NASHVILLE – Not long after Sunday's win over the Browns, Titans interim head coach Mike McCoy stood in front of players in a celebratory locker room and rattled off highlights from the team's 31-29 win.
When he mentioned the franchise's first blocked punt since 2012, a number of Titans immediately put their arms together to make a T.
It was for Tim Shaw.
"That was for Tim," Titans linebacker James Williams Sr. said of the blocked punt against the Browns. "That ball is for him. It's a blessing to do that for somebody like Tim, who comes out every day and coaches us no matter what."
In the fourth quarter against the Browns, it was Williams who blocked a punt by Browns punter Corey Bojorquez.
It was the first time the Titans had blocked a punt since Tim Shaw recorded one against Pittsburgh on Oct. 11, 2012.
Titans special teams coordinator John Fassell had been preaching to players to "Change the Date" on the blocked punt, and on Sunday the Titans made that happen.
It was extra special because of Shaw, a former Titans linebacker who has been an inspiration to this Titans team, and many others, for his courage and determination while battling ALS – and helping the team on a weekly basis.
Shaw, who played from 2010-12 with the Titans, was diagnosed with ALS in 2014, not long after his six-year playing career ended. In addition to the Titans, Shaw also played for the Panthers, Jaguars and Bears.
Despite his diagnosis, Shaw continues to be a frequent visitor to Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park, in his wheelchair, where he's been a part of special teams meetings, and provided tips to players. Shaw still has a locker in the team's locker room.
"We do celebrate Timmy Shaw," Fassel said. "And Timmy Shaw is a huge part of what we do on special teams, and being a part of the meetings. He writes up post-game reports for all the players. We keep telling Timmy: Someday, you're not going to be the last one to block a punt, but the second to last one."
That someday took place on Sunday in Cleveland, which gave Williams and the Titans even more reason to celebrate.
"We'd been preparing all year for this, waiting on the right opportunity, and it finally presented itself," Williams said. "(Tim) is always giving me pointers, and tips. (He'll tell me): Keep applying pressure, get vertical.
"He's going to love (seeing this), he might jump out of his chair, man, watch. That ball is for him. It's a blessing to do that for somebody like Tim, who comes out every day and coaches us no matter what. That was for Tim."
In 2016, the Titans signed Shaw as a "Titan for Life," an idea of then-Titans General Manager Jon Robinson.
Often referred to as Lou Gehrig's Disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. According to the ALS Association, patients in the later stages of the disease may become totally paralyzed.
Shaw continues to help raise money while bringing awareness to people who wake up every day battling ALS.
"I was with Tim in Carolina, when he came out of college," McCoy said of Shaw. "It is unbelievable for him to be out here every single day, supporting everybody. Everybody loves having him around. … It is unbelievable to have him here every single day. He is in meetings, and he is out at practice. It is great to have him around with us."
