Last week, I talked about my all-time Mount Rushmore from the Tennessee Titans offense. Today, it’s time to shift gears and talk about the Titans defense. This is a franchise that has been known for its stout defenses over the course of the last couple of decades, and it has produced some of the NFL’s greatest and most underrated defenders.
Our criteria for this discussion was pretty simple – sure, on-the-field success mattered, but Mose and I broke ties between difficult decisions by going with our gut and picking guys that were simply our favorites. On to the list.
Here’s my Titans defense Mount Rushmore:
Keith Bulluck
Bulluck was the first name that came to mind when this question was originally posed. The guy is second in Titans (emphasis…*TITANS*) history in tackles for loss (61) and forced fumbles (15). The man scored five touchdowns throughout his tenure with the Titans, but it’s his 70 passes deflected that hop off the stat sheet – that’s only behind Samari Rolle and Jason McCourty. News flash, bucko: those are cornerbacks.
But, that’s not what made Bulluck so special in Tennessee. They called him “Mr. Monday Night” for a reason – he just showed up on the big stage. Plus, he had a certain swag that the Titans defenses of the era really took on. He was one of the greatest leaders in Titans history.
Jevon Kearse
If you ask the average Titans fan who their favorite defensive player is, The Freak’s name is likely to come up. At least….if said Titans fan is 30 years or older. I guess I should qualify that – I feel like I’m gettin’ old. Nonetheless, Kearse was known as one of the most athletically gifted and talented pass rushers of his era. To this day, I still think he’s the best pure pass rusher this franchise has ever seen.
He still leads all Titans with 52 sacks. His 22 forced fumbles are also first, and his 56 TFLs are 4th. He’s unforgettable guy who has become the gold standard, the expectation, for all pass rushers the Titans have drafted since.
Jurrell Casey
Casey has always been underrated in the grand scheme of the NFL. Hell, if he didn’t play in the same era of defensive line standouts Aaron Donald and J.J. Watt, maybe he’d get more credit. Maybe if he played in a larger market, he’d get more credit. I don’t know what the issue was, but the guy is a lot closer to the Donalds and Watts of the world than people realize it.
He’s been to every Pro Bowl since 2015, he leads the Titans in TFLs (84), and quarterback hits (115). If the Titans didn’t fuckin’ trade him to the Denver Broncos, he would’ve had a shot at, and likely achieved, a new Titans franchise record for sacks. He’s sitting at 51 to Kearse’s 52.
You can’t ask for a better character guy, either. He was good to Nashville, and Nashville loved him for it. He’s a fan favorite and a leader, and no matter where he ends his career, he’ll always be a Titans in my book.
Michael Griffin
You know I had to keep the tradition going – I’m sure I raised some eyebrows with Vince Young. So, I’m going to do the same with Griff. Maybe it’s a Texas thing?
Griff played on one of the best Titans defenses of all time, so it might be easier for him to get lost in the shuffle. Plus, people tend to remember how things fizzled out for #33. Attitudes changed pretty quickly when he was the culprit of a few busted plays. But, you might not realize that he actually leads all Titans in interceptions with 25. That’s more than Rolle, Bulluck, AND Kevin Byard.
I loved the way he played the game – he was a rangy play-maker when he needed to be, but he could also tackle when called upon (let’s forget those last couple of seasons in Nashville). His 578 tackles are second only to Bulluck.
He was one of the more underrated pieces on those good Titans defenses of the late 2000s.
LISTEN to the latest episode of The Unofficial Titans Podcast to hear John Mosley provide his Titans defense Mount Rushmore, and discuss my list HERE:
Listen to “Ep. 29: Titans Defense Mount Rushmore” on Spreaker.Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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