Houston Oilers

Houston Oilers
Established1960 Ended 1996 PlayedinHouston, Texas
Houston Oilers logo Houston Oilers wordmark Logo Wordmark
League/conference affiliations
American Football League(AFL) (1960–1969) Eastern Division (1960–1969) National Football League(1970–1996) American Football Conference(1970–1996) AFC Central(1970–1996)
Uniform (1987–1996)
Team colors	Columbia blue,red, white
Fight song	Luv Ya Blue/Houston Oilers #1
Mascot	The Roughneck
Personnel
Owner(s)	Bud Adams
General manager	Don Suman(1960–1961) Pop Ivy(1962–1963) Carroll Martin(1964–1965) Don Klosterman(1966–1969) Bob Brodhead(1970) John W. Breen(1971–1972) Sid Gillman(1973–1974) Bum Phillips(1975–1980) Ladd Herzeg(1981–1989) Mike Holovak(1990–1993) Floyd Reese(1994–1996)
Head coach	Lou Rymkus(1960–1961) Wally Lemm(1961) Pop Ivy(1962–1963) Sammy Baugh(1964) Hugh Taylor(1965) Wally Lemm(1966–1970) Ed Hughes(1971) Bill Peterson(1972–1973) Sid Gillman(1973–1974) Bum Phillips(1975–1980) Ed Biles(1981–1983) Chuck Studley(1983) Hugh Campbell(1984–1985) Jerry Glanville(1985–1989) Jack Pardee(1990–1994) Jeff Fisher(1994–1996)
Team history
Houston Oilers (1960–1996) Tennessee Oilers(1997–1998) Tennessee Titans(1999–present)
Championships
League championships(2) AFL championships(pre-1970AFL–NFL merger) 1960,1961
Conference championships (0)
Division championships (6) AFL East:1960, 1961, 1962, 1967 AFC Central1991,1993
Playoff appearances (15)
AFL:1960, 1961, 1962, 1967, 1969 NFL:1978,1979,1980,1987,1988,1989,1990,1991,1992,1993
Home fields
Jeppesen Stadium(1960–1964) Rice Stadium(1965–1967) Houston Astrodome(1968–1996)

TheHouston Oilerswere a professional American football team that played inHoustonfrom its founding in1960to1996.The Oilers began play as a charter member of theAmerican Football League(AFL) and won two AFL championships before joining the NFL in theAFL–NFL mergerof the late 1960s.

The Oilers competed in the AFL'sEast division– along with theBuffalo Bills,theNew York Jetsand theBoston Patriots– until the merger, when they joined the newly formedAFC Central.The team played home games atJeppesen StadiumandRice Stadiumduring its first eight seasons, and thereafter at theAstrodome.

The Houston Oilers were the first champions of the American Football League, winning the1960and1961championships, but never won another. The Oilers appeared in the1962 AFL Championship,losing in double overtime to their in-state rivals, theDallas Texans(now theKansas City Chiefs); they also won the AFL East Division title in1967and qualified for theAFL Playoffs in 1969,both times losing to theOakland Raiders(which are now the Las Vegas Raiders). From1978to1980,the Oilers, led byBum Phillipsand in the midst of theLuv Ya Bluecampaign, appeared in and lost the1978and1979AFC Championship Games.The Oilers were a consistent playoff team from1987to1993,an era that included both of the team's only division titles (1991and1993), as well as the dubious distinction of being on the losing end ofthe second largest comeback in NFL history.For the rest of the Oilers' time in Houston, they compiled losing seasons in almost every other year.

The Houston Oilers' main colors wereColumbia blueand white, with scarlet trim, while their logo was a simplederrick.Oilers jerseys were always Columbia blue for home and white for away. The helmet color was Columbia blue with a white derrick from1960through1965,silver with a Columbia blue derrick from1966through1971,and Columbia blue with a white-and-scarlet derrick from1972through1974,before changing to a white helmet with a Columbia blue derrick beginning in1975and lasting the remainder of the team's time in Houston.

