Tag: Houston Oilers

Titans players hyped to wear Oilers throwbacks after NFL changes helmet rule

The door is now open for the Titans to wear Oilers throwbacks down the road.

The NFL sent a memo to all 32 teams on Thursday revealing that the helmet rule that has deterred the Tennessee Titans from wearing their Houston Oilers throwbacks would be changed.

According to the memo, starting in 2022 teams can use a secondary helmet, which wasn’t allowed previously for safety reasons. However, clubs must notify the league by July 31, 2021 of their intent to use an alternate helmet next season.

This opens the door for the Titans to wear their full Oilers throwbacks, which controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk didn’t want to do in the past because, as she rightly pointed out back in 2019, Titans helmets with Oilers jerseys “just wouldn’t make sense.”

“I would personally like to, but I don’t want to go there until we can have another helmet to go with it… that uniform without that helmet just wouldn’t make sense,” Adams Strunk explained.

Shortly after the news of the rule change broke, Titans running back Derrick Henry and left tackle Taylor Lewan, both of whom have lobbied to wear Oilers jerseys in the past, were understandably hyped.

Lewan is getting a bit ahead of himself, as the Titans are unlikely to wear the Oilers throwbacks in 2021 because the rule change doesn’t take effect until 2022.

And to complicate things further, teams like the Titans might have limited options at best until 2023, as Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio explained.

According to the memo disseminated on Thursday by the NFL, all teams must decide and declare by July 31 whether they’ll be using a second helmet in 2022. Complicating matters for the various teams is that “the notice date for 2022 uniform changes has passed and no new uniforms can be developed for the 2022 season, other than those previously approved by the League Office for the 2022 season.”

This means that, for example, the Patriots won’t be able to adopt for 2022 an alternate uniform based on their Pat Patriot throwbacks, making the return of a white helmet impractical before 2023. Ditto for the Tampa Bay creamsicle uniforms, the light blue Oilers helmet as an alternative to the Titans’ uniform, and any other alternate helmets that make no sense without an alternate set of jerseys and pants.

Whenever the Titans are able to swing it, they absolutely should bring back the Oilers jerseys. After all, there is no sweeter throwback in the NFL.

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The NFL will allow alternate helmets again in 2022

The NFL is deciding to have fun again!

The NFL announced on Thursday that it would allow teams to wear alternate helmets again starting in 2022. The NFL disallowed the use of alternate helmets in 2013, citing safety concerns of players having to fit in multiple helmets instead of one that could be used for the entire season.

Now, the league is able to bring back some of the classic looks that define the history of the league itself. In order to stay true to their concerns of safety, players helmets must be the same make and model across their different colors.

The throwback uniforms are something that have been greatly missed over the past decade of NFL football, adding a little flair and fashion to the action every Sunday. Here are a few classic looks that people are excited to see again starting in 2022.

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Titans great Bruce Matthews’ incredible longevity summed up in one stat

Bruce Matthews remains one of the greatest players in Titans/Oilers history.

When you think of the very best players in Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans franchise history, Hall-of-Fame offensive lineman Bruce Matthews is right up there near the top of the list.

Matthews spent his entire career with the Oilers, and then the Titans, after being drafted in the first round of the 1983 NFL draft, wearing many hats upfront for the franchise and excelling with all of them.

On top of that, Matthews displayed legendary longevity, as he lasted 19 seasons and played until the age of 40, which is almost unthinkable in this day and age, let alone for an offensive lineman.

Making his career even more impressive is the fact that Matthews was still near the top of his game at his advanced age, as he started all 16 games during his final campaign and made the Pro Bowl.

CBS Sports recently posted an interesting tidbit about Matthews. Despite not making his first Pro Bowl until the age of 27, Matthews still managed to finish tied for the most appearances in the game in NFL history, all of which came in his final 14 seasons.

