Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - FOURTH OF JULY SPECIAL: Tennessee Titans Fireworks, Titans Fan Independence & Titans Founding Fathers!!

Episode Date: July 4, 2022

The Tennessee Titans training camp is right around the corner, but today is the FOURTH OF JULY! Today we celebrate the holiday with a Tennessee Titans spin! First, the Titans have a few players who really provide fireworks out on the field! Who are they and which players will light it up in 2022? Tyler talks Derrick Henry, Kevin Byard & David Long. Next, not so long ago the Titans were in the dumps and fans had to rely on outside sources of happiness...Until a few folks showed up to give Titans fans their football independence! Finally, Tyler celebrates history by showing some love to the previous core of players who set the stage for the Titans' recent success!Follow Tyler on Twitter @TicTacTitansFollow the show on Facebook @LockedOnTitansPodSubscribe to the Locked On Titans YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/LockedOnTitansSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.BetOnlineBetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts!Rock AutoAmazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to the Locked on Titans podcast. I am your host, Tyler Rowland. Titans fans, it is a Locked on Titans 4th of July special. We are celebrating Independence Day today here in America. And with that in mind, we are going to be celebrating the Tennessee Titans as well. First, we're going to look at some players who provide fireworks out on the field for the Titans and some guys who plan to light it up in 2022. Then we are going to celebrate some people off the field who gave Tennessee Titans fans their independence and their respect.

And then finally, the 4th of July is about celebrating history. We're going to look back at some recent Titans history and some of the founding fathers of this Tennessee Titans recent run. So we are celebrating the 4th of July by celebrating the Tennessee Titans on today's edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. Let's get it. You are Locked on Titans, your daily Tennessee Titans podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Titans fans, it is our Locked on Titans 4th of July special. I'm very excited to celebrate the Tennessee Titans on today's show.

We're going to look at some players who provide fireworks out on the field for the Titans. We're going to talk about some people who gave Titans fans their respect back and gave them their independence. I'll explain and then we'll look back at some recent Titans history to cap off the Titans. We're going to talk about some people who gave Titans fans their respect back and gave them their independence. I'll explain and then we'll look back at some recent Titans history to cap off the show. I do want to let you guys know that today's 4th of July special is presented by BetOnline.net.

BetOnline has you covered this season with more props, odds, and lines than ever before. Make sure you go to BetOnline where the game starts. Do want to thank you guys for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first listen every day. If this is your first ever listen, make sure you subscribe on whatever platform you do stream.

Training camp is right around the corner. We're going to be back to five days a week free on all platforms, including the Locked on Titans YouTube channel. Make sure you subscribe there, smash the notification bell, and throw a thumbs up on the video. If you're watching right now, it does a great deal to help Titans YouTube channel. Make sure you subscribe there, smash the notification bell, and throw a thumbs up on the video. If you're watching right now, it does a great deal to help support the channel. I really do appreciate it. But with all that in mind, it's time to kick off this Locked on Titans

4th of July special. Number one, proud to be an American. Country's not perfect, but there's still a lot to be proud of. And the second thing I want to say is please be careful with the fireworks. Dear Lord, me personally, I got to say, not a big firework guy. I know they're fun, but I have dogs and, well, a dog, and he does not like the fireworks. So a little bit of a 4th of July Grinch in that sense.

But all of my dog owners and furry fathers out there and mothers understand what I'm saying. But let's get into these fireworks on the field for the Titans. Number one, you got to start with Derrick Henry. I mean, where else would we start? Ever since he had the opportunity to start more than 10 games in a season, he's gone for over 1,000 yards. The guy's unstoppable.

And it's not just that he's a great running back, and it's not just that he puts up a bunch of yards in the 2K season and the touchdowns. It's the way that he does it. Stiff arms, multiple people, running past guys who are smaller than him who should be faster. The distance.