The team was owned byBud Adams,who began threatening to move the team in the late 1980s, and finally did so after the 1996 season. He moved the team toTennessee,where they played as the Tennessee Oilers inMemphisfor the1997season, then inNashvillefor the1998seasons. In 1999, to coincide with the opening of theirnew stadium,Adams changed the team name to theTennessee Titansand the color scheme from Columbia Blue, Scarlet, and White to Titans Blue, Navy, White, and Silver with scarlet accents. The franchise retained the Houston Oilers' team history and records, while the team name was retired by then-NFL CommissionerPaul Tagliabue,thus preventing a future HoustonNFLteam from using the Houston Oilers' name.

Later Houston-based football teams have paid homage to the Oilers. TheHouston Roughnecks,anXFLteam founded in 2020, shares their name with the Oilers' old mascot and used a logo that resembled the Oilers' until they changed it under pressure from the NFL.TheUniversity of Houstonfootball team wore Oilers-style throwback uniforms during the Cougars'2023season opener againstUTSA.

1960s

The Houston Oilers began in1960as a charter member of theAmerican Football League.They were owned byBud Adams,a Houston oilman who had made several previous unsuccessful bids for an NFL expansion team in Houston. Adams was an influential member of the eight original AFL owners, since he,Dallas Texans/Kansas City ChiefsfounderLamar HuntandBuffalo BillsfounderRalph Wilsonwere more financially stable than the other five. (All three would go on to own their franchises for over forty years, whereas the others pulled out by the 1980s.)

The Oilers appeared in the first three AFL championships. They scored an important victory over the NFL when they signed LSU'sHeisman Trophywinner, All-America running backBilly Cannon.Cannon joined other Oiler offensive stars such as quarterbackGeorge Blanda,flankerCharlie Hennigan,running backCharlie Tolar,and guardBob Talamini.After winning the first-ever AFL championship over theLos Angeles Chargersin1960,they repeated over the same team (then in San Diego) in1961.(In 2012, the retail outletOld Navyearned infamy for selling a shirt that misidentified the 1961 AFL champions as theHouston Texans,which did not exist until 2002.)The Oilers lost to theDallas Texansin the classic1962 double-overtime AFL championship game,at the time the longestprofessional football championship gameever played. In1962,the Oilers were the first AFL team to sign an active NFL player away from the other league, when wide receiverWillard Dewveallleft the Bears to join the champion Oilers. Dewveall that year caught the longest pass reception for a touchdown in professional American football history, 99 yards, fromJacky Lee,against theSan Diego Chargers.

TheOilerswon the AFL Eastern Division title again in1967,then became the first professional football team to play in a domed stadium, when they moved into Houston'sAstrodome,then home ofMLB'sHouston Astrosfor the1968 season.Previously, the Oilers had played atJeppesen Stadiumat theUniversity of Houston(later called Robertson Stadium) from 1960 to 1964, andRice University's stadiumfrom 1965 to 1967. Adams had intended the team play at Rice from the first, but Rice's board of regents initially rejected the move. After the Astrodome opened for business, Adams attempted to move there, but could not negotiate an acceptable lease with the Houston Sports Association (owners of theHouston Astros) from whom he would sublease the Dome. The1969 season,the last as an AFL team, sawHoustonbegin 3–1, but tumble afterwards. They qualified for theplayoffs,but were defeated by theRaiders56–7, to finish the year with a record of 6–7–2.

1970s

See also:Luv Ya Blue

The years immediately after theAFL-NFL Mergerwere not as kind to the Oilers, who sank to the bottom of theAFC Centraldivision. After going 3–10–1 in1970,they went 4–9–1 in1971,and then suffered back-to-back 1–13 seasons in1972–73.But by1974,theOilersled by Hall of Fame coachSid Gillmanbrought the team back to respectability by reaching.500 at season's end.

The Oilers made consecutive playoff runs in1978(left),1979(right) and1980,led byDan Pastorini(left), Elvin Bethea (right) and Earl Campbell.

