls and one First-Team All-Pro selection
  • A 2,000-yard season
  • The most scrimmage yards (2,509) in a single campaign
  • Six 1,000-yard seasons

Johnson retweeted the accolades highlighted by the fan and wondered aloud how they aren’t Hall of Fame-worthy:

While Johnson did have a great career in Tennessee, it’s our opinion he falls just short of the Hall of Fame, especially when you consider that Eddie George had a better career and still isn’t in.

However, that shouldn’t take away from just how special the East Carolina product was in the two-tone blue.

Johnson’s 7,965 rushing yards rank third all-time in franchise history, trailing only George (10,009) and Earl Campbell (8,574). His knack for big plays was also impressive and often helped carry lackluster offenses.

Could Johnson one day find himself in Tennessee’s Ring of Honor instead? That remains to be seen, but the argument that he at least deserves some consideration for the honor can certainly be made.

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WATCH: Maurice Jones-Drew reflects on 2009 matchup with Titans’ Chris Johnson

MJD fondly remembers his battle against fellow elite running back Chris Johnson in 2009, even though the Jags lost.

The Tennessee Titans are arguably Jacksonville’s biggest rival in the AFC South, but the series hasn’t been competitive in quite a while. The Jaguars have lost eight of their last nine against the Titans, and they haven’t won in Nashville since 2013. But back when the team was better in the late 2000s, these teams played some actual meaningful matchups.

On Good Morning Football, former Jags star running back Maurice Jones-Drew remembers one of those occasions fondly, even though it didn’t exactly go the Jags’ way. They lost to the previously winless Titans 30-13, but it was a big day for both Jones-Drew and Titans running back Chris Johnson.

“Going into this game, we were both pretty decent, we were in the middle of the pack, so we knew we had to go in there and get a victory,” Jones-Drew said. “What happened was, Chris Johnson went for a long run, and then we knew we had to match, then I went for one, then he went for one, then I went for one, then he took off and kind of was the game after that, but it was fun.

“It’s one of those games where you go in knowing that it’s going to be a battle.”

Johnson had a prolific game, totaling 228 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries. But Jones-Drew had arguably an even more stunning outing, rushing for 177 yards and two scores of his own on just eight total carries. If you’re trying to do the math at home, that’s an unbelievable 22 yards per carry.

Jones-Drew went on to be a Second-Team All-Pro that season with his second-best career mark in yards and his best finish in terms of touchdowns with 15. Johnson, meanwhile, broke the 2,000 rushing yard mark in his second season in the league, becoming the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year in the process.

The loss sent the 3-3 Jaguars into a bit of a spiral during the second half of the season, as they finished the year 7-9 and ranked last in the AFC South. Still, it was an excellent battle between two of the best backs in the league at the time, and it certainly lived up to the hype in that regard.

Former NFL stars think Titans will be OK without Derrick Henry

“Adrian Peterson with fresh legs, Titans offense won’t miss a beat,” Chad Johnson wrote.

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A pair of former NFL stars believe the Tennessee Titans will be fine without their superstar running back, Derrick Henry, who is expected to miss the next six to 10 weeks at least after undergoing foot surgery.

Former Titans running back Chris Johnson thinks Tennessee “should be alright” without Henry, namely because of star receivers A.J. Brown and Julio Jones.

“They definitely going to be the team to beat because we’re number one right now,” Johnson told TMZ. “We 6-and-2. Even though Derrick is out, there’s going to be other running backs that going to be able to step up and fill his shoes but we have other good playmakers, we got a good quarterback, we got two good receivers out there. So we should be alright.”

The running backs expected to be doing the most with Henry out are Jeremy McNichols, who has been the team’s primary passing-down back in 2021, and future Hall of Famer, Adrian Peterson, who was signed this week.

“Adrian’s been able to show that he’s been able to come in and can contribute to whatever team that he goes to,” Johnson said of the 36-year-old back.

Former NFL receiver Chad Johnson was a bit (or a lot) more emphatic about the Titans’ chances without Henry and with Peterson. Johnson tweeted (warning: NSFW language):

“Adrian Peterson with fresh legs, Titans offense won’t miss a beat, if you want to argue these facts in which I know let’s go,” Johnson wrote. “No disrespect to the Rams and their phenomenal front including their newest addition but Peterson is going to have a day, keep in mind I have yet to be wrong about anything football related this season.”

From the lips of both Johnson’s to the football gods’ ears. We certainly hope they are right.

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Iconic Arkansas track coach calling it a career

Lance Harter is stepping away from the program in June 2023, with assistant coach Chris Johnson named head coach-in-waiting.

Lance Harter has been a staple of the Arkansas women’s track and field program for over three decades.

On Tuesday, the cross country and track head coach he announced he would retire in June 2023, giving Hunter Yurachek plenty of advance notice.

Longtime assistant Chris Johnson will take over the program effective July 1, 2023.

Harter had just recently won the SEC title, and is leaving the program in great hands with Johnson.

Johnson is in his 11th season with the Arkansas program, earning three National Assistant Coach of the Year honors that also accompany a dozen regional coaching honors.

Hall of fame credentials

Harter was inducted into the USTFCCCA Coaches Hall of Fame on December 15, 2014, at the organization’s convention in Phoenix. He is also a member of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor, Mt. SAC Relays Hall of Fame and Cal Poly Hall of Fame. In November of 2020, Harter was selected to the 2021 induction class of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.

 

Former Titans RB Chris Johnson says he’s fastest player in NFL history

CJ2K says that, in his prime, he could beat any player in NFL history in a race — and we believe him.

When running back Chris Johnson was torching opposing defenses during his time with the Tennessee Titans, he was among the fastest, if not the fastest player in the NFL.