I just think about the 99-yard touchdown run against thes I mean I'll never forget it I'll just never forget that you'll know you'll you'll think about that and remember that until you die the I mean there are so many to go through but that run against Buffalo on Monday night football last year when things were looking bleak I mean Derrick Henry just stepped I, how many times did he just crush Houston's soul with a game-ending frickin' 70-yard run? There is no better player in the league to use as the definition of a firework than Derrick Henry.

Period. And, like I said, I plan on seeing Derrick Henry light it up in 2022. Yeah, running backs, this and that. But come on, it's Derrick Henry. It's not like he's going to have an Ezekiel Elliott, Todd Gurley decline all of a sudden. I don't believe that. So, very excited to watch Derrick Henry.

Also, Kevin Byard. Again, it's not just that he's incredibly talented and the best in the NFL at his position. It's not just that. The production is there. But it's the way that he does it. Big plays in big moments. The interception against Indianapolis. Think about that. Think about that play and how big that ended up being

to the Titans getting that number one seed at the end. Winning the division. Keeping it over the Colts. The Colts were on a mad run to it. They would have got that win. Who knows how the season changes, especially after the interception against Wentz and then for them to respond and it to go to overtime.

I mean, just monster plays all the time from Kevin Byard. I mean, the pick six against the Rams, that was like, okay, the Titans are on them. I mean, it changed the season. So Kevin Byard, definition of a defensive firework, turnovers in big moments, and turns them into touchdowns a lot of the time. So got to give all of the love for being a firework to Kevin Byard.

And the last guy that I want to talk about is David Long. David Long, a firecracker out there. Literally, not the biggest guy, but just popping. Everybody plays with such physicality. He's so fun to watch, and since the moment he had the opportunity to play, think about special teams. Force

and fumbles on kickoff. Think about that game in 2019 against the Chiefs where he forces the fumble and Rashawn Evans takes it for a touchdown. To swing that game back when things were looking bleak again. Big moments. David Long plays with such intensity. It is hard

to think of him as, and maybe he's not the firework that Derrick Henry and Kevin Byard is. But boy, he's a firecracker. And I think David Long is one of those guys when I say light it up in 2022 I got high high hopes for David Long this upcoming season and I got

something in the works for you guys to get you real excited about David Long very very soon but that is the fireworks portion of our show now we got to talk about independence, our respect, our freedom as Tennessee Titans fans and the founding fathers and mother who delivered that to us.

Before we get into that, though, do want to tell you guys a little bit more about our title sponsor, BetOnline.net. It's your number one source for all your betting needs and sports info. You can find all the way to sports news, sports developments, line changes, all of that. They got information about the Major League Baseball season, NBA, free agency and futures, NFL futures. They got Vegas casino games, horse racing, UFC, MMA, boxing, golf.

I mean, whatever you want, you're going to find it at BetOnline.net. It's the fastest and easiest way to place all of your sports wagers. Head to their website today or use your mobile device to learn about all the trends and all the action. BetOnline, where the game starts. Titans fans, let's continue our Locked On Titans 4th of July special. We just talked about the fireworks out on the field for the Titans and specifically those provided by Derrick Henry, Kevin Byard, and David Long. Now, I want to get just a little nostalgic here for the rest of this show. I mean, Fourth of July is about fireworks.

It's about freedom. It's about history. We covered the fireworks. Now, we got to talk about freedom. It's about history. We covered the fireworks. Now we've got to talk about freedom and it's important. And I want to look at this from a Tennessee Titans fan perspective. What is freedom for a fan? What's independence for a fan? Well, for me, I remember the doldrums. I remember the dark days. After that 2008

team's core kind of faded. The Jake Locker period. Zach Mettenberger. Charlie Whitehurst. In there. That early 2010, 2011, 2012,

through that 2015 period, those four or five seasons in there where things were, let's say, less than fun. Okay? During those times, as a fan of one of the worst teams in the entire NFL, who not only was bad, but had no star players to really get you excited.

Chris Johnson. Yeah. Chris Johnson for a while had a little bit of a Vince Young flare up, but you know, let's be honest, not a lot to get excited about. Darrell Casey was pretty good early in his career, but he didn't even get credit. If you were a Titans player who played well, you didn't even get credit.

