TENNESSEE Titans Wide receiver Kevin Dyson THE MUSIC CITY MIRACLE One of the most exciting plays in NFL National Football League history came near the end of a playoff game in January 2000 The Tennessee Titans hosted the Buffalo Bills at Adelphia Coliseum in Nashville The Titans led 12 0 at halftime The Bills came back to take a 13 12 lead in the fourth quarter With two minutes left Tennessee kicked a field goal The Titans regained the lead Then Buffalo kicked a field goal with just 16 seconds remaining The Bills were up 16 15 The teams lined up for the kickoff Do the Titans have a miracle left in them asked the TV announcer If they do they need it now The Bills decided to do a pooch kick It was higher and shorter than usual Titans running back Lorenzo Neal received the kick on the 25-yard line He 9
TENNESSEE Titans spun and handed the ball to tight end Frank Wycheck Wycheck took several steps to his right He threw the ball back across the field Wide receiver Kevin Dyson caught it He had several blockers in front of him He raced 75 yards along the sideline He scored the game-winning touchdown It’s a miracle the announcer screamed Tennessee has pulled off a miracle Part of the miracle was that Dyson had never practiced Quarterback Steve McNair the play He replaced an injured teammate who normally would have been part of the play In fact Titans coach Jeff Fisher was still explaining it as Dyson ran onto the field It was like being a little kid again drawing something up in the dirt and then going out and doing it Wycheck said Bills coach Wade Phillips challenged the play He was sure that Wycheck had thrown the ball forward That would have been a penalty The touchdown would not count At first it seemed that Phillips was right But the officials eventually agreed that it was a lateral or sideways pass Wycheck’s arm was beyond the 25-yard line when he released the ball Dyson caught the ball when it was almost on the line itself That meant the path of the ball was slightly backward It was perfectly legal The touchdown stood Tennessee won Nashville is the capital of the country music industry Because of this 10
TENNESSEE Titans Earl Campbell Running Back Oilers seasons 1978 84 Height 5-foot-11 Weight 232 pounds GRIDIRON GREATS FROM ANOTHER PLANET Earl Campbell burst into professional football in 1978 He was named Offensive Rookie of the Year He was also the NFL’s Most Valuable Player MVP Campbell spoke with a soft voice But there was nothing quiet about his playing style His powerful thighs made him difficult to tackle Defensive players had to work together to bring him down University of Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer was asked to compare Campbell and Billy Sims Sims had won the Heisman Trophy the year after Campbell Earl Campbell is the greatest player that ever suited up Switzer said Billy Sims is human Campbell isn’t 11
