Tennessee Titans
Houston oil tycoon Bud Adams founded the Houston Oilers in 1959 as one of eight charter members of the American Football League. The team began play at Jeppesen Stadium on the University of Houston campus in 1960. George Blanda served as quarterback from 1960 to 1966, leading the franchise to three consecutive AFL championship games. They won the first two titles against the San Diego Chargers but lost the 1962 game to the Dallas Texans by a score of 20, 17 after double overtime. In 1965, the club moved to Rice Stadium at Rice University before entering the Astrodome in 1968. This made them the first professional football team to play inside a domed stadium. The Oilers qualified for the playoffs from 1978 to 1980 and again from 1987 to 1993 during their early years.
Bud Adams announced the move to Tennessee following the 1995 season with plans to build a new stadium in Nashville. The team played two seasons at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis while waiting for construction to finish. Games in Memphis drew some of the lowest NFL attendance figures since the 1950s. The first seven home games saw crowds below 27,000 people, and two specific matches attracted fewer than 18,000 spectators. For the 1998 season, the franchise moved to Vanderbilt Stadium on the campus of Vanderbilt University in Nashville. During those two transitional years as the Tennessee Oilers, they finished 6, 2 in Nashville but went 2, 6 on the road. On the 14th of November 1998, the organization unveiled the name Tennessee Titans to coincide with the opening of their new stadium in 1999.
The 1999 season marked a dramatic run to Super Bowl XXXIV led by head coach Jeff Fisher and quarterback Steve McNair. They finished the regular season with a 13, 3 record before defeating the Buffalo Bills in the famous Music City Miracle. A last-second lateral play resulted in a kickoff return touchdown that sent them to the championship game. The Titans reached the Super Bowl but narrowly lost to the St. Louis Rams with a final score of 23, 16. They fell just one yard short of tying the game after a potential game-tying touchdown attempt failed. This remains one of the most heartbreaking finishes in franchise history despite their dominant regular season performance.
Earl Campbell won the Offensive Player of the Year Award three consecutive times from 1978 to 1980 while leading the NFL in rushing yards. Warren Moon joined the team in 1987 and helped secure six straight playoff appearances through 1993. Eddie George and Steve McNair became franchise players during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Chris Johnson broke Marshall Faulk's record for most single-season yards from scrimmage in 2009. Derrick Henry rushed for over 2,000 yards in 2020 and won the Offensive Player of the Year Award that same year. The Titans are the only NFL team to have two different players rush for more than 2,000 yards in separate seasons. Vince Young was named Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2006 before his career ended due to injuries and inconsistency.
The original Houston Oilers logo featured an oil rig derrick known as Ol' Riggy until it was dropped before the 1974 season. From 1966 to 1971, both blue and white jerseys were paired with silver pants matching the helmet color. The team wore light blue pants on the road with white jerseys from 1972 to 1994 except for specific games in the mid-1980s. When renamed the Titans in 1999, they introduced a new circular logo containing three stars representing Tennessee's Grand Divisions. White helmets replaced previous colors while navy and light blue became primary jersey options. On the 15th of October 2006, the franchise wore navy jerseys with navy pants for the first time against the Washington Redskins. In 2003, they added an alternate light Titans blue jersey worn twice per regular-season game until 2007.
The rivalry with the Jacksonville Jaguars began in 1995 when the team was still called the Houston Oilers. Both franchises experienced success in the late 1990s including a season where Jacksonville went 14, 2 and Tennessee finished 13, 3. As of the 2024 season, the Titans lead the all-time series 35, 26 against the Jaguars. Their matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers has become their most frequent divisional opponent since moving to the AFC Central. The Steelers lead the all-time series 49, 32 as of the 2024 season. A historic playoff game occurred on the 8th of January 2000, known as the Music City Miracle against the Buffalo Bills. Bud Adams received a $250,000 fine from the league after gesturing obscenely toward the Bills sideline during a 41, 17 victory in 2009.
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Common questions
Who founded the Houston Oilers and when did they begin play?
Houston oil tycoon Bud Adams founded the Houston Oilers in 1959 as one of eight charter members of the American Football League. The team began play at Jeppesen Stadium on the University of Houston campus in 1960.
When was the Tennessee Titans name officially unveiled and what stadium opened that year?
The organization unveiled the name Tennessee Titans on the 14th of November 1998 to coincide with the opening of their new stadium in 1999. This renaming occurred after the franchise moved from Memphis to Vanderbilt Stadium on the campus of Vanderbilt University in Nashville for the 1998 season.
Which players have rushed for more than 2,000 yards in a single season for the Tennessee Titans?
Derrick Henry rushed for over 2,000 yards in 2020 and won the Offensive Player of the Year Award that same year. The Titans are the only NFL team to have two different players rush for more than 2,000 yards in separate seasons.
What happened during the Music City Miracle game against the Buffalo Bills on the 8th of January 2000?
A last-second lateral play resulted in a kickoff return touchdown that sent the Tennessee Titans to Super Bowl XXXIV. They defeated the Buffalo Bills in this famous game before narrowly losing to the St. Louis Rams with a final score of 23, 16.
How did the Tennessee Titans uniform colors change when they were renamed from the Houston Oilers?
When renamed the Titans in 1999, they introduced a new circular logo containing three stars representing Tennessee's Grand Divisions. White helmets replaced previous colors while navy and light blue became primary jersey options.