INTERVIEW: Chris Johnson on Henry’s departure, Levis, the 2K season, and MORE! | MCA Titans Podcast

INTERVIEW: Chris Johnson on Henry’s departure, Levis, the 2K season, and MORE! | MCA Titans Podcast

it was crazy like and it just hurt every time I see that play it just hurt because I don’t understand I don’t see where the ref could have even thought it was a holding car it was a clear head up block oh welcome everyone to another episode of the Music City audible podcast presented by broadway sports media in partnership with 440 Sports I’m Justin Graver with me as always Justin melow and Justin we have a special episode today one of the greatest running backs in NFL history and also of course Titans history the legendary Chris Johnson joining us on this pod I am excited to get into this one yeah I am as well you know this was a awesome opportunity that was put on my desk really out of nowhere so glad we could make it work with CJ 2K and he joined us for a really really good uh in-depth interview here yeah so let’s get to that interview before we do let me to remind everyone that this episode is brought to you by sinkers beverages in East Nashville and Bluegrass beverages in Henderson Ville stay tuned for more on sinkers Beverages and Bluegrass beverages in a bit and also right before we get into this interview I want to remind everyone watching out there to please subscribe to the YouTube channel give this video a thumbs up like and turn on channel alert so you get a notification every time we drop a new video it’s the subscri subscribers The likes the comments that are the reason we’re able to do stuff like this so if you want us to keep doing things like this please hit that subscribe button all right Justin without further Ado let’s welcome on the legend cj2k himself Chris I I think it’d be silly of me to not start with what’s probably the biggest offseason development for the Titans and there was a lot of them but the decision to move on from Derk Henry is is probably the one that caught the most attention as a fellow you know legendary Titans running back what was your take on that decision um it was kind of crazy to me because I feel like kind of like the same situation happened with me um someone like in their Prime and um or I don’t know if they would say his prime or prime or whatever like that but let’s just say probably like let’s say the back end of his career but still being putting up numbers still putting up thousand yard season stuff like that but honestly what I took from that is when you think about getting rid of Mike variable um bringing in the new coach um the off is changing we’re not going to be a run first type offense um and when you speak about Darren Henry you know he’s on the he’s on the field first and second down third down they bring in another guy so he’s not being on the field all three Downs he’s not really help you in the passing game so being that that offense that they’re bringing in um it’s going to be the type of offense where they Throwing It All Over the field they need the type of B that can create mismatches in the passing game and things like that uh I just think that’s what they was going towards and the the league is a Monkey C Monkey do do league and you look at the teams that’s been running that’s been winning the Super Bowls it’s teams that’s throwing over the field you look at Kanas City Chiefs they’re throwing all over the field they’re not a run first offense and if the goal is to get a Super Bowl then like like I say monkey see monkey do do lead so we’re going towards a pass for offense and it’s like does Darren Henry really fit that offense and and do you see the duo you know now that that’s got they got Tony Pard who they brought over from the Dallas Cowboys and Taj Spears a sophomore third round pick do you see them as being sort of an ideal fit for that pass first offense yeah I think for that pass offense like you got Tony par coming in there he runs the ball in he helps in the pass game and then um you got both of those guys that really can help you in the pass game create a mismatch run the free release option routes um I’m not sure I haven’t seen those guys line up like out in the slot in that receiver and stuff so I’m not sure on their route running out there from that perspective but I know both of those guys can help you in the passing game and I I think that fits the new Tennessee offense a lot more than Derek would would have fitted because at the end of day at the end of the day you know like with Derek he’s a valume guy he’s a valume type running back you can’t give him the ball two or three times in the first quarter and then give him the ball third quarter fourth quarter like Derek is that guy that he needs his 25 to 30 touches so and that’s just not where the offense was going in Tennessee so that’s why I feel like he really didn’t fit it because he’s not he wasn’t going to be that guy that’s getting 25 touches a game with a new offense yeah that makes sense and as we look at this new Duo they have with Pard and Spears it’s the Titans at one point had DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry but Derrick Henry wasn’t really Dereck Henry yet at that time it feels like it’s probably the best duo of running backs since Smash and dash since you and Lendale white but I’m curious if you had to take a Duo for one game would you take you and Lendale or Spears and PA here the new Titans come on man you you know that answer right there I’m taking you and Lindale because I’ve seen you do go be it’s not like nobody has been Smash and dash I will smash and dash like back then like nah ain’t nobody Smash and dash that’s it’s legendary like it is um I’m curious what you think about will Levis too what have you seen from the new Titans quarterback here in his first year as he enters his second and do you believe that he’s going to show that he’s a franchise quarterback this coming season yeah I think he’s going to show he’s that guy like I’ve seen him play I’ve seen him make all the throws um I’ve seen him out there being the leader and running the offense and not not only that he’s hard noosed like when it takes and he have to get that first down he’ll drop his shoulder he’ll