Titans Honor Former LB Tim Shaw with One-Day Contract

About a week ago, former Titans linebacker Tim Shaw was given the opportunity to speak to the team in the locker room before they headed out onto the field for practice. Shaw, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2014, gave a speech that was so inspiring that it motivated Titans General Manager Jon Robinson to do something that would mean the world to the former captain.

On Tuesday, the organization invited Shaw back for an evening team meeting, and offered him the opportunity to sign a one-day contract with the team. Shaw, who went from peak-shape as an NFL Player to now struggling with every day activities like speaking clearly and brushing his teeth, was deemed a “Titan for life” by head coach Mike Mularkey.

Shaw’s signing came as a surprise to the players, who after hearing him speak earlier in the week, gave him a standing ovation when he walked into the team meeting room to greet them. While no one was more excited about the honor than Shaw, he realized the recognition could mean more to other people suffering from the disease than it does for him.

“It is going to make a difference in my life, but really it is going to make a difference in more peoples’ lives because the ALS community needs recognition and we need support like this. … It really does mean the world.”

His battle isn’t lost on Robinson, who called him “the ultimate fighter,” and remarked that his career could have gone much longer than it did had it not been for the terrible disease. The general manager went on to talk about how much Shaw meant to the team, and how they consider him to be one of their own.

“It’s a testament to him that attitude-wise he still has that same fighter spirit that he had back when he was playing. We want him to be one of us. He is one of us and always will be.”