Now this is quite a unique nomination - the first of it's kind - which is exciting to write (but also at the exact same time a complete headache to write), so here we go....This year, Coach Leach is nominating every Tennessee Titans running back to play for Forge Flyers from 2009 to 2019. So I'm gonna take this year by year and see where we end up.
2009 is easy - we don't know sadly, as all history from this year is not available. But Coach Leach did not make playoffs, and likely didn't have a Titans player (I think Chris Johnson may have been on Bear Necessities that year). So to 2010 we go. A couple of Titans were drafted by Forge Flyers this season (Vince Young and Kenny Britt), but no RBs - and as far as I can tell Chris made only 1 roster addition that year (spoilers, it wasn't a Titans RB). No trades either, before you ask. 2011, Coach Leach still didn't draft a Titans RB, nor add one (though he had 4 roster additions that year, way to go Chris!), but no trades either.
2012 was the year however, as Coach Leach selected Chris Johnson in the first round with the 8th overall pick. And what a year it was as he rolled for 175 fantasy points. Sadly it wasn't an overly triumphant year for Forge Flyers as they went 6-8 - but Chris Johnson was a large part of that record not being worse. But fear not - for 2013 saw Chris Johnson star for the Forge Flyers again, after being made the 4th overall pick in the draft. And he saw an even better return, netting 198 points over the season and leading Forge Flyers to a 8-6 record. Agonisingly, Chris fell just short of the playoffs holding the 5th seed in 2013, but Chris Johnson's impact could certainly be felt.
Coach Leach did not draft Chris Johnson in 2014, but he did add Bishop Sankey to his team in Week 10 - and he would stick until the end of the season. Despite only scoring 78 points total on the year, he started straight away in week 10 scoring 7.4 points in a 103-90 point loss - but did enough to keep the job in Week 11 and scored 10.5 points...in a 108-100 point loss. Hoping to hit the well third time lucky, he scored 3.1 points in week 12 in another loss. A benching in a Week 13 loss gave Sankey a lot to think about - but he clearly didn't think about the right thing as he scored 2.7 points in another loss. Sankey may have had a lot to do with Chris's poor 2-12 season...
Moving swiftly on to 2015, Chris did not feature a Titans RB (perhaps a good thing after the Sankey season), but still sputtered to a 3-11 record. The only logical conclusion in 2016 was to draft DeMarco Murray - who had performed very well for the Cowboys in recent seasons. And it paid off - bringing Chris back up the ranks with a 6-8 record, with a very heavy reliance on DeMarco's 243 fantasy points for the year. He also added Derrick Henry in week 10 who finished the seasons with 93 points total - but was only there as insurance for DeMarco Murray and did not make a start.
In 2017 Coach Leach didn't attempt the double dip like before with CJ2K, nor did he add or trade for a Titan's RB throughout the season. In a hilarious twist of fate - Chris went 11-3 and won his first Corona Bowl in 2017 - go figure? His second best season in 2011 he also went 10-4 and made the playoffs - without a Titans RB. I hate to say it Chris, but I think you might possibly be better off without them...
Coming off his momentous title season in 2018, Chris apparently made the same realisation I just did and did not draft a Titans RB. He did add Derrick Henry for $27 in Week 13 though, a somewhat surprising name on the free agency pool as he finished the year with 186 points. He started in Week 13 for Chris, scoring 10.5 points in a win - but Chris probably wishes he started him again, as he scored 47.8 points on his bench in a 90-81 point loss...leaving Forge Flyers at 7-7 for the year.
So - there you have it - the esteemed tenure of every Tennessee Titans running back to ever feature for Forge Flyers. Perhaps they didn't always yield the desired results or seasons - but Coach Leach sure did hit on a few of them, and they have been foundation players for multiple Forge Flyers teams. Do they deserve to be in the Hall of Fame? You tell me when you vote.
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