Ahhh, the Titans! Tennessee's illustrious NFL team since 1997, when the former Houston Oilers played their first season in their new home state, ending the year with an 8-8 record.

In late 1998, the Nashville-based team's name was changed to the Tennessee Titans, a step that brought the team closer to the hearts of Tennesseans unable to identify with the oil derricks of Texas. Said owner K.S. "Bud" Adams, Jr., "We wanted a new nickname to reflect strength, leadership and other heroic qualities."

Tennessee then had two great teams to represent the spirit of its people: the University of Tennessee Volunteers and the Tennessee Titans. Football claimed the interest of more and more men, women and children across the state.

In January 2000, with a great 1999-2000 season already affecting the adrenaline levels of fans, the last minute "Music City Miracle" brought Titans Mania to a fever pitch. The Buffalo Bills had just gained a 16-15 lead over Tennessee with only 16 seconds remaining in the playoff game that would decide whether the team would compete in the Super Bowl. Tennessee fans had lost all hope, but the Titans had not given up.

The players demonstrated the meaning of teamwork in the execution of a play that rocked the football world and sent Titans fans into a euphoric frenzy. Following the Bills' kickoff, Fullback Lorenzo Neal handed the ball to tight end Frank Wycheck who then feinted right, stopped and shot the ball to wide receiver Kevin Dyson, who ran unopposed 75 yards down the left sideline and into the end-zone for the winning touch-down with three seconds left on the clock.

The Titans loss to the St. Louis Rams in the Super Bowl later in the month was as almost as sweet as victory as Kevin Dyson put all he had into what would have been the winning touchdown with just one more yard covered. Football fans across the world revered the game as one of the best in NFL history.

Women who are not already infected by Vols fever or who have not spent Friday after ever-chillier Friday night watching sons play on football fields across West Tennessee have surely by now come down with Titans Mania and its associated heightened interest in the difference between a quarter back and a running back and, along with the men in their lives, may be frustrated with the constant questions that come up while watching an exciting but nonetheless confusing series of plays in the complicated game.

With the opening of the regular season this month, football facts and trivia will be a subject of much interest through the rest of the year and into 2002 with the playoff games that will hopefully propel our Titans into Super Bowl XXXVI on January 27 in New Orleans.

To help novices keep pace with more knowledgeable fans, here is a primer of football terms and tactics gleaned from www.nfl.com and Titans literature that can pave the way to a season of fun and excitement.

A Bit of History
• Football evolved from the sports of soccer and rugby, with rugby being the predominant influence, as it permitted handling of the ball.
• The National Football League began in 1920 in Canton, Ohio.
• When the American Football League (AFL) was organized in 1959, the Houston Oilers was one of its six original teams.
• In 1966, the AFL and NFL announce plans to merge into one league by 1970.
• In 1967, the first AFL-NFL World Championship Game was played in Los Angeles. Two years later the championship game became known as the Super Bowl.

The Playing Field
• Football is played on a field that is 120 yards long by 53 yards and 1 foot wide, with two end zones 10 yards deep, each having an H-shaped goal post having a crossbar 10 ft. high
• 22 players are on the field at one time - 11 per team.
• An NFL game is made up of four 15-minute quarters, plus a 15-minute sudden-death overtime if the score is tied after regulation time.
• A 12-minute halftime falls between the second and third quarters.
• Each team is entitled to three time outs per half.

The Three "Teams" Within a Football Team:
 
THE OFFENSE controls the movement of the ball and attempts to score touchdowns (worth 6 points) by passing or running the ball.
 
Offensive Positions
• Quarterback - leader of the team, high profile, executes most plays.
• Center - lines up over the football, in the center of the offensive line; snaps the ball to the quarterback to begin each play.
• Guards - each offensive team has two guards who line up on either side of the center.
• Tackles - each offensive team has two tackles who line up outside the guards.
• Tight end - lines up just outside the tackle (close or tight).
• Wide Receivers - line up 10-15 yards wide of the offensive line; receive passes thrown by the quarterback.
• Running Backs - line up behind the quarterback in the backfield; run with the ball, block, and receive passes from the quarterback.

 

THE DEFENSE attempts to prevent scoring opportunities by tackling offensive players short of a first down or causing the offense to lose control of the ball by deflecting passes, intercepting passes or causing fumbles(dropped balls). When the defense is successful in causing the offensive team to lose control of the ball, it is called a turnover.

