The Houston Oilers won the first two AFL championships. One of the major contributors to those early teams was RB Charley Tolar. At only 5-foot-5, but weighing 200 pounds, the powerful Tolar paired with Billy Cannon to form a potent backfield duo. Chris Johnson is not as dimunitive as Tolar, but he is the undersized complement to LenDale White in the Titans' productive rushing attack of today.
NFLShop.com: Buy Johnson's AFL jersey
Then: Charley Tolar |
Now: Chris Johnson |
Charles Aqua Viva / National Football League Tolar was a multi-purpose threat for the champion Oilers. After helping the Oilers to two straight championships in his first two seasons, his career really took off in his third year. That is when he rushed for over 1,000 yards and forced OT with a TD before the Oilers eventually succumbed to the Texans and failed to win a third consecutive trophy. Toler was a good rusher, but he could also block expertly and was an outstanding receiver out of the backfield. NFLShop: Buy a Broncos anniversary hat! Discuss: What are your memories of Tolar? Career Statistics:Seasons: 7 Games: 95 Carries: 907 Rushing yards: 3,277 Yard per carry average: 3.6 Rushing touchdowns: 21 Receptions: 175 Receiving yards: 1,266 Receiving touchdowns: 2 Kickoff return yards: 313 Punt return yards: 40 |
John Russell / Associated Press Johnson burst onto the scene by running the fastest 40-yard dash at the 2008 NFL Scouting Combine. The Titans took him with the 24th pick in the 2008 NFL Draft and Johnson never looked back. He had a sensational rookie seasons and teamed with LenDale White to help Tennessee win the AFC South last year. Similar to Tolar, Johnson is a very dangerous receiving threat as well and is able to be deployed in different roles all over the field. NFLShop: Buy a Chris Johnson AFL jersey! Discuss: Is Johnson one of the best RBs in the league? Career Statistics:Seasons: 1 Games: 16 Carries: 251 Rushing yards: 1,228 Yard per carry average: 4.9 Rushing touchdowns: 9 Receptions: 43 Receiving yards: 260 Yards per catch: 6.0 Receiving touchdowns: 1 Kickoff return yards: 17 |