At the time of Matthews’ retirement, only Los Angeles Rams great Merlin Olsen had achieved 14 Pro Bowl appearances.

Since then, tight end Tony Gonzalez and quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Tom Brady have joined this group. Brady, who is the only active player on this list, could break the record in 2021.

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Titans release statement on passing of original Oiler Al Jamison

Jamison’s NFL career was only three seasons, but he still made a huge impact.

The Tennessee Titans have released a statement after the death of one of the original Houston Oilers, left tackle Al Jamison, who passed away at the age of 83, one week before his 84th birthday.

 “We are saddened to hear about the passing of Al Jamison,” the statement from controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk read. “An original Oiler in 1960, he was our first left tackle and part of two AFL Championships. After retiring as a player, he settled in Texas and served his community. We send out condolences to his family and friends as we remember a life well lived.

Jamison, who was one of the original members of the Oilers in the AFL, only played three seasons because of a back injury that forced him to retire but still managed to make a huge impact.

The Colgate product started in all 42 games over that span and was a two-time Pro Bowler and three-time First-Team All-Pro. He also played a key role in the franchise’s back-to-back AFL Championships in 1960 and 1961.

After his playing days were over, Jamison started a construction business in Texas and also served as a county judge for 12 years.

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Tennessee Titans’ NFL draft history with 205th overall pick

Who has the franchise selected at No. 205 in NFL draft history?

One of the Tennessee Titans’ nine picks in the upcoming 2021 NFL draft will come in the sixth round at No. 205 overall, the first of two picks the team has in the round this year.

It’s a spot the franchise has chosen from twice before, once in 1977 as the Houston Oilers, and once as the Tennessee Oilers in 1998.

With their first 205th overall selection, the Oilers chose a wide receiver out of Houston named Eddie Foster. The wideout posted 15 catches for 208 yards in his rookie campaign, but didn’t see the field in 1978 and played in just one game in 1979, his last in the NFL.

Things didn’t any better in 1998, as the Oilers — this time from Tennessee — selected linebacker Jimmy Sprotte.

The Arizona product never took the field for Tennessee and played in just nine games over his two-year NFL career, all of which came with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Clearly we shouldn’t be expecting much from this draft spot for the Titans, but perhaps general manager Jon Robinson can pull out some late-round magic like we’ve seen him do during his tenure in Nashville.

The 2021 NFL draft begins on April 29, and the Titans will be making their pick at No. 205 on Day 3, which will take place on May 1.

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Why humble A.J. Brown won’t be switching jersey number

Titans WR A.J. Brown wore No. 1 with Ole Miss in college.

Despite the NFL relaxing the policy on jersey numbers certain positions can wear, don’t expect Tennessee Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown to try and capitalize on it.

The new policy, which was suggested by the Kansas City Chiefs and was reportedly approved by owners recently, allows running backs, receivers, tight ends, linebackers, and defensive backs to wear single-digit numbers.

Brown figured to be a candidate to change his number because he wore No. 1 in college, but first he’d have to ask Houston Oilers great and Hall-of-Fame quarterback Warren Moon, who had his jersey number retired by the organization back in 2006, for permission.

But that’s not something Brown is ready to do, and he explained why on Twitter, basically saying he isn’t worthy of Moon’s number, showing his humble side once again.

It’s always great to see a young rising star player like Brown show his respect for those who came before him.

The Ole Miss product is doing just fine with No. 11 anyway and may end up having it retired alongside Moon when his career is all said and done if he remains on his current trajectory.

Even if Moon gave Brown the OK, he’d still have more to do in order to make the switch for this season.

According to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, the NFL would require Brown, or any player changing their number in 2021, to buy out the existing stock of jersey distributors, which figures to be costly. That won’t be required for players who make a number change in 2022, though.

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Tennessee Titans’ NFL draft history with the 126th overall pick

Of the four players, only two played in a game with the franchise.

After not owning a fourth-round pick in last year’s event, the Tennessee Titans will be making a selection in the round during the 2021 NFL draft.

