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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] .

After winning the Heisman Trophy in 1977, there was little doubt that the Texas Longhorn would not be the number one pick in the Draft.  The Houston Oilers held that selection, and Campbell remained in the Lone Star State, where he was the top Running Back in football for a few years.

As a rookie, Campbell led the NFL in rushing with 1,450 Yards, and not only was he the best at his position, he was the most physical, preferring to plow through defenders rather than elude them.  Campbell won both the Offensive Rookie of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year, and both the NEA and PFWA named him their MVP.  What do you do for an encore?  Have an even better season.

In 1979, Campbell exceeded his rookie mark with 1,697 Rushing Yards and a career-best 19 Touchdowns, which also led the NFL.  Campbell swept every major award he could win (AP MVP, Bert Bell, NEA MVP, PFWA MVP, and OPOY) and had his second straight Rushing Title.  His 1980 Season saw him again lead the NFL in Rushing with 1,934 Yards and 13 TDs, and his third consecutive OPOY was his.

Those three seasons ended his apex, but he still had two more 1,300/10 TD years as an Oiler (1981 & 1983).  Campbell got off to a poor start in 1984 and was traded to the Saints, but his playing style caught up to him, and he retired shortly after.

With the Oilers, Campbell rushed for 8,574 Yards with 74 Touchdowns in 91 Games.  His number 34 was retired in 1987, and four years later, he was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  In 1999, the Titans inducted him into their franchise Ring of Honor.

3. Mike Munchak

Had it not been for Bruce Matthews, his longtime Offensive Linemate, Mike Munchak, would have easily been the best Lineman in franchise history, but second, to Matthews is nothing to be ashamed of.

Munchak was a high First Round pick from Penn State in 1982, and after an injury-riddled and mediocre rookie year, Munchak settled in as their starting Left Guard, becoming one of the best in the business.  A Pro Bowl Selection in 1984 and 1985, Munchak finished his career with a seven-year stretch of Pro Bowls, with two First Team All-Pro nods.  The All-Decade Guard played all 12 of his seasons with Houston, starting all but three of his 159 Games.  Munchak retired in 1993, and his number 63 was retired the year after.

Munchak was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001, two years after he was inducted to their Ring of Honor. The Olers would retire his number 63 in 1994.

2. Warren Moon

Warren Moon was a star Quarterback at the University of Washington, but in the late 1970s, the NFL was not interested in black QBs.  Before the draft, Moon decided to sign with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League, and he led them to five consecutive Grey Cups.  Moon’s performance north of the border caused a bidding war for his services in the U.S., and he signed with the Houston Oilers in 1984.

The Oilers were not a good team when he arrived, and while they were not winning many games in Moon's early seasons, the gunslinger did what he could to make them competitive.  Moon gained weapons, and from 1988 to 1993, he was a perennial Pro Bowl selection, and took Houston to the playoffs in all of those seasons.  

Moon was at his best in 1990, where he led the league in Pass Completions (362), Passing Yards (4,689), and Passing Touchdowns (33), and he won the Offensive Player of the Year Award.  He again led the NFL in Completions (404) and Yards (4,690) the following season.  

After a good 1993 season, the Oilers sent the Quarterback to Minnesota, ending his incredible run in the state of Texas.  Moon had 33,685 Yards and 196 Touchdowns in Houston, and he would enter both the Canadian Football and Pro Football Hall of Fame.  The Titans also retired his number 1 and inducted him to their Ring of Honor in 2007.

The decision to make Bruce Matthews the greatest Oiler/Titan, was a very simple one.  Matthews is not only one of the most prolific Offensive Lineman in the last 50 years; he is also the most versatile and durable.

Matthews was an iron man of sorts, playing an astounding 296 Regular Season Games (currently 14th all-time) and starting 293 of them.  Matthews, who was taken ninth overall in 1983, hit his stride in his sixth season, beginning a 14-year streak of Pro Bowls, which is tied for the most ever.  Matthews was a seven-time First Team All-Pro, which he accomplished at three different positions, Right Guard, Center, and Left Guard.  This ability to excel at different slots at the Offensive Line was invaluable to the Oilers/Titans, who could use other Lineman to their strengths.

Playing until 2001, Matthews is still in the top ten all-time in Approximate Value (226), and he was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.  Matthews was named to the 1990s All-Decade Team and the NFL 100th Anniversary Team.  The Titans retired his number 74 in 2002 and installed him in their franchise RIng of Honor the same year.