From the move to Tennessee to a Super Bowl appearance, Floyd Reese’s masterful drafting and free-agent signings cemented a legacy of success that defined a golden era.
When the Houston Oilers moved to Tennessee in 1997, they took a lot of things with them.
Jeff Fisher, who was named the head coach of the Oilers in 1994, kept his position with the franchise. The team also had budding superstars in quarterback Steve McNair and running back Eddie George.
Both McNair and George came over in the move as well.
Another massive plus for the team was that they kept their General Manager, Floyd Reese, a move that would pay dividends in the long run.
Reese was the GM from 1994-2006, sticking around from when the team went from the Oilers to the Tennessee Oilers and then to the Tennessee Titans in 1999.
It's safe to say he built a pretty good team for the inaugural Titans season in 1999, as the franchise went to the Super Bowl, though they lost to the St. Louis Rams.
The Titans had a lot of success in their first year, but they sustained it because of Reese. He was able to build the Titans into a winner through the moves he made not only in the draft but in free agency as well.
Let's look at a few of the draft picks he made as GM.
- Steve McNair, Titans leader in career passing yards
- Eddie George, Titans leader in career rushing yards
- Derrick Mason, Titans leader in career receiving yards
- Samari Rolle, third all-time in Titans career interceptions
- Jevon Kearse, 1999 DROY and three-time Pro Bowler
- Keith Bulluck, "Mr. Monday Night" and fourth all-time in Titans TFLs
- Albert Haynesworth, Two time First-Team All-Pro
- Micheal Roos, Pro Bowler and started 148 games
- Cortland Finnegan, a seventh-rounder who turned into a Pro Bowler corner in three seasons
His free-agent resume was very impressive as well. Here are some of the better moves he made there:
- Lorenzo Neal, key contributor in the Music City Miracle and four-time Pro Bowl fullback
- Kevin Mawae, two Pro Bowls and 64 career starts for Titans
- Kyle Vanden Bosch, 12-sack seasons in 2005 and 2007, three Pro Bowls
- Craig Hentrich, two Pro Bowls and one First-Team All-Pro punter
The return he got on these players speaks for itself. Reese got results from the talent he brought in, whether that was to Houston or Nashville.
One of his last picks as GM was Cortland Finnegan, who was a seventh-rounder from Samford. Finnegan turned into a reliable cornerback and had a five-interception season in just his third year in the NFL.
That was the same year that he drafted Vince Young and LenDale White. Young won the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2006, and White broke the 1,000-yard mark in year and became a key part of the Titans' backfield alongside Chris Johnson.
The Titans have struggled to find a GM as reliable as Reese since his final year with the franchise in 2006. Since then, the Titans have gone through Mike Reinfeldt, Ruston Webster, Jon Robinson, Ryan Cowden (interim), Ran Carthon, and are now led by Mike Borgonzi.
It's too early to gauge Borgonzi's tenure as GM, but he will have to do a lot to live up to Reese's legacy. There's no doubt that Reese is one of, if not the best, GM that this organization has ever had.
His return on investment was incredible for the talent he added to this team. Unfortunately, Reese passed away in 2021, but the impact that he had on the Titans still lives on.
Players he drafted, like George, McNair, and Mason, are among the Titans legends. That was all because of Reese.
