Identifying Chris Johnson's Top 5 Moments as a Tennessee Titan
Identifying Chris Johnson's Top 5 Moments as a Tennessee Titan
Chris Johnson is objectively one of the best Titans of all time, so let's take a look back at his best moments. Nick Arvin|
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Tennessee TitansChris Johnson has been on my mind since Monday's announcement of his ALS diagnosis. While what matters most is the health and well-being of Johnson and his family, it's also a reminder of the incredible memories he gave Titans fans during his time in Nashville.
With that in mind, I wanted to look back at my five favorite moments from one of the most electrifying players to ever wear two-tone blue.
October 19, 2008: Titans at Chiefs
Johnson burst onto the scene as a rookie in 2008 after blazing a record-setting 4.24-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. His first signature performance came in Kansas City, where the undefeated Titans looked to keep their perfect season alive.
Johnson finished with 168 rushing yards on just 18 carries, but the moment everyone remembers came after the game was already decided.
Holding a three-score lead with just over four minutes remaining, Jeff Fisher kept the ball on the ground to run out the clock. Johnson had other plans. He exploded through the defense for a 66-yard touchdown before finishing the run with a front flip into the end zone, giving fans their first glimpse of the superstar who would eventually become known as CJ2K.
September 20, 2009: Texans at Titans
Many consider this the greatest game of Johnson's career.
With Kerry Collins opening the season as Tennessee's starting quarterback, the Titans leaned heavily on Johnson to carry the offense. He delivered one of the most explosive performances in franchise history.
Tied at 24 late in the game, the Titans faced third-and-11 from their own 10-yard line. Johnson took the handoff, slipped through a crease, and outran everyone for a 91-yard touchdown that seemed to happen in the blink of an eye.
Johnson finished with 284 total yards and three touchdowns, but despite his historic effort, Tennessee came up short.
November 1, 2009: Jaguars at Titans
Week 8 of the 2009 season became a showdown between two of the NFL's most dynamic running backs, as Johnson and Maurice Jones-Drew traded explosive plays throughout the afternoon.
With Vince Young back under center after Tennessee's 0-6 start, Johnson looked like a man on a mission. His pursuit of 2,000 rushing yards suddenly felt realistic.
The defining play came on an 89-yard touchdown run, prompting Gus Johnson's iconic "Watch out!" call as Johnson sprinted away from the defense. He finished with 228 rushing yards and led the Titans to their first victory of the season. It was that much sweeter that it came against the Jaguars.
January 3, 2010: Titans at Seahawks
Johnson officially became CJ2K in the final game of the 2009 season.
Although Tennessee rebounded after its 0-6 start, the early hole proved too much to overcome. With the playoffs out of reach, all eyes shifted to Johnson's pursuit of 2,000 rushing yards, a milestone reached by only five players before him.
He carried the ball 36 times for 134 yards, refusing to leave Seattle without history. With just 30 seconds remaining, Johnson leaped four yards on second down, pushing himself past the 2,000-yard mark and cementing one of the greatest rushing seasons the NFL has ever seen.
December 29, 2013: Titans at Texans
The 2013 season was one of the toughest of Johnson's career.
After tearing his meniscus against Seattle's famed Legion of Boom defense in Week 3, Johnson chose to play through the injury rather than undergo season-ending surgery. Entering the season finale, he needed just 50 rushing yards to record his sixth consecutive 1,000-yard season.
In what became his final game as a Titan, Johnson delivered one last memorable moment. He took a Ryan Fitzpatrick handoff 11 yards for the game-deciding touchdown, a run that also pushed him past the 1,000-yard mark once again.
It was the final touchdown of Johnson's Titans career, providing a fitting ending to one of the greatest runs by a running back in franchise history.
Published 12 minutes ago
NICK ARVINNick Arvin is a Middle Tennessee native and longtime Tennessee Titans fan who got his start covering Purdue athletics for 247Sports and hosting Locked On Boilermakers. He currently covers Middle Tennessee athletics as a sports reporter for ClarksvilleNow. Follow him on X @nickarvinsports.
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Oregon Misses Out On Five-Star Recruit Jett Harrison to Rival Big Ten Program
Oregon Misses Out On Five-Star Recruit Jett Harrison to Rival Big Ten Program
The Oregon Ducks missed out on the top receiver recruit from the 2028 cycle, Jett Harrison, but are expected to continue pushing for a flip.Lily Crane|
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Oregon DucksOhio State BuckeyesThe Oregon Ducks added two blue-chip commits to their 2027 recruiting class on July 1. While it was one of the biggest days of coach Dan Lanning’s 2027 cycle, it also marked a significant loss for his 2028 recruiting class.
The No. 1 receiver in 2028, five-star Jett Harrison, announced his commitment to the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Ducks will likely continue to push for a recruiting flip as Harrison enters his junior year of high school, but they now face an uphill battle.
Five-Star Receiver Jett Harrison’s Recruitment
Harrison is the son of former Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Marvin Harrison, who was a first-round NFL pick. Not only are the football genes strong in the Harrison bloodline, but the connection to the Buckeyes’ program is as well. Harrison is additionally the younger brother of former Ohio State receiver and current Arizona Cardinals star Marvin Harrison Jr.