Defensive Positions
• Defensive Tackle - lines up on the defensive line; responsible for stopping the offensive charge; either one or two defensive tackles play depending on defensive formation.
• Defensive Ends - line up on the defensive line; responsible for containing the outside running game and for rushing the quarterback; a successful rush of the quarterback results in a sack; two defensive ends play at all times (see definitions).
• Linebackers - line up 2-3 yards in back of the tackles and ends; responsible for stopping the run and also for covering receivers on passing plays; occasionally rush the quarterback (referred to as a blitz).
• Cornerbacks - line up opposite wide receivers; responsible for covering receivers and providing support in stopping the running game; typically two cornerbacks play depending on the defensive and offensive formations.
• Safeties - line up 8-10 yards from the line of scrimmage; responsible for providing support in pass coverage (essentially the safety net against a long gain of yardage by the offense); typically two safeties play depending on the defensive and offensive formations.
 

Special Teams are a group of specialists who take the field during kicking situations: punts, field goals, extra points and kickoffs; they are responsible for kicking a ball or returning a kicked ball from the other team, and are frequently labeled kicking teams, or receiving.
 
• Kickoffs - start the game; start the second half; start play after team scores.
• Field-Goal Attempt - an effort by the offensive special team to score 3 points by kicking the ball between the uprights.
• Punt - an exchange of possession in which the offensive team tries to pin the ball in the defensive team's end of the field.
• Kick Returns - after the kicking team attempts to catch it and advance as far as possible toward the opposite end zone

Basic Terminology

DOWNS
• Downs are a series of offensive plays.
• The offense has four plays, or downs, to advance the ball 10 yards to advance 10 yards and keep possession of the ball by gaining a new first down; upon moving the ball 10 yards, the offensive team receives another set of downs.
• First Down - first try (first and 10 yards to go).
• Second Down - second try.
• Third Down - third try.
• Fourth Down - last and final try; with options (see below).
• Go For It - try to get the yardage necessary to attain a first down or a touchdown.
• Kick a Field Goal - attempt to score three points by kicking the ball between the uprights.
• Punt - kick the ball to the other team in hopes of keeping it as far away from your goal line as possible.
 

SCORING
Touchdown = six points
• Running the ball or completing a pass to a player who carries the ball into the opponent's end zone.
Extra Point (or conversion): one or two points
• An effort to score points after a touchdown by either:
• A. Kicking the ball through the uprights (one point).
• B. Running or completing a pass to a player who carries the ball into the end zone from two yards away (two points due to difficulty).
• In either case, the offensive team gets only one opportunity to execute a point after a touchdown.
Field Goal: three points
• Field goals usually are attempted in 4th-down situations (last attempt or try in a series of downs).
• Special teams will attempt a field goal if it feels the kicker is close enough to the end zone to kick the ball through the uprights.
• A field-goal attempt must clear the crossbar and go between the uprights.
Safety: two points
• Safeties are the rarest of all the scoring opportunities. The defensive team is credited with two points if it tackles an offensive player in his own end zone.
• Don't confuse the term "safety" with the defensive position

Honing your skills
• Pay attention to the play-by-plays on radio and TV or your at-home football fan in order to put your new knowledge into practice.
• Watch the pre- and post-game specials to pick up more insight into the plays.
• Follow your team for the entire season in order to get a better feel for the game.
• Start predicting what may happen next; whether the team will choose a running or passing play.
• Predict how many yards the next play will gain or lose.
• Attend a game in person. High School games will give you an edge toward understanding college and pro games.
• Enjoy the festive atmosphere a football game provides - have a tailgate party or eat from the concessions stands.

Regular Season
• The regular season usually begins in early September and runs through the end of December.
• Each team plays a 16-game schedule over the course of 17 weeks (one bye week).
• Each team plays its divisional opponents twice, once at home and once on the road (eight games; 10 games for the AFC Central).
• Each team plays four teams of equal strength within its own conference (two or three for teams in the AFC Central).
• Each team plays four teams from one division of the opposite conference (three or four for teams in the AFC Central).

Playoffs
• The NFL playoffs begin in late December and are played throughout the month of January.
• 12 teams (six NFC teams and six AFC teams) earn playoff spots based on their regular season won-loss record.
• All playoff teams play in a single-elimination tournament to determine the two conference champions.
• The two conference champions play in the championship: the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl Facts and Trivia
• The Super Bowl is played on the last Sunday in January.
• The winning team is presented with the Vince Lombardi Trophy, named after the legendary coach whose Green Bay Packers won Super Bowls I and II.
• Each member of the winning team receives a Super Bowl ring, commemorating the team's championship season.
• The Super Bowl is viewed in more than 175 different countries.
• 130 million television viewers in the United States watch the Super Bowl.
• 40 million people watched the Oscars in 1997 versus 50 million women who watched the Super Bowl.
• More food is purchased for Super Bowl Sunday than any day other than Christmas and Thanksgiving.