Thenext year,Bum Phillipsarrived and with talented stars likeElvin BetheaandBilly "White Shoes" Johnson,theOilershad their first winning season of the decade going 10–4 but did not make the playoffs. Injuries and inadequate offense doomed them to a 5–9 season in1976,but theteamimproved to 8–6 the following year, and in1978,theOilers' fortunes improved when theydraftedUniversity of Texasfootball starEarl Campbell,known as the "Tyler Rose", who was Rookie of the Year that year and led the Oilers to their first playoff appearance since the merger.

DefeatingMiamiin the wild-card round, they then trumpedNew England,leading to immediately rebuilding of the Patriots. But in the AFC Championship, theSteelersrouted them 34–5. In spite of the lopsided defeat, the Oilers returned home to a packed Astrodome for a pep-rally uncommon in professional sports.

The1979 seasonwas a near rerun of 1978 as theOilersfinished 11–5 with Campbell gaining 1,600 yards in the regular season, and again earned a wild card spot. Beating theBroncosin the first home playoff game in Houston in over a decade, the Oilers' performance suffered with injuries to Campbell,quarterbackDan Pastoriniand top receiverKen Burrough.They did manage to edge past the high-flyingSan DiegoofDan Foutsin the divisional round, partly thanks to the play ofVernon Perry(4 INTs and a blocked FG) as well as the outstanding line coached byJoe Bugel.The Oilers returned to the AFC Championship game for the second year in a row, only to get knocked down by the Pittsburgh Steelers again, in spite of a terrific effort by Dan Pastorini—the Steelers had shut the ailing Campbell down, yet Pastorini nearly succeeded with the modest receiving corps of Mike Renfro, Rich Caster, and Ronnie Coleman venturing into the Steelers excellent defense. A controversial out-of-bounds call nullified a touchdown by wide receiverMike Renfroresulting in a 27–13 victory for Pittsburgh. Once again, after a tough loss, the Oilers returned to their then-adoring fans who packed the Astrodome for an impromptu pep-rally for the second year in a row.

1980s

Pro Football Hall of Famer running back Earl Campbell was the centerpiece of the Oilers' offense in the late 1970s and early 1980s, earning several NFL awards, AFC rushing titles and five Pro Bowls.

Before the1980season Pastorini was traded to theOakland Raidersin exchange for Hall of Fame quarterbackKen Stabler.1980 saw theOilersgo 11–5 and achieve a wild card spot for the third year in a row, but they were quickly vanquished byOakland,27–7. Bud Adams firedBum Phillips,who was succeeded byEd Biles.Afterwards began a long playoff drought as the Oilers fell to 7–9 in1981,and 1–8 in thestrike-shortened1982 season.In1983,Houstonwent 2–14. Biles resigned in Week 6 and was succeeded byChuck Studley,who served merely as an interim coach untilHugh Campbellwas hired in the off-season. In1984,theOilerswon a bidding war for free-agent formerCFLquarterbackWarren Moon(who played for Campbell with theEdmonton Eskimos), but didn't return to the playoffs that year either, with two wins and fourteen losses. The aging Earl Campbell was traded toNew Orleansduring the off-season and was replaced byMike Rozier,a refugee from theUSFL.In week 14 of the1985 season,Campbell was replaced byJerry Glanville,who saw the team through the last two games to finish 5–11. A 31–3 rout ofGreen Bayin the1986season opener looked promising, but in the endHoustononly managed another 5–11 record. Anotherstrikein1987reduced the season to 15 games, three by substitute players. After ending 9–6, the team achieved its first winning record and playoff berth in seven years. After beating theSeahawksin overtime, they fell toDenverin the divisional round. Going 10–6 in1988,theOilersagain got into theplayoffsas a wild card, beatClevelandin a snowy 24–23 match, and then lost toBuffaloa week later.1989saw a 9–7 regular season, but the team gained a wild card berth. In a messy, penalty-ridden game, they were beaten byPittsburgh.

Renovation to the Astrodome

AFC Pro Bowlers Warren Moon (left) and Mike Rozier (right) made major contributions to the Oilers' offense in the late 1980s while leading the team to several playoff appearances.

