Following "CJ2K's" heartbreaking ALS diagnosis, the franchise must honor its legendary speedster. A 2,000-yard rusher and record-breaker, Johnson’s historic impact on Tennessee deserves permanent recognition today.
Like many of you on Monday, I woke up to the heartbreaking news that former Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson had been battling ALS for over a year.
Johnson shared news with former New York Giants defensive lineman Michael Strahan on "Good Morning America." A press release was issued this past weekend announcing that Johnson would be sharing personal news.
No one could've imagined that Johnson's personal news would be his ALS diagnosis.
Johnson was drafted 24th overall by the Titans in the 2008 NFL Draft out of East Carolina. He had a breakout year during his final season at East Carolina in 2007, when he had 1,423 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns.
He left the program as the Pirates' fifth all-time career leading rusher (2,982).
Johnson then left his mark on the NFL Combine. He set the record for the fastest 40-yard dash, running it in 4.24 seconds. That record stood until Washington Huskies receiver John Ross broke it in 2017 with a 4.22-second 40-yard dash.
When a player comes into the NFL, it may take time for them to get acclimated. That wasn't the case for Johnson.
He burst onto the scene in 2008, rushing for 1,228 yards and nine touchdowns. It was one year later that he would etch his name into the record books.
Johnson became one of the few players in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a single season. He had 2,006 rushing yards in 2009 and also set a record for most scrimmage yards in a season (2,509), which he still holds.
He played a pivotal role in that 2008 team. Tennessee went 13-3 that year and dealt with a key injury to quarterback Vince Young. Kerry Collins started the remainder of the year after Young went down with a knee injury.
Johnson's value only increased after a very consistent rookie season.
Johnson left the Titans in 2014, signing with the New York Jets. He spent one year with New York before playing the last three years of his career with the Arizona Cardinals.
He left the Titans with the fourth-most rushing yards (7,965) and touchdowns (50) in franchise history. Johnson's name will forever be among the legends who have graced this organization.
Shortly after the news broke, players from around the NFL began offering their support for Johnson on social media. Ric Flair, Patrick Mahomes, C.J. Spiller, and even Johnson's former teammates like Matt Hasselbeck and Bo Scaife took to social media to encourage him.
As I watched the wonderful outpouring of support for Johnson, one thought entered my mind. The Titans need to retire his number, now more than ever. Johnson deserves to be in the Titans' Ring of Honor.
He was already likely to be a candidate for his number to be retired due to the impact he had on this franchise. Now, due to the nature of how aggressive ALS can be, the time is now.
Johnson was diagnosed with ALS last year. During the interview on Monday, he was unable to communicate on his own. Johnson had to use a device that could track his eye movements and convert them into speech.
The No. 28 jersey was already a special one in the hearts of many Titans fans, especially after what happened on Monday. No one deserves this more than Johnson does.
No other player should be allowed to wear that jersey for the rest of the Titans' history. Titans Owner Amy Adams-Strunk and the front office need to make this happen sooner rather than later.