put his head down and get that first down like he’s a tough guy and he can make the throws I think this offense is where he’s going to Prevail and I think he’s going to take a big step from his first year to this year when he’s going through a whole training camp where he’s the starter and he’s get to get to prepare for the whole season and then not only that he’s with he’s with a coach that’s a offensive coach that’s basically gonna let him make those plays and GNA let him throw the ball all over the field so I I think it’s nothing but up for him right now I agree with that and if that is the case if he is as good as Titans fans hope he can be what are your expectations for the titans this season do you think they can compete for the AFC South division title yeah I think we can like if you think about the last few years and stuff like that we we have always been right there like we’ve been right there in the mix um so just with the added pieces we got the Tony paa paj Spears the Kevin rid Le we still got dhawk all those guys like I think we we’re right there and if it jails the way that I know it can jail and that I know it will jail um just by those guys putting in the work and things like that I think we’re right there and I think we got a chance I agree all right quick break from the Chris Johnson interview to tell you guys about sinkers beverages in East Nashville and Bluegrass beverages in Hendersonville sinkers beverages is the Premier one spirits and beer store in East Nashville serving the community since 1985 their knowledgeable staff is proud to help you with large parties themed events or finding something unique for a special occasion from birthday parties to Milestone celebrations to Everyday moments sinkers can help with the right drink for every occasion and if you head to the sinkers beverages.com website or check the link in this podcast description you can join The incrowd In Crowd members get access to allocated wines and spirits exclusive events Early Access to Barrel releases and and more plus sinkers beverages is on Uber Eats so if you don’t have time to get over to the store just search sinkers on your Uber Eats app and you can have everything you need delivered right to your front door all right Justin without further Ado let’s get back to Chris Johnson we got a few fun questions for you here and some throwback stuff uh before we let you go so first I’m just curious if you had to rank the Mount Rushmore of Titans running backs which I’m considering you Derrick Henry Eddie George Earl Campbell how would you rank those four the four I gotta go I gotta go me number one I gotta go Derek number two wow probably biased because like I can’t rank nobody ahead of somebody that went for 2,000 yards like yeah you’re the two 2,000 yard guys right so me one Derek two I gotta go ah I gotta go Eddie three and then I go Earl number four nice I like it and Chris you know speaking of that 2K season your legendary 2K season what do you recall most about it you know I think of the camaraderie that the offensive line showed and and how badly they wanted to help get you there like how do you look back on it oh man it was just awesome season like when it comes to like setting those goals and accomplishing those goals and like how we all jailed together and we was not only just for 2,000 yards like we knew we knew if we continue to do what we had to do um and reach that goal and things like that we knew like we would be winning games like not just like oh we F to go out here and wrest for 150 200 yards and we okay with that and taking that L like when that was going on like so we lost the first six games yeah made the quarterback switched events out of the last 10 games we won eight out of the last 10 so we was winning so that formula wasn’t just like okay we gonna run the ball and try to get this goal like we’re sticking to the formula and this formula is actually winning games so we knew we was trying to get a goal and we knew we were still trying to turn this season around and make the playoffs and we almost made it we was one game out like I think somebody had to win the game or something like that and we barely missed the playoffs but it wasn’t just like we’re trying to get this goal like we’re trying to win games we’re trying to make it to the playoffs and stuff like that and we fell short of it we got the goal but we fell short of the playoffs so it was like and it the crazy thing is a lot of people they talk about like me and the offensive line but it was more than that like it was the quarterbacks um you go look at the receivers go see how they blacking down feel yeah um the defense doing everything they had to do to get us the ball back so we get back on the field so it was a whole team effort so all the time I always say like it it wasn’t just me in the offensive line like that was a whole team effort yeah I still say it’s it’s the most electric single season performance I think in Tennessee Titans history and if there’s one sore spot for me and I I hate to bring it up but you ever look back on that bogus holding call against the Seahawks in week 17 and think man if that call wasn’t made because if it wasn’t made you likely would have been number one all time you know single season record holder if not for that bogus penalty right right right if not for that bogus penalty I would have been number one all the time in rushan like right now like I’m number one and like like scrim scrimmage yards like rushing and receiving combin I’m number one history so I still got something out of it but it was crazy like and it just hurt every time I see that play it just hurt because I don’t understand I don’t see where the the ref could even thought it was a holding car it was a clear head up block like he didn’t grab him none of that like yeah I don’t I don’t know what was going on with that but it is what it is it is not to uh bring up another sore spot but I have to ask you about the 2008 playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens you were you were crushing it in the first half you were Unstoppable pretty much and then three of the hardest hitting guys to ever play the game Ed Reed Ray Lewis Terrell sugs they all sort of get