The Oilers' resurgence came in the midst of a battle for the franchise's survival. In 1987, Adams threatened to move the team toJacksonville, Florida(later the home ofJacksonville Jaguars), unless the Astrodome was "brought up to date". At the time the Astrodome seated about 50,000 fans, the smallest capacity in the NFL. Not willing to lose the Oilers,Harris Countyresponded with $67 million in improvements to the Astrodome that included new AstroTurf, 10,000 additional seats and 65 luxury boxes. These improvements were funded by increases in property taxes and the doubling of the hotel tax, as well as bonds to be paid over 30 years. However, Adams' increasing demands for greater and more expensive accommodations to be funded at taxpayer expense sowed seeds of tension that assisted the team's departure from Houston.

1990s

The Oilers briefly rose to become a league power once again in the first half of the 1990s. In1991,the Oilers won their first division title in 25 years, and their first as an NFL team. However, only two minutes away from their first conference title game in 13 years, they were the victims of an 80-yard march byJohn Elwayand theDenver BroncosbeforeDavid Treadwellkicked a 28-yard field goal to win the game 26–24. In1992,the Oilers compiled a 10–6 regular season record, but made history against theBuffalo Billsin the AFC Wild Card playoffs by blowing an NFL record 35–3 lead and eventually losing 41–38 in overtime, a game now known simply as "The Comeback".

In the1993 season,the Oilers finished with a 12–4 record, their best record ever in Texas, and another AFC Central title, but lost in the second round to the Chiefs. However, the 1993 season is best remembered as being a turbulent season for the team, as internal conflict plagued the team with a 1–4 start before they eventually won their final 11 games of the season. One notable part of the turbulence was a brawl between offensive coordinatorKevin Gilbrideand defensive coordinatorBuddy Ryan(who did not get along very well at all) on the final game of the regular season (nationally broadcast onESPN) against the New York Jets. After the season ended, Moon was traded to theMinnesota Vikings.Without Moon, the Oilers finished the next season 2–14, the third-worst record for a full season in franchise history. The Oilers would never make the playoffs again in Texas. However, they did draftSteve McNairin1995.

Final years in Houston

The now-abandonedAstrodome,which was the home of theHouston Astros,had football turf still intact after the Oilers' departure.

At the same time, Adams again lobbied the city for a new stadium, one with club seating and other revenue generators present in recently built NFL stadiums, and he committed to pay for 25% of the cost of a new stadium. His idea called for a downtown domed stadium that could also be reconfigured to accommodate theNBA'sHouston Rockets–similar toSan Antonio'sAlamodome.MayorBob Lanierinitially supported Adams' bid for a new stadium privately, but refused to publicly support the project. Although Houstonians wanted to keep the Oilers, they were leery of investing more money on a stadium so soon after the Astrodome improvements.The city was also still struggling to recover from theoil collapse of the 1980s.Adams, sensing that he was not going to get the stadium he wanted, began shopping the Oilers to other cities. He was particularly intrigued by Nashville, and opened secret talks with mayorPhil Bredesen.On November 16,1995,Adams announced that the Oilers would be moving to Nashville for the1998 season.City officials there promised to contribute $144 million toward a new stadium, as well as $70 million in ticket sales.

After the move was announced, support for the Oilers in the Houston area dried up almost overnight. As a result, the1996 seasonwas an unmitigated disaster. Only three games attracted crowds of more than 30,000 people. Games were so quiet that it was possible to hear conversations on the field from the grandstand.Meanwhile, the team's radio network, which once stretched across the state of Texas, was reduced to flagshipKTRHin Houston and a few affiliates in Tennessee. By October 1996, KTRH was cutting off games prior to their finish in favor ofHouston Rocketspreseason games.The Oilers got off to a 5–2 start, but a stretch of four losses in five games took them out of playoff contention. The team went 8–8, finishing 6–2 in road games and only 2–6 in home games. The team's final game in Houston, against the Bengals on December 15, attracted just over 15,000 people—by at least one estimate, the smallest crowd in franchise history. Adams, the city and the league were unwilling to see this continue for another season, so a deal was reached on May 8, 1997 to let the Oilers out of their lease a year early and move to Tennessee.The Oilers lost their final game in Houston 21–13.