The Titans’ last fourth-round selection came in 2019 when the team drafted safety Amani Hooker, who is set to take over one of the starting safety spots in 2021 after the departure of fellow safety, Kenny Vaccaro.

As far as the specific spot they are drafting from goes (No. 126 overall), it’s a pick Tennessee has owned four times in franchise history. Those picks came in 1964 and 1990 as the Houston Oilers, and then again in 2003 and 2008 as the Titans.

Of those four picks, only two of them actually played in a game with the team. Let’s take a closer look.

The players Titans have drafted at No. 22 overall in franchise history

The Titans have held the No. 22 overall pick four times in franchise history.

The Tennessee Titans were bounced from the playoffs in the first round after an 11-5 season and an AFC South title, leading to their owning the No. 22 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft.

The Titans have owned this specific four times in franchise history. Three of those selections came when they were the Houston Oilers in 1963, 1964 and 1988, and then the Titans had that pick once again in 2018.

The first two, running back Jerry Cook (1963) out of Texas and offensive tackle Bobby Crenshaw (1964) out of Baylor, were both third-round picks in the AFL draft and neither player ever suited up for the Oilers.

In 1988, the Oilers selected running back Lorenzo White in the first round of the NFL draft. The Michigan State product spent seven seasons with the franchise.

White compiled 1,000 carries for 4,242 yards and 29 touchdowns during his Houston tenure, with his best season coming in 1992 when he finished with 1,226 yards, seven scores and a Pro Bowl nod.

White broke the 700-yard mark two other times, but never reached 1,000 yards or more again. He ended up moving on to play for the Cleveland Browns in 1995, his last season in the league.

In 2018, the Titans picked Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans, who just completed his third season in the two-tone blue in 2020.

Evans showed plenty of promise during his first two seasons, and especially in his sophomore campaign in 2019, when he finished second on the team in tackles with 111, tallied 2.5 sacks and was a force against the run.

Unfortunately for Tennessee, Evans took a step back last year, as his season was marred by ineffective play and a team-high eight penalties. His fifth-year option, which once looked like a lock to be picked up, is now in question. The Titans will have to decide by May what to do with their linebacker.

Overall, the Titans have gotten a few solid players in the spot they’re set to pick during the 2021 NFL draft, but none qualifies as a home-run pick. General manager Jon Robinson can change that on April 29.

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Titans’ statement on death of former Oilers LB, Packers GM Ted Thompson

Thompson played for the Oilers for eight seasons.

Tennessee Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk released a statement after the passing of former Houston Oilers linebacker and Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson, who died at the age of 68 on Thursday.

Strunk’s statement reads:

“I would like to express my condolences on the passing of former Oiler Ted Thompson. He was a constant on the Oilers during the Luv Ya Blue era, playing 10 years for our franchise. He was a smart and savvy player, who made his mark on special teams and clearly had a great feel for the game. His knowledge of the game was evident with his successful run as a football executive and general manager for the Green Bay Packers. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and the Packer organization.”

An SMU product, Thompson played all 10 of his NFL seasons with the Oilers from 1975 through 1984 and went to a pair of AFC Championship Games in that span.

After his playing days were over, Thompson began his career as an NFL executive with the Packers in 1992, where he worked his way from an assistant director of pro personnel to general manager, a position he held from 2005 through 2017. He was the team’s Senior Advisor to Football Operations from 2018 through the 2020 season.

Is Texans chairman and CEO Cal McNair the new Bud Adams?

With the turmoil that has hit the Houston sports scene recently, is Texans chairman and CEO Cal McNair becoming the new Bud Adams?

When it came to the Houston Oilers, Bud Adams only thought of himself.

In the late 1980s, Adams demanded renovations to the Astrodome, or else he would be moving the team to Jacksonville. After a bond election, which Harris County residents had to pay off for the next 30 years, Adams got his upgrades to the Eighth Wonder of the World.

