Fear shortened Warren Moon‘s NFL career by at least 6 years, as he signed with the CFL team Edmonton Eskimos in 1978. Some naysayers convinced him that he would not have a good NFL career. But he proved all of them wrong. NFL Man of the Year in 1989, nine Pro Bowl selections, Titans/Oilers Ring of Honor, and NFL passing yards leader in 1990 and 1991. These are some of his achievements in the league. The franchise retired his jersey number 1 in 2006. But after drafting Miami’s Cam Ward this year, the talk of unretiring the jersey number became loud.
Speaking with Kay Adams on the May 2 episode of the Up & Adams Show, the legend revealed his feelings on giving away his jersey number. Looking sharp in a suit with a hat and sunglasses, he described the contemplation after the rookie approached him. The legend talked to his close friends and also to the owner, Amy Strunk.
However, there was a unique reason behind his decision to unretire his jersey and hand it over to Cam Ward. The first was, “Basically, I made that decision off of—I’ve had that number for like fifty years, right from the time I was eighteen years old until here I am today. Cam’s had that number for about the last four or five years when he was at Washington State. But I looked at it as: my Houston Oiler number one will never be worn again. He’s going to wear the Tennessee Titans number one, and he has a chance to start a legacy with that number with the Tennessee Titans.” That’s humility.
It starts with a brief history lesson for those who don’t remember (or know). Warren Moon played for the Oilers from 19984 to 1993, a complete decade! In 1997, the franchise moved to Tennessee. They changed their name from the Tennessee Oilers to the Tennessee Titans in 1999. So, Cam Ward will be wearing the Titans jersey number 1. Not many young fans even know about the Oilers’ name change.
However, this decision will have a tremendous impact on the young 22-year-old player. If he makes any mistake, everyone will directly compare him to the legend.
Cm Ward is ready for jersey number 1 responsibility
The Titans are making big bets on their first-round (1st overall) draft pick of the 2025 draft. On April 25, GM Mike Borgonzi was present when Warren Moon suddenly came to the press conference with jersey number 1 in his hand. He handed it to the rookie and said, “I just came here because I got a lot of respect for this young man right here.” That’s right. The rookie has impressed everyone with 65% pass completion and 158-37 TD-int ratio.
Syndication: The Tennessean NFL, American Football Herren, USA Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon, left, poses for pictures with Cam Ward who earlier had been introduced as the Tennessee Titans first-round pick and overall number one pick in the NFL Draft at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, April 25, 2025. Moon, whose No. 1 jersey is retired for the Tennessee Titans, allowed Ward to wear his number. Nashville , EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xDennyxSimmonsx/xThexTennesseanx USATSI_26012625
In his 17-year-long NFL career, Moon played 208 games (203 starters). He returned a 102-101 win-loss record with a 58.4% pass completion rate in 49,325 passing yards, 291 touchdowns, and 233 interceptions. So, all these numbers are a huge hill to climb. But Cam Ward is also prepared. He also replied, “I’m trying to get up to his level one day. He’s a Hall of Famer, and for me to be in that same number is an honor.” Moon started wearing jersey number 1 in 1975 for Washington, huge shoes to fill for the young boy.
Moon also told the rookie to be humble and work hard with his teammates. The fans are excited about the coming season. “He can create his own legacy just like I did—and hopefully he’ll surpass my legacy,” Warren Moon said while talking about the rookie. He is carrying the weight of a 50-year-old legacy. Will he crumble or lift him? So, the game is on.
The post Titans Legend Clears Stance on Handing Jersey No. to Cam Ward as Tennessee Rookie Forced to Keep 50-YO Legacy Alive appeared first on EssentiallySports.