Johnson first flashed his elite speed to the world in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine in 2008 after posting a 4.24, which, according to NFL.com, is the second-fastest mark recorded in combine history.

We saw more of that speed once he hit the field for the Titans, making him a big-play machine en route to six consecutive 1,000-yard seasons to start his career, including a 2,000-yard campaign in 2009.

When speaking to TMZ Sports recently, the man known as “CJ2K” was asked if he is the fastest player in NFL history, to which he replied, “of course.”

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Johnson believes that if John Ross, who holds the fastest 40 time in combine history, Tyreek Hill, Deion Sanders and Bo Jackson held a race all in their prime, he would beat them.

That would be incredible to watch, now all we have to do is to figure out how to build a time machine in order to bring back young CJ2K, Deion and Bo in order to confirm.

You already know we’d put our money on Johnson without a second thought.

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Giants lose to Browns after late-game comeback comes falls short

The New York Giants will leave Cleveland with another loss after their late-game comeback attempt against the Browns falls short.

After conducting joint practices earlier in the week, the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns squared off at FirstEnergy Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Both teams rested the vast majority of their starters and instead opted to evaluate their depth players. The product on the field represented that, although there were moments of more crisp play than a week ago.

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In the end, it was a slow-paced contest with a few impressive plays but nothing to write home about. There will be a lot to evaluate for both teams with the league’s second cutdown day looming.

Ex-Titans RB Chris Johnson explains how he was almost a Steeler

If not for claustrophobia, Chris Johnson might have been a Pittsburgh Steeler.

Before the Tennessee Titans drafted running back Chris Johnson with the No. 24 overall pick of the 2008 NFL draft, the man also known as “CJ2K” was drawing serious interest from the Pittsburgh Steelers leading up to the draft.

In fact, Johnson says if not for his claustrophobia and refusal to take an MRI during a meeting with the Steelers, he would have been drafted by the team, which had the selection right before Tennessee at No. 23 overall.

Once Johnson refused the MRI, the Steelers sent him home and ended up taking Rashard Mendenhall with their first-round pick.

Johnson shared the story on the “All Things Covered” podcast.

While Mendenhall did end up having a few good seasons in Pittsburgh, he didn’t have quite the career Johnson had; although Mendenhall does have a Super Bowl ring that Johnson doesn’t.

Mendenhall tallied a pair of 1,000-yard seasons, while Johnson posted six in a row, including a 2,000-yard campaign that has forever etched his name in history. CJ2K was a three-time Pro Bowler, a First-Team All-Pro and won Offensive Player of the Year for his historic 2009 campaign.

Mendenhall and Johnson do have something in common other than just being running backs, though. Both players took the final NFL snaps of their careers with the Arizona Cardinals.

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Chris Johnson wishes Jon Robinson was his GM during Titans stint

Chris Johnson praised Jon Robinson for the Julio Jones trade.

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Former Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson put together a great NFL career individually, but unfortunately for one of the better players in franchise history, that didn’t translate to his team winning all that much.

Blame it on whatever you want, but Johnson only saw one playoff season during his six-year stint in Nashville, which came in his rookie campaign. Furthermore, the team never made the kind of big splash it did recently.

Fast forward to 2021 and the Titans are going for it after the acquisition of Julio Jones in a trade with the Atlanta Falcons — and that’s something Johnson appreciates, per TMZ Sports.

“I wish I could’ve played there when we had that GM,” Johnson said. “They doing what they got to do to win games.”

Johnson went on to explain what makes defending the Titans’ three-headed monster, which consists of Jones, A.J. Brown and Derrick Henry, so difficult:

“There’s no way you can put eight, nine in the box on Henry. You got Julio on the outside. You got A.J. on the other side. So, you can’t stack the box or anything like that… It’s crazy” Johnson explained.

Our thoughts exactly.

“I wish they would have made them moves when I was there,” the 2009 AP Offensive Player of the Year and 2,000-yard club member said. “You love that move. You don’t want to continue to run against eight and nine in the box. You don’t want to do that.”

While clearly optimistic about Tennessee’s team, Johnson rightly pointed out that the Titans still have to get it done on the field.

“Everything look good on paper,” Johnson said. “We got to go out there and prove it.”

Johnson isn’t the only one hyped to see what the Titans will look like this coming season. Everyone from analysts to fans are expecting big things from Tennessee’s bolstered unit in 2021.

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Barry Sanders, Chris Johnson welcome Derrick Henry to 2,000-yard club

The Titans now have two 2,000-yard rushers in franchise history.

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Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry is the newest member of the 2,000-yard club after his 250 rushing yards against the Houston Texans in Week 17 put him over the top and helped the Titans win the AFC South.

Henry is now one of eight players in NFL history to reach 2,000 yards in a single season, which was last done by Adrian Peterson when he rushed for 2,097 yards for the Minnesota Vikings back in 2012.

Henry is the second Titans player to hit the milestone, as Chris Johnson did it back in 2009, also. Tennessee is the only franchise is NFL history to have two 2,000-yard rushers.

Johnson, and another member of the 2,000-yard club, Hall of Famer Barry Sanders, took to Twitter shortly after Henry hit the mark to recognize his accomplishment.

Here’s a look at some other records and feats Henry accomplished on Sunday:

  • Henry is the only player in NFL history with five 200-yard, two-touchdown games
  • Henry is the only player in NFL history to rush for 200 yards or more in three straight games against the same opponent.
  • Henry has won back-to-back rushing titles and is the first player to do so since 2006-07 (LaDainian Tomlinson).
  • Henry completed the Triple Crown for a running back, which is leading the NFL in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, and carries.
  • Henry’s 2,684 yards over his last 20 games (including playoffs) is the most for any running back in any 20-game span in NFL history, per Elias Sports Bureau.

Worth. Every. Penny.

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