Glory Days W hen a professional football team picks a name it usually sticks with it forever In fact of all the teams that were playing in 1960 only three have changed their names including the Tennessee Titans From 1960 to 1998 they were called the Oilers From 1960 to 1996 they played in Houston Texas The Oilers were original members of the American Football League AFL Team owner Bud Adams helped the new league get its start Adams knew that the AFL had to grab headlines in order to attract fans Most people loved the National Football League NFL The AFL needed to make a splash Adams did his part when he signed Billy Cannon the nation’s greatest college football star Cannon chose the Oilers because Adams offered him twice as much money as any NFL team was willing to pay 6
Adams made another good move by signing George Blanda to be the team’s quarterback and kicker He had been a member of the Chicago Bears in the NFL for many years Blanda became a star in Houston and led the Oilers to the AFL Championship Game three times They won in 1960 and 1961 and lost a thrilling double overtime battle in 1962 They reached the AFL Championship Game again in 1967 The Oilers were an exciting club in their early years In 1961 they scored 513 points to set a pro football record Houston often beat opponents with its great passing game Blanda’s favorite receivers were Bill Groman Charlie Hennigan and Charlie Tolar Houston’s defense could also win games Tony Banfield Freddy Glick Don Floyd and Ed Husmann were among the top players in the early days of the AFL LEFT Billy Cannon was the first college star to join the AFL ABOVE George Blanda drops back to pass 7
The Oilers had some good teams in the 1970s and 1980s By then the AFL and NFL had merged and Houston became part of the NFL’s American Football Conference AFC The team’s offensive stars included quarterbacks Dan Pastorini and Warren Moon receivers Ernest Givins Haywood Jeffires and Drew Hill and kicker Toni Fritsch Elvin Bethea Ken Houston Curley Culp and Robert Brazile led the defense Houston’s best player was Earl Campbell He was a powerful runner who battered opponents with his bruising style Campbell topped the NFL in rushing each season from 1978 to 1980 In the early 1990s Houston fans believed their club could reach the Super Bowl but disaster always seemed to strike in the playoffs In 1997 Adams decided it was time to rebuild and moved the Oilers to Tennessee Two years later they opened a new stadium in Nashville and became the Titans LEFT Earl Campbell outruns the Kansas City defense ABOVE Warren Moon and Haywood Jeffires 9
