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Committee Chairman

Committee Chairman

Kirk Buchner, "The Committee Chairman", is the owner and operator of the site.  Kirk can be contacted at [email protected] .

16. Ken Houston

From Prairie View A&M, Ken Houston was taken way back in the 9th Round of the 1967 Draft, and it could have been the biggest theft of that year's selection process.  Ironically, the Oilers would make the worst trade in franchise history when they sent him to Washington years later.

The Safety was a starter as a rookie, beginning nine of his 14 Games, and he would make the Pro Bowl the following year and did so again the next four seasons.  Houston was easily one of the top Safeties in the AFL/AFC when he competed as an Oiler, and he picked off 25 passes, returning nine for Touchdowns.  

The Oilers had a superstar in their defensive backs corps, but they made a tactical error; as though they were struggling, they traded him to Washington for five players.  None of the players that Houston acquired would be decent, and the Safety would go to many more Pro Bowls.  

Houston was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and is also a member of the NFL 75th and 100th Anniversary Teams.  

As an Oiler, Houston had 25 Interceptions, but he could have had more for the team had they not sent him East.  The Oilers/Titans organization named Houston to their first franchise Ring of Honor class in 1999.

One of the best offensive players that East Carolina ever produced, Chris Johnson was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the First Round and was immediately the team’s workhorse.

Johnson was a Pro Bowler in his first three seasons, with his sophomore campaign (2009) proving to be special.  Named the Offensive Player of the Year, Johnson rushed for a league-leading 2,006 Yards, and he caught 50 passes for another 503 Yards.  His 16 Touchdowns would also be a personal best.  Johnson's last Pro Bowl year was 2010, but his next three years saw him crack the four-digit mark in Rushing Yards, making it six years in total that he accomplished that feat.  

Johnson left Tennessee when he was released after the 2014 season, and he never came close to that success again.  He accumulated 9,968 Yards From Scrimmage as a Titan.

14. Curley Culp

Known for his brute strength, Curley Culp played the first half of his career with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he helped them win Super Bowl IV.  He was traded to Houston during the 1974 Season, and it was in the state of Texas where he proved himself Canton worthy.

In 1975, which was Culp's first full season in Houston, he was a First Team All-Pro and went to his third Pro Bowl.  Culp went to the Pro Bowl the next three seasons and was regarded as one of the top Nose Tackles in the game.  Culp was the star of Defensive Coordinator Bum Phillips' 3-4 Defense, and his skill was the centerpiece of what was created in Houston.

Culp entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013.

Drafted 3rd Overall in the 1985 NFL Draft, the former Texas A&M Aggie was settling into a nice role where he played Defensive End for the Houston Oilers.  He did well and would go to his first Pro Bowl in 1988, but a switch from the 3-4 to 4-3 Defense forced Childress to move to Defensive Tackle, and it fit him perfectly.

From 1990 to 1993, he would be selected for the Pro Bowl, and he landed a First Team All-Pro Selection in 1992.  Childress was regarded during that era as an elite Defensive Tackle, and the iron man was stuffing opposing rushers at will.  He would be very popular in the Houston area with his work ethic and philanthropy, and though that franchise is gone, he is still a legend in the state of Texas.