History - Tennessee Titans & Houston Oilers | TennesseeTitans.com

Jim Norton played nine seasons for the Oilers (1960-68) as a safety and as a punter, establishing team records at both positions. As a rookie from the University of Idaho, Norton was a member of the Oilers' 1960 AFL Championship team. A four-time league all-star, he holds the club record for most interceptions in a career with 45. Also an accomplished punter, Norton was tops in club history with 519 career punts for a 42.3-yard career average and a long kick of 79 yards (11/22/64 vs. Kansas City).

Elvin Bethea joined the Oilers in 1968 after an outstanding career at North Carolina A&T. He started at defensive end in the 1968 season opener and didn't miss a game until breaking his arm in November 1977. That streak of 135 consecutive games played stands third in team history. An eight-time Pro Bowler (1970, 1972- 76, 1978-80), Bethea ranks second for most seasons played (16, 1968-83), while his 210 games played (1968-83) also stands second behind Bruce Matthews. Bethea led the team in sacks six times, including a career-best mark of 17 in 1973. The Oilers honored him with an "Elvin Bethea Appreciation Night" on Aug. 4, 1983. He became the sixth player in franchise history to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Aug. 3, 2003

Earl Campbell, the franchise's second leading rusher and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, was honored by having his number retired at ceremonies on Aug. 13, 1987. He set a single-season club record with a league-leading 1,450 yards his rookie season. Campbell followed that performance with 1,697 yards in 1979 and an astounding 1,934 yards in 1980. Both those totals led the NFL and the latter was second only to O.J. Simpson's 2,003 yards in 1973. Campbell was selected to five Pro Bowls (1978-81, 1983) and retired as the NFL's seventh all-time leading rusher (9,407). He ranks second in franchise history in career rushing yards (8,574) and attempts (1,979), first in touchdown runs (73) and first in most consecutive games with a rushing touchdown (5).

Mike Munchak joined the Oilers as a firstround draft pick in 1982 out of Penn State. He was the first offensive lineman selected in the draft and the eighth overall selection. Munchak won the starting left guard position as a rookie and went on to play in 12 campaigns (1982- 93) and 159 games (156 starts) for the Oilers. He is tied for third on the team's all-time list for seasons played and ranks fifth in games played. Munchak became a fixture on an offensive line that helped the Oilers to seven consecutive playoff appearances (1987-93). One of the premier guards in the National Football League, Munchak was selected to NFL's "Team of the Decade" for the 1980s and was chosen in 1989 to Oilers' 30th Anniversary "Dream Team." He ranks second in club annals with nine Pro Bowl selections, seven as a starter. Munchak announced his retirement on July 21, 1994, and on the same day, K.S. "Bud" Adams, Jr,. announced that jersey No. 63 would be retired on "Mike Munchak Appreciation Day" on Nov. 6, 1994.

Bruce Matthews played in more games (296) than any non-kicker in NFL history. Longevity and durability were his hallmark. And that, coupled with his unparalleled play, in which he tied a league record with 14 Pro Bowl selections (tied with Merlin Olsen) and earned All-Pro honors six times, made him one of the all-time greats. He rose to the challenges presented to him in playing every position on the offensive line during his NFL career (87 at center, 99 at left guard, 67 at right guard, 22 at right tackle, and 17 at left tackle). His number was retired during a halftime ceremony in Nashville on Dec. 8, 2002.

Warren Moon, the fourth leading passer in NFL history at the time his number was retired, played 10 years (1984-93) with the organization and holds the franchise records for passing yards (33,685) and touchdowns (196), while leading the Oilers to seven consecutive playoff appearances from 1987-93. Moon's finest season came in 1990, throwing for 4,689 yards (363-for-584) and 33 touchdowns in only 15 games and becoming the third player in NFL history to produce consecutive 4,000-yard passing seasons. He earned AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year for his efforts and his third Pro Bowl berth. His jersey was retired in a halftime ceremony in Nashville on Oct. 1, 2006.

Eddie George became the organization's all-time leading rusher as well as its all-time scrimmage yards leader in eight seasons with the team. His 10,009 rushing yards from 1996– 2003 ranked second in the NFL (Curtis Martin), while his 12,153 scrimmage yards in the same time frame were third (Marshall Faulk, Martin). His accolades included four Pro Bowl selections (1997–2000), AP All-Pro honors (2000) and the AP Rookie of the Year Award (1996). George also set franchise standards for career rushing attempts (2,733), career touchdowns (74), 1,000-yard rushing seasons (seven), seasons as the team's leading rusher (eight) and career playoff rushing yards (776). During his time with the Titans he amassed 36 100-yard rushing performances (second to Earl Campbell's 39), resulting in a 30-6 record in those contests. He established an NFL mark with 130 consecutive starts by a running back to begin a career—a total which ranked second in NFL history for consecutive starts by a running back at any point. His jersey was retired in a halftime ceremony in Nashville on Sept. 15, 2019.

Steve McNair played 11 seasons with the organization (1995–2005), becoming its second all-time leading passer (27,141 yards) and recording the most wins as a starting quarterback (76). At the time his jersey was retired, he trailed only Warren Moon on the franchise's all-time passing yards list and also ranked second for the organization in completions (2,305), completion percentage (59.5) and passer rating (83.3). He ranked third in touchdown passes (156). His 3,439 rushing yards and 36 touchdown runs were the most in team history by a quarterback. McNair earned three of his four career Pro Bowl berths with the Titans (2000, 2003 and 2005), and in 2003, he shared Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player honors with Peyton Manning after leading the league with a 100.4 rating. He became the first African-American quarterback to win MVP honors. McNair was the third player in the history of the NFL to pass for 30,000 yards and rushed for 3,500 yards, along with Fran Tarkenton and Steve Young. Only Brett Favre and Manning started more combined NFL regular season and postseason games than McNair (134) from the time he became a full-time starter in 1997 through 2005. He was selected with the third overall draft pick in 1995. His jersey was retired in a halftime ceremony in Nashville on Sept. 15, 2019.