However, it wouldn’t stop Adams from moving the Oilers. In 1995, Adams wanted a brand new stadium, not even 10 years after putting Harris County voters on the hook to upgrade the Astrodome. Adams got mad, shopped the Oilers once again, and ultimately announced the team’s departure for Nashville in 1998.

The crowds at the Astrodome were sparse in 1996. Though the Oilers started 5-2, Houston sports fans were incensed; they didn’t care. Even local media knew who to please and allegedly aired Houston Rockets preseason games ahead of Oilers games. Adams had made such a mess out of the situation that the league and the city of Houston reached an agreement to let the Oilers out of their Astrodome lease a year early, which is why the team moved to Tennessee in 1997.

As late as a 2012 interview with the Houston Chronicle, Houston Texans chairman and CEO Cal McNair couldn’t understand why Houston sports fans reviled Adams.

“It was interesting because the fans loved the team, but for whatever reason, they didn’t love the owner,” McNair said. “In this case, the fans love the team and the fans love the owner. I know Bud Adams, and he’s a nice guy. I don’t know exactly what he did to get people mad at him.”

This tone-deafness is precisely why the Texans are in the trouble they are in nine years later.

Jim Mora, coach of the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts, said that if you listen too much to the fans, you end up sitting in the stands with them. McNair can’t reasonably acquiesce every fan request, whether expressed individually or collectively.

Texans fans have zeroed in on executive vice president of football operations Jack Easterby as the problem that ails the franchise. Of course, these were the same people who said Bill O’Brien, who won the most AFC South titles in club history, was the problem. Understandably, Houston sports fans just wanted to see their pro football team win, and whoever wasn’t getting the job done was the problem.

Strange coincidences have occurred since the introduction of Easterby into the franchise, and the fans and media can’t help but notice them. And are fans actually over the target when Andre Johnson, Mr. Texan, calls out Easterby as the problem?

Johnson isn’t a fan in the stands; he is actually former coaching/front office/scouting personnel that left the team in August 2020 after spending a year in his utility role. Of all the angry tweets about Easterby, Johnson’s proscribing carries the most weight.

One could argue that Deshaun Watson is the greatest Houston quarterback since the late Steve McNair, but the former Oilers first-round pick never developed as a starter while in Houston, which makes Watson’s comparisons to Warren Moon all the more apt. Houston sports fans know Watson can throw a ball through a car wash and not get it wet. They also know he can make plays with his feet and catalyze the team to pull out improbable wins. For the first time since the Texans’ 2002 inception, they have their franchise quarterback.

And, for whatever reasons, Watson is upset. When did it start? Moments after McNair hired Nick Caserio as general manager. Who is Caserio friends with going back to the New England Patriots? Easterby.

Adams fired Bum Phillips, Jerry Glanville, and Jack Pardee, all playoff-winning coaches, because they weren’t getting the job done. Even Adams would have fired a former character coach, who meandered his way through the organization and allowed a playoff contender to finish 4-12 and fray the relationship with the star quarterback.

If anything, contrasted with Adams, McNair is too nice and not selfish enough, and fans are beginning to focus their indignation on the son of the man who brought the NFL back to the Bayou City.

Adams made a mess out of the NFL in Houston. He took the Oilers records, uniforms, and history and grafted it onto an expansion team, the Tennessee Titans. However, any time the Texans play the Buffalo Bills, or get into the playoffs, what is technically the Titans’ ignominy gets brought up in relation to the Texans.

McNair has a chance with Watson to memory hole the bad memories Adams left with Houston sports fans. If the Texans ever crack the NFL’s final four or even qualify for the Super Bowl, let alone with the thing, it will be much more difficult to compare the Texans and Oilers, Watson and Moon, Adams and McNair. If McNair doesn’t build around his franchise quarterback, he will be remembered as unfavorably as Adams.