you wrapped up together Ed uh Ed Reed’s bending you back and you suffer that ankle injury do you think you guys would have won that game if you hadn’t got hurt in the first half man I know we would have won that game like they couldn’t do nothing with me I know you going to have time and make adjustment and stuff like that but it was I feel like outside of me getting hurt which was a big blow for the offense but it was a couple other scenarios where hurt us in that game too so I think we fumbled twice inside of our own 20 and I think what we lost that game like 17 14 1310 1310 right 13 we was inside of our own 20 twice which we had two turnovers which we had Rob veronis which even if we don’t score and we kick those two field goals we up and then it was another play where it was supposed to be a delay of game on Joe Flaco and take the ball still and threw a deep ball threw a deep ball down the field and they caught it so those three were so critical and for us to lose 13 with me getting hurt and those three critical plays like it’s like yeah we’re supposed to win that game and then we just was coming off beating Pittsburgh that year so I just know solely in my heart that like I think that was our Super Bowl year right there that was it that was the year he started 10 and0 like that was that was it it’s too bad and that’s just how Football goes sometimes but that it is yeah um I want to also ask you about the 40 yard dash cuz obviously you set the record the 424 time and you held it until 2017 when John Ross supposedly beat your time me personally I’m am not convinced that he actually beat your time I don’t know if you’ve seen this I’m going to share my screen here I want to show you this footage from the combine that has you like where you were as a little yellow line and John Ross running it and to me this is not a faster time than you I even have at the end I even have a still shot here where you’re at the you’ve reached it and he’s still here how what happened here I I know there was the whole PR thing with Adidas saying they’d give somebody an island if they broke the record or whatever and John Ross didn’t even run he didn’t even wear Adidas he didn’t even wear Adidas but do you think that this was a little fishy here do you think you actually got beat man I know it was fishy for sure because um I think his time is a 422 and I don’t I I’ve been watching the combine for years like before I went to the combine and after I went to the combine and I never seen a time take as long as his took to come back right one number two I never seen the um unofficial inofficial time the exact same I never seen that and then I just think like I had the record for so long so many years I feel like the combine had started to get a little boring so they had to do something to spice it up and then like just now like you seeing like every year somebody running faster and faster and faster so man I don’t know but the proof is right there I agree but like what I tell people a lot of times like a lot of people be so caught up on the 40 like that was something that I was proud of to um had rent that time and to have had that record for so long but at the end of the day what I like try to tell people like if you run a fast 40 and it don’t translate to the field or you don’t do nothing when you get in the NFL that 40 don’t mean nothing it don’t mean nothing yeah like when they talk about when they talk about my stats how good of a player I was or potentially Hall of Famer and stuff like that I don’t think they’re gonna mention that 40 yard dash in my stats right you don’t do nothing once you run that 40 I don’t you can run a three5 you don’t do nothing in in the NFL like that 40 means absolutely nothing it’s gonna help you get drafted but you got to do something with it when you get there yeah probably saw zavier help probably help Xavier worthy get drafted in the first round uh that one you think that was legit that one felt legit to me that one I ain’t gonna lie when I seen that one and I went and looked at some of his highlights he looks blazing yeah looks blazing and like even with the whole thing with John Ross I’m not taking nothing from him or nothing like that but when you look at what they what they did right there when you see it like it’s it’s no way it’s not even like a photo finish or nothing like I pull off and when you do the the crazy thing is when you just did that steel shot I didn’t know that it was that far apart like yeah I didn’t know that was that far apart I mean that’s a that’s at least a yard there’s the yard right here yeah that’s crazy um all right I got one last question for you Chris before we let you go um I know you were down at the senior bll this past year part of the NFL scout school right what what have you learned about scouting over the last few months and is this a path that you really plan to keep pursuing all yes yes it’s definitely something I plan on pursuing and it’s like um the things that I learned like what really goes into it and like you know I used to just think it was like oh so and so they looking at this guy I’m G to go in the um I’m gonna go watch his film and just go through his film and like it goes deeper into it like it goes into like at going to talk to their coaches um finding out about them going to talk to teachers going to talk to people like they grew up around um yeah you gonna watch tape but it’s more than just tape like it’s all the other stuff to get a combined information on them getting a grade on them and like all this stuff want to talk to strength coach want to talk to the secetary it’s going to do it’s like a lot more going into it and then not only just that like you got a team that you working with so like say if it’s like five Us in the office or whatever like that like I’m not going to be the only one so I’m going do what I think on them they going to do what they think we going to get it all together and put it together and then like I just think like with how things going like let’s say like um like forget the NFL let’s say like college football how now how they are like starting to pay these kids and how College I forgot what it was called but they got something was going on where they