So, it was tough. And I think about independence. Every Sunday, every week, what makes me happy? Watching other teams that I like. Other players that I like from other teams. Maybe watching teams within the Titans division and hoping they lose and getting excitement out of that. That's not independence. You're entirely dependent on other teams and other players.

Doesn't seem like independence for a fan at all. But then, Amy Adams Strump came along. She hired John Robinson. And things are a little murky with malarkey. We know that now. But, but, get Marcus in here. Propping up a player like Delaney.

Jarrell Casey, Finally getting his due. The trade for DeMarco Murray. A fourth round pick swap. The DGB trade. Getting Dennis Kelly in, which proved to be a very valuable asset eventually. Guys like Brian Arakbo. Derek Morgan, Wesley Woodyer,

even Ryan Suckup. Of course, Brett Kern was still around, but you know, we got to give a lot of credit to the guy who brought those people in. Even if he didn't bring them in, put them in a position to succeed by hiring better coaches. It's

John Robinson. And who put John Robinson in place? Amy Adams Strunk. Then, of course, after, which I want to give credit to Mike Malarkey here. Got the Titans a playoff win. After a long, long drought. Ten years. So,

just on this 4th of July, I know I'm very nostalgic right now, but on this 4th of July, I just want you to think back about the people who weren't on the field making the plays, no. But the people who took over this the field making the plays, no. But the people who took over this franchise and gave us our independence,

we could root for the Tennessee Titans freely every Sunday knowing that it wouldn't be a pure embarrassment. Knowing that you didn't have to suppress how you felt about the Titans game

and get more joy or more happiness out of other teams winning or losing. Amy Adams-Strunk and John Robinson and Mike Malarkey and then, of course, into Mike Vrabel. But just early on, the 9-7 teams of 2016-2017 gave us our freedom back, gave us our independence. And I feel there's no better holiday than now that we should be celebrating that. But with that in mind, I talked about some players

that we need to discuss who laid the foundation here for what we're seeing from the Titans over the last three seasons. Just fantastic football. Before we get into that, though, I do want to tell you guys about rockauto.com. So rockauto.com, online company. They've been serving do-it-yourselfers for over 20 years. And I buy anything I need for my car off rockauto.com.

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who gave us our independence as fans. But now, I want to talk about some history. Spent some time giving some credit to some people who maybe weren't there for the highest levels that we've seen in recent years, but really laid the foundation for the Titans to be able to reach the heights that they're reaching now. We've got to celebrate our history here. Before we do that, I want to thank you for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first to listen every day. Make sure you subscribe on whatever platform you do stream.

I know we've got a couple of weeks until we start previewing for training camp and all that, but I'm going to have a gambling episode for you guys going over player prop bets, Titans over under, Super Bowl odds, division odds, all that different type of stuff. We're going to have a 2023 look ahead

where we actually look at next offseason. I got like a talent tiers roster. Exercise, I guess, is the best way to call it planned. We're going to do some positional breakdowns and previews as we get into training camp. And then, of course, you know, I told myself, hey, you got to rest. You got to take that mental break, get refreshed for the next season.

But, man, I'm itching, itching to talk to you guys five days a week. Again, there's a lot of Titans stuff to talk about later this week. We're going to talk about Imani Hooker's contract negotiations. Does John Robinson hate analytics? Rashad Weaver's court case is coming up. How could that impact the Tennessee Titans? I mean, there's a lot going on, so make sure that you stay locked in to the Locked on Titans podcast, but I want to give some credit to Marcus Mariota. Much maligned, a guy who I admittedly will say I think is overrated by the fan base,

but he deserves his credit. He deserves his credit. Think about the stiff arm against the Jaguars. Just as a Titans fan, as a passionate Titans fan, watching that game, when he did that, the block for Derrick Henry, where he gave it to him and then ran out in front of him on the cutback and blocked. Man, when Marcus,

Marcus was so laid back and so relaxed, when he did that flex over top of, God, Jaguars, outside linebacker, man, that was a moment. I mean, that was so awesome. Watching Marcus freak out like that. Catching that touchdown to himself. I mean, that was an awful throw. We don't talk about that, and that's okay. But that was a terrible throw, a terrible decision.

