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Fox Sports
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox Sports
The night hope returned to Nashville: ‘Cam Ward is a game changer'
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell barely got through the announcement of the No. 1 overall pick. Watching Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft unfold from the field at Nissan Stadium, Titans fans heard "Cameron …" and erupted. Screams of "let's go!" filled the air. Screeches pierced the sky. Fireworks were set off and Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" blared through the speakers, just like when the Titans scored a touchdown at home games during the 2024 season. A group of young boys jumped up and down. One of them, wearing a Tony Pollard jersey, spotted a TV camera. He let out a big smile and flexed. He ushered a friend into the shot. "Cam Ward is a game changer," said Joshua Wilson, 46, who became a Titans fan after moving to Nashville from Boston five years ago. Despite the current state of their team, several Titans fans who spoke to FOX Sports are choosing hope as Cam Ward arrives as their potential franchise quarterback. They showed up in force Thursday night for Tennessee's draft party, which featured team legends and current players. A massive inflatable obstacle course and tour of the home locker room, plus several stations — a vertical jump test, field-goal kick, cornhole and 40-yard dash — were part of the family-friendly event. Love for Ward was too, apparently. Before the draft officially began, Titans public address announcer Matt Rogers received a unanimous vote of approval for the former Miami quarterback when he asked fans to scream who they wanted the Titans to pick. One teenager wore a Will Levis jersey that had "Levis" and the No. 8 crossed out with tape in favor of "Ward" and No. 1 (Ward's number at Miami and Washington State). Wilson and his neighbor, 42-year-old Randy Harries, came to the draft party sporting "Luv Ya Cam" shirts, a nod to the "Luv Ya Blue" slogan of the Houston Oilers era of the franchise. The shirts were Wilson's idea. He produced them through his Nashville-based company, Hickory Brand House, which creates print-on-demand merchandise. "I think we're two years away," Wilson said. "You got an all-star QB on a rookie deal. You've got that three-, four-, five-year window where you've got him on a team-friendly deal that you can really surround him with building blocks before he gets that big, big QB1 money." Hatcher Morris, 25, said he loves Ward's underdog story. The most exciting parts for him are the QB's leadership skills and the way he carries himself off the field. RELATED: How Cam Ward built his unshakable confidence: 'He has a boulder on his shoulder' A Dallas native, Morris moved to Tennessee in 2004. With his dad being a season ticket holder, he estimates that he's been to "at least" 60 Titans home games in his life. "I remember Jake Locker and Marcus Mariota. I've seen this kind of play out before in ways I haven't been entirely appreciative. The hype has been the same each time," said Morris. "I feel a little bit more confident with this pick. I basically spent the latter half of my work day watching film [of Ward] in anticipation." Lawrence Haywood sees a quarterback who can bring the "old-school magic" back to Nashville. A local high school basketball coach, the 51-year-old remembers watching the "Music City Miracle," the Titans' legendary kickoff return touchdown that sent the franchise to the 1993 AFC divisional round. "He seems like the kid that can handle [the spotlight]," Haywood said of Ward. "I like to compare it to taking a test in school: If you're not really prepared, you feel like you have to cheat a little bit, look on someone else's paper. But those nights you really studied, you ready to go. I see [Ward] in that light." RELATED: How Cam Ward's unorthodox rise shaped him: 'I'm not worried about no spotlight' Despite being hopeful about Ward, fans who spoke to FOX Sports aren't oblivious to the recent dysfunction of the Titans, who are coming off three wins in 2024, their third straight losing season. Owner Amy Adams Strunk has fired two general managers in the past two-and-a-half years. Caleb Hoffman, 20, admits that he's felt "up and down recently" about the team. He hasn't been totally content with how the organization has been run, including the firing of Mike Vrabel as coach after the 2023 season and how the dismissal of former general manager Ran Carthon was handled in January. "And now having the pairing of [coach Brian] Callahan and [GM Mike] Borgonzi together, it's an odd set-up," Hoffman said. "I'm hoping for the best out of it. … I think we have a chance to get on the right path if Cam Ward turns out like we all hope he does. "I think it's a high-risk move," he added. "I definitely recognize that it's not the safest No. 1 overall pick. We're not getting Joe Burrow tonight or anything like that. But I'm looking on the bright side and I'm trusting in Borgonzi, trusting in Callahan, the work that they've done. They rebuffed trade offers from New York that we've heard about and that kind of stuff. If this is their guy, I trust them and I trust that we'll be moving in the right direction here soon." With how bad Tennessee has been in recent years, Harries sees a "silver lining" with the team getting the top overall selection. "Everybody is zero-zero. Everybody is tied for first," he said. "It's one of those things where you've seen other franchises get turned around with a single pick. Kansas City Chiefs, for instance. Those are the examples you kind of have to hang on to and hope that's what happens here." So, what is Ward's arrival the start of? "I'd say, hopefully, like a cold glass of water on the face," Morris said. "A little refreshment, not only for the fans, but maybe the coaching staff having a little more to work with. I was optimistic of what we could do with Levis, but hopefully some of the character and the athletic traits that Ward has will allow our staff to kind of develop him into something that we couldn't with Levis. "So overall," he said, "optimistic for that." Ben Arthur is an NFL reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur . Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
USA Today
31-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Report: Texans attempted to regain rights to Houston Oilers' history from Titans
Report: Texans attempted to regain rights to Houston Oilers' history from Titans With the Tennessee Titans once again "retiring" the Houston Oilers logo and jerseys from their Sunday attire, could the Houston Texans make a swoop at bringing back the iconic oil rig to the city that misses it so? Well, according to The Athletic, Houston actually tried to land the rights to the name the intellectual property, but it was sadly declined. "According to league sources, there was once a perception within the Texans organization that there were discussions for Houston to possibly regain the Oilers history and intellectual property," The Athletic wrote. "But any pipe dream of the Titans ever relinquishing the Oilers intellectual property and history to the Texans would likely elicit an expletive if expressed inside the Titans' facility." If anything, Houston wants the "Love-Ya Blue" color back in play for jersey accents. The team tried to incorporate the light blue into their new uniform designs, but every corner was met with criticism from the Titans and owner Amy Adams Strunk. The decision to allow the Titans to keep the oil rig and color scheme despite leaving the city has sparked heated discussions over decades between fans in both Houston and Nashville. After going 0-2 against the Texans in the uniforms, the Titans announced they would be re-retiring the oil rig, but keep Columbia Blue as its new main color scheme, changing the name of it to "Titans Blue." For Texans fans who remember the 'Luv Ya Blue' era under Bud Adams and Bum Phillips, the coming seasons may be a bit disheartening. Yes, the oil rig will no longer grace football fields, but the iconic blue that brought joy to city will become the primary color of the Texans' rival. Sadly, there's nothing Houstonians can do, so they will have to get used to it. As long as Strunk owns the Titans, the Oilers and their colors won't be leaving Nashville.
USA Today
31-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Report: Texans considered attempting to regain rights to Oilers' intellectual property
Report: Texans considered attempting to regain rights to Oilers' intellectual property The Tennessee Titans announced a decision to change their uniforms starting in 2025 by embracing light 'Titans' Blue' as their primary color heading into the future. In the announcement, they also said they were going to shelve the Houston Oilers throwbacks and stick with their primary uniforms in 2025. The decision sparked heated discussions on social media and stirred up many emotions in what has been a contentious, decades-long battle over the rights to the Oilers' history. The color is synonymous with the Oilers and has been a franchise staple since its founding in 1960. But there has been a battle over the color going on inside cities and the NFL since former owner Bud Adams moved the Oilers to Tennessee in 1998. In the move, Adams did something that had never been done before: he shed its name and shelved it, preventing the franchise that backfilled the market from ever using it. This has forced the NFL to preside over many different battles centered on these two cities and franchises. For years, the Houston Texans have tried to claim the color, only to be rebuffed by Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk at every turn. Now, with the Titans making this change to their primary uniforms, Texans fans are outraged. In an article by Brooks Kubena for The Athletic, the battle for this intellectual property is outlined and the history of this feud is laid out. According to league sources, there was once a perception within the Texans organization that there were discussions for Houston to possibly regain the Oilers history and intellectual property. But any pipe dream of the Titans ever relinquishing the Oilers intellectual property and history to the Texans would likely elicit an expletive if expressed inside the Titans' facility. For all the complaints that Titans fans have of Strunk, her love of the franchise and its history cannot be denied. Since taking over from her father, she has gone out of her way to embrace Oilers history and make everything involving the organization a family affair split between two cities and generations. For Texans fans that remember the 'Luv Ya Blue' era in Houston, the coming seasons may be a bit disheartening but they will have to get used to it. As long as Strunk owns the Titans, the Oilers and their colors will be living on in Nashville.
