Countdown to Kickoff: 48 Days

The countdown to kickoff continues.

The Tennessee Titans will open the 2020 regular season Sept. 14 at Denver. That is 48 days away. So, today we look at one way the number 48 figures into the team’s recent history.

In the three seasons he played for the Tennessee Titans, Tim Shaw was a special teams standout. In recent years, he has been a special presence.

A linebacker out of Penn State, Shaw spent half his NFL career with the Titans and amassed 48 special teams tackles. He led the team with 20 in 2010 and with 13 in 2012, when he served as a special teams captain. He tied for the team lead with 15 in 2013.

In short, he did exactly what franchise officials expected when they claimed him off waivers at the end of the 2010 preseason. He previously spent one season each with Carolina, Jacksonville and Chicago.

What Shaw never anticipated was that during 2012 he would begin to experience trembling in his arms and legs as well as what he characterized as a loss of athleticism. Undaunted, he played on.

It was roughly a year and half later before he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease. He publicly revealed the situation during an appearance at the Titans’ 2014 training camp and has maintained a relatively high profile ever since as he attempts to raise awareness about the illness, which has no known cure.

In 2016, the Titans signed Shaw to a contract, placed him on the reserve/retired list, a move then-coach Mike Mularkey declared made Shaw “a Titan for life.” It was not just lip service. Shaw was named a team captain in 2017 and in recent seasons has worked as a part-time staff member under Mularkey as well as current coach Mike Vrabel.

His desire and ability to remain involved despite the dire circumstances continues to inspire Titans players, coaches and staff members.