Should have just ran it anyways. But man, that comeback in Kansas City, which another guy. Shout out Jonathan Ciprian. Another thing we don't want to talk about. If Cip did not Kelsey the out, man, the Chiefs were winning that game. Knocking

Kelsey out won that game. It's Jonathan Ciprian. You never want to see people get concussions, but by God, Cip could hit, man. Woo! Man. What a time. That 2017 season. Shout out Marcus, man.

I know that sometimes it's perceived that I hate on him, but he deserves his credit for what he was able to do. Same, Delaney Walker. Literally one of the best tight ends in the NFL. Top three, top four tight ends in the NFL for multiple years. And he deserved it, too. He had to buy his time a little bit. Not only in his career, but, you know, in Tennessee to get a good team around him.

DeMarco Murray. I mean, Derrick Henry was there, but guys, Derrick Henry wasn't ready. We know that. Titans having a reliable running game. Murray, who not only could run the ball, but could catch it out of the backfield. I was there at the game in 2016 against the Bengals where Marcus tosses it out with time ticking down to DeMarco. He ducks under a bangle, reaches the ball over the goal line and scores for the game winner. I was so hyped. I was taking a Snapchat

and I passed out, screaming too much, lost my breath. What a time. I mean taking a Snapchat and I passed out. Screaming too much. Lost my breath. What a time. I mean, DeMarco just made so many plays. For a fourth round swap? Thank you, Philly. Thank you. The back and forth with the Titans and Philly, man. What a relationship.

But, uh, DeMarco, man. Gotta give DeMarco a ton of credit. And, of course, to the defensive side of the ball where there were just a lot of culture changers, quite frankly, who deserve a ton of credit. Jarrell Casey, the top of the top of that. Guy didn't get enough credit early in his career. Just simply didn't because he was a Titan. But he stuck it out.

And I'm glad that the waters have been smoothed. And, you know, the relationship between the organization and Casey is where it's supposed to be. Having him come back. I mean, he's one of the greatest Titans of all time. So, glad that that's where it should be. And where it deserves to be. Shout out to Jarrell Casey.

Brian Arakpo came over, provided a lot, but Derek Morgan doesn't get enough credit. I mean, yeah, he didn't blow up for a million sacks all the time, but just consistent guy. Culture changer. And Wesley Woodyard deserves a ton of credit too, man. Shout out to Woodyard. Avery Williamson him together in the middle.

That was awesome. Good times. Good times, man. And of course, Ryan Suckup. Shout out to Suckup, who was solid until he wasn't. But he got a Super Bowl ring, so shout out to Suckup. Big fan. Funny story, my mom always hated Ryan Suckup because she said it's bad to have a kick so shout out to Suckup. Big fan. Funny story, my mom always hated Ryan Suckup

because she said it's bad to have a kicker whose name is Suckup, which, fair enough. I mean, that's a tough name for a kicker, but I got to give a shout out to Ryan Suckup. He deserves it for being a stalwart there for the Titans. That kick against Kansas City, all-time memories for Titans fans so just wanted to go through some recent history

of course you get the next wave of guys like John U and Corey and Jack Conklin along with a lot of the holdovers like Derek and KB and the people that are on the team now still Ben Jones, Saffold is in that group but shout out to that that core for getting things back to good. Titans decided to go from good to great,

and that was awesome, but they needed to go from bad to good, and a lot of times that's tougher than taking that next stretch. So shout out to them. That's our 4th of July special. Later on this week, like I said, Imani Hooker's contract. John Robinson hates analytics.

We're going to talk about all of that. What's out there in free agency still. Where do I think the Titans can add. But appreciate you guys hanging with me. Shout out to America. Again, like I said, far from perfect. But still a lot to be proud of and thankful for. That's going to do it for me today, though, folks.

I'll be back with you guys later on this week. As always, I am your host, Tyler Rowland, and this was Locked on Titans.