NASHVILLE – Former Titans head coach Jeff Fisher was inducted into the 2020 Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday night.
Fisher was formally enshrined during a two-hour Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame induction special.
Instead of appearing at banquet, which is usually the case, Fisher was featured during a two-hour television special that was broadcast throughout the state and on Periscope, with Titans play-by-play announcer Mike Keith serving as the host of the show. The show highlighted Fisher's history in the state of Tennessee, beginning with his first visit to the state while as a player at USC vs the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, to his success of his teams.
"When the Titans moved to the Volunteer State, their head coach was Jeff Fisher," Keith said. "He remained the coach for a total of 14 seasons, had a tremendous amount of success, won a lot of big games. But Jeff Fisher's impact on Tennessee – all of Tennessee – was a lot more than just about wins and losses and other stats. In the process, Jeff Fisher became Tennessee's NFL coach."
Earlier this year, Brad Willis, Chief Advancement and Operations Officer for the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, surprised Fisher with the news on 104.5-FM's Midday 180 as his long-time buddy, former Titans assistant and current Titans Radio analyst Dave McGinnis, looked on with a smile. Fisher's wife, Julie, also surprised her husband in studio.
"Thank you Mike so much for your contribution, and your part in this, to Brad Willis, to everybody with the Hall of Fame and to all the inductees and all the fans – it's an honor," Fisher said on Saturday night's program. "I can't wait to live it in person once things settle down. Clearly, I am honored and humbled, and thank you once again."
An NFL head coach for 22 seasons, Fisher coached from 1994-2010 with the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans.
Under Fisher's guidance, the Titans made six playoff appearances, won three division titles, played in two AFC Championship Games and in one Super Bowl. He posted a 142-120 record in 16 seasons with the Titans, and he guided the Titans into the franchise's only Super Bowl appearance during the 1999 season.
"It is an emotional thing for me," Fisher later said during a press conference after being surprised with the news. "You get in a groove doing things, and then all of a sudden something as great and as special as this is a reminder of everything that we did over the years. … You can't thank those people around you enough, all those that were behind the scenes.
"… The relationships and the experiences and the memories are all coming back and becoming a little overwhelming for me right now."
Fisher became interim head coach of the Houston Oilers during the 1994 season before being named head coach for 1995. He was the state's first NFL head coach after the franchise relocated to Memphis, and then on to Nashville.
After leaving the Titans, Fisher served as head coach of the St. Louis Rams/Los Angeles Rams from 2012-2016.
"Coach Fisher's strengths as a leader is one who listens, and he adapts," former Titans running back Eddie George said during Saturday night's broadcast. "A wonderful coach … one of the best coaches that I ever played for. God bless you, enjoy this time, I love you. Titan Up."
"I want to thank you," McGinnis said on the show, "not only for our professional relationship over all these years, but for our personal relationship."
Along with Fisher, others inducted into the 2020 class included Tim Corbin, Terry Crisp, Tony Delk, Bettye Giles, Dick Horton, Heath Shuler, Bruton Smith, Sonny Smith, Carl Torbush and DeAngelo Williams.
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