Alright, folks – it’s been since July 19, 2018 that I’ve written a Tennessee Titans Throwback Thursday post. But, since it’s the middle of June and we’re approaching the yearly football drought, I figure now’s the time to revive the column. Today, we’re going to be reliving the career of wide receiver Derrick Mason.
When you look at the history of Titans receivers, there’s not a whole lot that jumps off the page at you. If you asked the average Titans fan who the greatest wideout to don the two-tone blue is, they’re probably going to say Mason. Really, it’s not even close.
In his eight years with the Titans, Mason amassed 6,114 receiving yards. With another two 1,000+-yard seasons, Delanie Walker could eclipse that number. Otherwise, like I said, it ain’t even close.
Interestingly enough, Mason was drafted by the Titans out of Michigan State, where he played under Nick Saban. The Titans made him the 98th overall pick in 1997, when they selected him in the 4th round. He played in all 16 games as a rookie, though he wasn’t much of a factor in the passing game then. In the early years of his career, Mason made his biggest contributions in the return game, where he was one of the best in the NFL. In 2000, he broke the NFL record for all purpose yards with 2,690. It was a record he’d hold until Darren Sproles broke it in 2011. Mason went to the Pro Bowl for the first time that year, and was also awarded All-Pro honors as well.
He backed that 2,000+-yard season up with another 2,000-yard season in 2001. It also marked his first 1,000-yard receiving season – he tallied 1,128 yards in his first of four straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons with the Titans. Mason earned Pro Bowl honors again in 2003, recording 1,303 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.
To this day, Mason owns at least 26 Titans/Oilers franchise records. I don’t ever want to hear that the Titans have never had a true #1 receiver again.
Mason went on to play for six years with the Baltimore Ravens (which stung – the Ravens? Really?), where he added 5,777 more receiving yards and 29 more touchdowns to his resume. After runs that fizzled out with both the Houston Texans (again, are you just trying to go to Titans rivals, D-Mase?) and New York Jets, Mason hung up the cleats for good.
He’s one of the more underrated players of the 2000s. His stat line of 12,061 yards put him at 26th in NFL history. Mason is still the only player in NFL history with 10,000 receiving yards AND 5,000 return yards. So far, his name hasn’t even popped up for Hall of Fame consideration, and I’d be surprised if he did end up in Canton. But, he should definitely be in the discussion for it.
Career stat line:
- 943 receptions, 12,061 yards, 66 touchdowns
- 182 punt returns, 1,590 yards, two touchdowns
- 156 kick returns, 3,496 yards, one touchdown
- 1,281 total touches, 17,147 total yards, 69 total touchdowns
TENNESSEE TITANS THROWBACK THURSDAY ARCHIVES
Drew Bennett
Keith Bulluck
Eddie George
Albert Haynesworth
Chris Henry
Chris Hope
Brandon Jones
Steve McNair
Samari Rolle
LenDale White
Vince Young
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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