Titans retiring Eddie George, Steve McNair jersey numbers

June 12 (UPI) -- The Tennessee Titans will retire the jersey numbers of franchise legends Steve McNair and Eddie George this season.

George and McNair will be honored during the team's home-opener against the Indianapolis Colts at 1 p.m. Sept. 15 at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk announced that George's No. 27 and McNair's No. 9 will be retired during a ceremony.

"Steve and Eddie will be forever linked as two of the driving forces for our team in the late 90's and early 2000's," Strunk told reporters. "They were the heart and soul of the team and each made the other a better player and ultimately led to a great deal of team success."

"Their statistics will forever live in our record books, but their play and sacrifice is what our fans will always remember. For that and all that they have done for our team, the number 9 and 27 will be retired with the all-time franchise greats."

George, 45, was the No. 14 overall pick by the Houston Oilers in the 1996 NFL Draft. The four-time Pro Bowl selection and former All-Pro moved to Tennessee with the franchise the following season.

George played his final season for the Titans in 2003 before spending his final NFL campaign with the Dallas Cowboys. He is the Titans' all-time leading rusher with 10,009 yards and 64 touchdowns on 2,733 carries.

McNair died at age 36 of a gunshot wound, following a playing career from 1995 through 2007. The No. 3 overall pick in the 1995 NFL Draft also moved with the franchise from Houston. McNair was a three-time Pro Bowl selection and was the 2003 NFL MVP, along with former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning.

McNair led the NFL with a 100.4 quarterback rating in 2003. The Alcorn State product

Only six other players have had their jerseys retired by the franchise, including: Jim Norton, Elvin Bethea, Earl Campbell, Mike Munchak, Bruce Matthews and Warren Moon.