Regular visitors of notinhalloffame.com know that we are slowly working on the top 50 of every major team in the NHL, NBA, NFL, and MLB. Once that is done, we will examine how each team honors its past players, coaches, and executives. As such, it is important to us that the Tennessee Titans have announced that former Running Back Chris Johnson will be inducted into their Ring of Honor during their season opener against the New York Jets on September 13.

A star at East Carolina, Johnson was the 24th overall pick in 2008 and would play for the team until 2013.  A Pro Bowl Selection in his first three seasons, Johnson had one of the most explosive offensive campaigns as an NFL sophomore, when he led the NFL in Rushing Yards with 2,006, which was complemented by a league-leading 2,503 Yards from Scrimmage.  He was named the Offensive Player of the Year that season.

Johnson rushed for 1,000 Yards in all six of his seasons in Tennessee, and when he was released by the team before the 2014 season, he had accumulated 9,968 Yards from Scrimmage with 58 Touchdowns.

Weeks ago, Johnson announced his diagnosis with ALS, a debilitating disease that has no cure.  He is currently communicating by using his eyes to trigger a speech-triggering device.

Recently, Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Steve “Mongo” McMichael passed away from the same ailment.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Chris Johnson for his upcoming accolade.

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.

Chris Johnson had an incredible three-year start (2008-10) in the National Football League where he was named a Pro Bowl each year and provided the Tennessee Titans with the potent running attack that every NFL team salivates for.  The former East Carolina Pirate’s best year was his sophomore campaign (2009) where he would vault into rarified air with a 2,000 Rushing Yard season, which was not only NFL leading but would also see him finish atop the leaderboard in Rushing Attempts, Rushing Yards/Game, Touches and Yards From Scrimmage. 

TMZ might just be the greatest new source for Pro Football Hall of Fame news…or at least for former players stating their case for enshrinement.  The latest is Chris Johnson, the former Running Back who told TMZ that he certainly belongsat a launch party for his supplement company in Nashville.

Johnson stated that he was a Hall of Famer “for sure” and he was the “fastest guy that ever played in the NFL”.  He also added that he hoped the Hall will “do the right thing”.

Hmmmm.

Johnson’s first three seasons in the National Football League was phenomenal as the then Tennessee Titan was named to the Pro Bowl and in his second year, he was a First Team All-Pro that led the league in Rushing Yards with 2,006 and was named the AP Offensive Player of the Year.  Johnson was not a Pro Bowler after 2010, but in his next three seasons with Tennessee he still rushed for over 1,000 Yards.  In his final four seasons he played for the New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals. He retired with 9,651 Rushing Yards with 50 TDs, which he complimented with another 2,255 Receiving Yards.  These are good numbers but in the modern era a Running Back that does not at least hit 10,000 Rushing Yards and more than one dominant season will struggle to see their bust in Canton.

The former Running Back is eligible for the Hall in 2023 and frankly he will be very lucky to become even a Semi-Finalist.  The Pro Football Hall of Fame is loaded and relative to the number of players who compete and the size of the Hall it is incredibly difficult to gain admission.     

Johnson is not likely to gain a gold jacket, but this one hell of a player who should always be celebrated in the state of Tennessee.

As always, we here at Notinhalloffame.com will be paying attention!