The Buckeyes were the favorites for the receiver, who’s considered the No. 1 overall recruit by Rivals. Harrison also considered Oregon and the Miami Hurricanes, but chose to strengthen the legacy of the Harrison name at Ohio State.
Harrison plays for St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he scored 10 touchdowns in just his freshman season in 2024, according to 247Sports.
Oregon Ducks Rising With Receiver Recruiting
The Ducks may have missed out on Harrison, but their receiver recruiting has reached another level under Lanning’s leadership. Oregon now has five straight cycles with a five-star receiver recruit.
The 2026 season alone will feature former five-star recruits Gatlin Bair, Jalen Lott and Dakorien Moore. Moore was the No. 1 receiver in his recruiting class in 2025, showing that Lanning and receivers coach Ross Douglas are changing the program’s trajectory at the position by recruiting and retaining top talent.
In the 2027 cycle, Oregon has earned a commitment from five-star Dakota Guerrant. The Ducks are also predicted by Rivals to land Xavier Sabb, another five-star receiver who is set to announce his commitment on Friday, July 3.
Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Oregon Ducks Recruiting Battles
The Ducks and Buckeyes rivalry continues to heat up both on and off the field. The two Big Ten sides notoriously faced off in a recruiting battle in the 2026 cycle with the recruitment of five-star receiver Chris Henry Jr.
Henry was long committed to the Buckeyes, but when former offensive coordinator and receivers coach Brian Hartline left to become the head coach at USF, Henry rethought his decision during the early signing period.
Oregon briefly earned a prediction from Rivals to land Henry, but the No. 1 receiver in 2026 ended up sticking with the Buckeyes. Even though Henry didn’t switch to Oregon, the chance it had to secure a commitment shows Lanning’s relentlessness in recruiting players up until the moment the pen hits the paper.
While Ohio State continues to earn the reputation as “Wide Receiver U,” the Ducks look to develop their recent receiver talent and prove they can win some of the receiver recruiting battles with the Buckeyes.
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Published 16 minutes ago
LILY CRANELily Crane a reporter for Oregon Ducks on SI. Before attending the University of Oregon Journalism School of Communications, she grew up in Grants Pass, Oregon. She previously spent three years covering Ducks sports for the University of Oregon's student newspaper, The Daily Emerald. Lily's also a play-by-play broadcaster for Big Ten Plus and the student radio station, KWVA 88.1 FM Eugene. She became the first woman in KWVA Sports history to be the primary voice of a team when she called Oregon soccer in 2024. Her voice has been heard over the airwaves calling various sports for Oregon, Bushnell University and Thurston High School athletics.
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Warriors' Challenger for LeBron Makes Move That Signals End of James Bid
Warriors' Challenger for LeBron Makes Move That Signals End of James Bid
Golden State has one fewer team to worry about in the LeBron sweepstakesJoey Akeley|
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Golden State WarriorsAmong the Golden State Warriors' advantages in the LeBron James sweepstakes is the ability to offer the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception of $15 million.
Among their biggest potential challengers, the San Antonio Spurs stood out as a team that could offer that contract to James.
Well, they can't anymore.
ESPN's Shams Charania reported that the Spurs used their non-taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Tobias Harris to a two-year, $31 million deal.
The Stein Line's Marc Stein reported that the Spurs are not expected to pursue James after signing Harris, but he added that the Nuggets are joining the chase.
Warriors Have Easiest Access to NTMLE Among Remaining Challengers
The Cavaliers, Heat and Nuggets are currently the three biggest challengers to land James, and they all have cap constraints that affect how much they can offer the four-time MVP.
The Heat used part of their NTMLE on Tim Hardaway Jr.'s one-year, $6.5 million contract, so they don't have the ability to make an offer even close to the $15 million offer the Warriors can make.
The Cavs haven't officially come to terms with James Harden, but unless he takes a bigger pay cut than expected, they won't have access to the full NTMLE.
The Nuggets' five highest-paid players make about $186 million. They would have to salary-dump one of them to have access to the full NTMLE.
How Warriors Can Use the NTMLE on James and Sign Green
As I argued here, the most realistic way for the Warriors to sign James with the NTMLE and pay Draymond Green a salary close to $20 million is trading Moses Moody.
After the Warriors and De'Anthony Melton agreed to a two-year, $11 million deal, Green's salary might top out at $17 million following a Moody trade.
But the point still stands.
The Warriors will need someone to take on Moody's $12.5 million contract while he's injured. That isn't necessarily a foregone conclusion, but I suspect one of the five rebuilding teams that have a trade exception big enough to absorb Moody's contract would be happy to take on a 24-year-old wing under contract through 2027-28.
The other option is trading or releasing Kristaps Porzingis, but that's more of an emergency solution.
If the Warriors are the only team offering James the NTMLE, that could make a big difference.
Golden State certainly seems to be making James its top priority, whereas other challengers are operating as if he's not.
Published 22 minutes ago | Modified 1 minute ago
JOEY AKELEYJoey was a writer and editor at Bleacher Report for 13 years. He's a Bay Area sports expert and a huge NBA fan.
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