they F to make it to where like it’s a salary cap or something they they paying the players and stuff like that and so now how with college football is usually the position coaches are doing the scouting or whatever so now that I think with how it’s going with now they’re starting to pay these players and it’s this and that I really think these colleges are going to have to start getting a um a scouting program within the school just so they can get it right I think that’s going to be the next step with college football instead of send these coaches out doing all these scouting they going to have to really have have them a scouting program within every school to scout um the correct way how the NFL is doing yeah to get those recruits in yeah Chris maybe when you’re done you could find the scouts that didn’t have a first round grade on you coming out and you could teach them a thing or two about what they missed on right right I wish I knew who didn’t have a first round on me I wish I knew who rated me a two star coming out of high school so yeah East Carolina that was your only D1 offer right yeah basically I had Connecticut but they wanted me to play cornerback W back then the running back was the guy so I I had to stick with it yeah no doubt Chris this is been outstanding thank you so much for your time we’ve learned so much one of the greatest uh Tennessee Titans of all time one of the greatest modern day running backs certainly with a 2,000 yard season unbelievable uh it’s been a pleasure Chris thank you so much thank you all right thanks again to Chris Johnson that was awesome Justin this might be one of the coolest things I’ve gotten to do as a you know person in sports media I met Eddie George once at NFL Headquarters but I just talked to him for like 10 seconds this was a whole another level I met Eddie too that’s pretty funny I think I think I’ve probably told that story I met him out here in Toronto funny enough to see his show to see his Broadway show I did yeah bought to to the Broadway show and then met up with him after he was awesome but uh no that was terrific stuff from Chris johnon I mean credit him you know older players guys who are not in the league anymore they’re not always up to date on current happenings of the team that’s just the truth he was very well in tune with what’s going on with Will Levis uh the the circumstances surrounding Derrick Henry’s departure Brian Callahan’s offense how he expects will Levis to operate it now he’s clearly done his homework and he’s very very in tune of where the franchise has gone um you know this off season yeah I think the Titans should hire him as a scout bring him in find the next CJ know like like he was talking about it there’s a is it bad I didn’t want to say anything and I’m were they old teammates I don’t know I can’t recall now for sure but I didn’t want to throw anyone under the bus think you know where I’m going with this but as soon as he said talked about you could run a quick 40 but it doesn’t mean you could play football just immediately in my mind I was like Chris Henry that running back that they drafted you remember him of course yeah I want to say he tested well but couldn’t hit a hole for no vision none of that stuff right let’s see did they play together yeah they did he was here in 2007 to 2009 so they overlap for two years I thought so I was almost certain they did so couldn’t play for though but but uh immediately I’m like Chris Henry oh man that was great though great stuff thanks again to Chris Johnson to his team for helping set that up and uh we hope you guys enjoyed it we will be back next week with more on the Titans I don’t know maybe get to that Titans Most disrespected team video maybe not I don’t know we’ll see what what the calendar holds if you have any topics that you want us to cover remember drop those in the comments below maybe we’ll actually get to them if you have any questions drop those in the comments below Justin and I very active in responding to you guys so we appreciate all the support from everyone out there if you could support us even more by hitting that subscribe button giving this video that thumbs up and turn on channel alert so you get a notification every time we drop a new video thanks again to sinkers beverages in East Nashville Bluegrass beverages in Hendersonville once again you can join The In Crowd In Crowd members get access to allocated wines and spirits exclusive events Early Access to Barrel releases and more all right Justin any last final thoughts Before We Say Goodbye that’s all thank you to cj2k we’ll be back really soon and Training Camps right around the corner so these little fun episodes we’ve been doing where we’ve got different topics or guests uh we’re going to be full-fledged training camp here very soon so a lot to talk about in roughly three weeks from now so uh looking forward to that as well yeah I cannot wait all right until then yall stay safe out there and tighten up a broadway sports media production

Justin Melo and Justin Graver are joined by legendary Titans running back Chris Johnson for a special interview episode of the Music City Audible podcast! CJ2K gives his thoughts on Derrick Henry’s departure (1:30), expectations for quarterback Will Levis entering his second season (5:53), and if the Titans can compete for the AFC South division in 2024 (6:57). Then, CJ looks back on his career with the Titans, ranking the Mt. Rushmore of Titans running backs (8:43), recalling the 2,000-yard season and the infamous holding penalty that stripped him of the single-season rushing record (9:38), and remembering the 2008 playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens (12:57). CJ also shares his opinion on John Ross breaking his 40-yard-dash records (14:55) and talks about his future exploring the world of NFL scouting (18:40).

0:00 Intro
1:30 CJ joins
1:46 Derrick Henry’s departure
5:53 Will Levis expectations
6:57 Can the Titans compete this season?
8:43 Mt. Rushmore of Titans RBs
9:38 The 2,000-yard season & infamous holding penalty
12:57 2008 Divisional Playoff vs Ravens
14:55 John Ross’ 40-yard-dash
18:40 NFL Scout School
21:59 Outro

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