In 1999,Robert McNairwas awarded, at a cost of $1 billion, an expansion team which replaced the Oilers in Houston. The franchise became theHouston Texans,which adopted a similar red, white and blue team color tandem, albeit in darker shades and inherited the sports complex the Oilers had played in, but not the Oilers' former home; what is now calledNRG Stadium(formerly Reliant Stadium) would be built next door to the Astrodome in 2002.

Notable players

Retired numbers

Houston Oilers retired numbers
No.	Player	Position	Years played	Retired
1	Warren Moon	QB	1984–1993	October 1, 2006
9	Steve McNair	QB	1995–1996	September 15, 2019
27	Eddie George	RB	1996	September 15, 2019
34	Earl Campbell	RB	1978–1984	August 13, 1987
43	Jim Norton	S/P	1960–1968
63	Mike Munchak	OG	1982–1993	November 6, 1994
65	Elvin Bethea	DE	1968–1983	August 4, 1983
74	Bruce Matthews	OT	1983–1996	December 8, 2002

Pro Football Hall of Fame members

Houston Oilers Hall of Famers
Players
No.	Inductee	Class	Position	Seasons
65	Elvin Bethea	2003	DE	1968–83
16	George Blanda	1981	QB/K	1960–66
52	Robert Brazile	2018	LB	1975-84
34	Earl Campbell	1991	RB	1978–84
87	Dave Casper	2002	TE	1980–83
78	Curley Culp	2013	DT	1974–80
29	Ken Houston	1986	S	1967–72
35	John Henry Johnson	1987	FB	1966
18/40	Charlie Joiner	1996	WR	1969–72
74	Matthews, BruceBruce Matthews	2007	OT	1983–96
1	Warren Moon	2006	QB	1984–93
63	Mike Munchak	2001	OG	1982–93
12	Ken Stabler	2016	QB	1980–81
Coaches and Executives
Inductee		Class	Position	Seasons
Sammy Baugh		1963	Coach	1964
Sid Gillman		1983	Coach	1973–74

Houston Oilers Hall of Fame

Bud Adamsestablished the Titans/Oilers Hall of Fame after the 40th season of the franchise to honor past players and management.

Elected to thePro Football Hall of Fame

Houston Oilers Hall of Fame
No.	Name	Position	Years	Inducted
65	Elvin Bethea	DE	1968–83	December 9, 1999
16	George Blanda	QB/K	1960–66
34	Earl Campbell	RB	1978–84
—	Mike Holovak	GM	1989–93
29	Ken Houston	S	1967–72
63	Mike Munchak	G	1982–93
43	Jim Norton	P	1960–68
74	Bruce Matthews	OL	1983–96	December 8, 2002
1	Warren Moon	QB	1984–93	October 1, 2007
—	Bud Adams	Owner/founder	1959–96	September 7, 2008
27	Eddie George	RB	1996	October 27, 2008
9	Steve McNair	QB	1995–96
41/89	Frank Wycheck	TE	1995–96
52	Robert Brazile	LB	1975–84	October 14, 2018
—	Bum Phillips	Coach	1975-80	September 26, 2021
—	Jeff Fisher	Coach	1994-96	November 21, 2021
—	Floyd Reese	Coach/GM	1986-96
84	Billy "White Shoes" Johnson	WR	1974–80	December 17, 2023

Texas Sports Hall of Fame

Main article:Texas Sports Hall of Fame

See also

• List of Houston Oilers and Tennessee Titans seasons
• History of the Tennessee Titans
• History of the Houston Texans
• Texans–Titans rivalry

External links

• NFL.com/Oilers(1996 archive)
• Smith, Brian T. (2013-12-26)."'Oh my God:' The oral history of the 1993 Houston Oilers ".Houston Chronicle.Retrieved2017-01-01.