Javon Ringer Javon Eugene Ringer ( born February 2 , 1987 ) is an American football running back who last played for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League ( NFL ) . He played college football for Michigan State University , and was drafted in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL draft . He is currently a free agent . Ringer attended Chaminade - Julienne High School where he set various school and state records . In college , he achieved many awards . In 2005 , he earned honorable mention Freshman All - America status from " The Sporting News " . He was also named to " The Sporting News " Big Ten All - Freshman Team . In 2006 , he earned the Biggie Munn Award , which is an award given to the team ' s most inspirational player . In 2007 , he had a breakout season , becoming Michigan State ' s first 1 , 000 yard carrier since T . J . Duckett in 2001 . He was also named Second Team All - Big Ten in the coaches and media polls . In 2008 , as a Senior , he was named as one of four team captains . He was a semi - finalist for the Maxwell Award , the Walter Camp Award , and was a finalist for the Doak Walker Award , which he finished in third , behind Shonn Greene and Knowshon Moreno . He was also a Heisman Trophy candidate at one point , the only running back to be officially nominated all year . He had a minor knee injury during the end of the 2008 season , which he had corrective surgery on . This slowed his Combine numbers ; however , he improved upon those numbers during MSU ' s Pro Days . He was one of 3 Spartans invited to the NFL combine . ESPN . com ranked him the 8th best running back in the draft . He was a projected 3rd rounder in the 2009 NFL Draft . Another site lists him as a mid - second round draft choice . Ringer has drawn comparisons to NFL players Mike Hart and Chester Taylor . His performance at the MSU Pro Day " absolutely blew NFL teams away " , due to putting up impressive numbers while not fully recovered . NFL Analyst Mel Kiper said of Ringer " He ' s only 5 - 9 , 205 , but he ' s remarkably strong , a good athlete and just a tough kid with great character . He blocks extremely well , and he ' ll be a very serviceable No . 2 back . He ' ll probably end up being a fourth - or fifth - round pick . " Ringer battled with several running backs for the 3rd string position coming into his rookie 2009 season , a battle which he won . He made his NFL debut in week 1 , as a kick returner , and overall has played in 7 games . He was benched as kick returner after a poor performance in week 2 . He had his first NFL carries in a week 6 game against the New England Patriots . He is slated to be 2nd on the depth chart in 2010 . Personal . Ringer is the son of Bishop Eugene and Darlene Ringer , who are both ministers . Ringer is a devout Christian . He owns a black belt in Karate . He majored in sociology . Ringer is known for his " unselfish attitude " , such as signing any autograph a fan asks for , and often does charity work . Michigan State Head coach Mark Dantonio said of Ringer , " He ' s a total team player - it ' s not about him , and you can ' t say enough about him as a person aside from his athletic abilities . " Ringer is one of the most active student - athletes in MSU ' s Multicultural Program . He has participated in numerous events , including the Gear Up College Day Program in which he served as a counselor to help advise middle school children , and the Academic Gladiators program where he expressed the importance of academics to other student - athletes . His " vibrant attitude " inspired children at hospitals and the MSU Child Development Lab , while his positive coaching skills at camps and clinics have made him a mentor to young football players . MSU ' s Angela Howard , who is the Director of Student - Athlete Development , said , " Javon ' s definitely a go - to guy as far as helping out in the community . He ' s not seeking the attention . Everything he does is for the right reasons , and he ' s willing to take the time , which he doesn ' t have a lot of . He ' s not doing it because I ' m telling him he has to go out , or because he ' s the face of Michigan State football . When he ' s out there , he ' s doing it because he believes in doing it . " His nephew , Northmont High School linebacker Kaleb Ringer , has recently committed to Michigan . When asked about his motivations , Ringer responded " Honestly , my number - one motivation is my family " . While talking about his attitude and upbringing , Ringer mentioned , " A lot of that just comes from my upbringing . I have a tremendous mother and father , I grew up in the church , I have a very religious family . I ’ m not all about myself just because I know if it wasn ’ t for God , I wouldn ’ t be able to go out there and compete anyway . So I never look at it as a selfish thing — I never want all the attention or want it to be about me , because I never want to get in to a situation where God has to humble me . I know for a fact that I am not doing it by myself ; it is because of Him that I can compete over and over again . That ’ s basically how I grew up . I was blessed and fortunate to have a family like I have . " Michigan State strength and conditioning coach Ken Mannie said of Ringer , " He ' s extremely self - motivated . He doesn ' t need pep - talks . He challenges himself every day . " When asked " Who is the most instrumental person in your life ? " Ringer responded , " My parents . " Spartans coach Mark Dantonio said Ringer " epitomizes everything a student - athlete should be . He does everything in the classroom and on the field respectively . His tutor , Ryan Kraft a senior from Farmington Hills , was a great help in his academic performance and took him the distance where he needed to get to . " In June 2009 , Ringer and all the other Titan rookies made an appearance at a local hospital to celebrate National Cancer Survivors Day . Ringer also went to a V . A . hospital in November 2009 with other Titans to celebrate Veterans Day . Football career . High school . Ringer attended and graduated from Chaminade Julienne Catholic High School ( the same high school former Spartan nose guard Brandon McKinney attended ) where Ringer is the all - time leading rusher . He was coached by Jim Place . In 33 games , he totalled 6 , 184 rushing yards and 81 TDs , an average of 187 . 9 yard per Game and 2 . 45 touchdowns per game . Ringer wore # 29 during high school . Ringer also lettered in track , producing a personal best 10 . 6s in the 100 - meter dash . In 2001 , as a freshman , Ringer was on the football team , but did not register an offensive stat . In 2002 , as a sophomore , Ringer was named the team ' s starter . He help lead his team to a 14 - 1 record and the Ohio D - II State Championship , which was the school ' s first state championship in football . He totaled 2 , 038 yards and scored 30 rushing TDs that year . In the state championship game he broke records for both rushing TD ' s ( 4 ) and rushing yards in a D - II championship game ( 251 ) . In 2003 , as a Junior , he rushed for 2 , 356 yards and scored 30 rushing TDs , including a 307 yard , 3 TD game against McNicholas . In 2004 , as a Senior , he participated in the Big 33 Football Classic , which features the top high school football players in Pennsylvania playing against the top high school football players in Ohio . He rushed for 1 , 790 yards and 21 touchdowns in seven games . His career best game was against Purcell Marian High School , where he had 372 rushing yards and scored five TDs . Later that year , Ringer tore his ACL , which kept him out the final 6 games of the season , and his ' shaky grades ' plus a low ACT score took him off the map to attend Ohio State University . Scouts . com had him listed as the 18th best high school running back . His measurables during his senior year were : Weight : 186 lbs , Forty time : 4 . 44 secs , Bench max : 325 pounds , Bench reps : 20 , Vertical : 36 inches , and Shuttle : 3 . 87 secs . SuperPrep ranked him the 29th best back , Collegefootballnews . com ranked him 31st , while Detroit Free Press ranked him the 18th best prospect in the Midwest . Rivals . com listed him as the 13th best senior in the state of Ohio . Superprep named him the 25th best Prospect in the Midwest , while Prep Football report ranked him 37th . Max Emfinger ranked him the 4th best all - purpose back in the country . in 2004 , Ringer attend the " NIKE Camp " in Columbus , OH in April and had a very impressive workout He received scholarship offers from Michigan State , USC , Tennessee , Florida , and Iowa . Ringer was also heavily recruited by Ohio State , but did not receive a scholarship offer from the school . Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said “ ( We ) were very interested . We thought he was a great player . ” One article said the reason why Ringer wasn ' t given an offer is because OSU compared Ringer to Ryan Brewer , a high school standout from Troy , Ohio who OSU passed on . Brewer ended up having a very solid college career at South Carolina for Coach Lou Holtz and helped the Gamecocks to beat Ohio State in the 2001 Outback Bowl . Ringer attended summer football camps at Ohio State during high school . One of them was 2004 ' s " NIKE Camp " in Columbus , Ohio . During that camp , Ringer had a camp best shuttle run of a 3 . 87 seconds . He also had the best vertical leap that day with a jump of . He also attended a camp at the University of Michigan . College . Coming out of high school , Ringer was a prized recruit for the Spartans , choosing Michigan State over OSU , Tennessee , and Florida , among other schools . Ringer visited MSU on December 14 , 2004 , where and during the visit , he committed to the school . In his career at Michigan State , Ringer was very successful . Ringer rushed for 4398 yards in his career at Michigan State , with a 4 . 1 yards per carry average . Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis has described Ringer ' s playing abilities by saying " You can hit him and hit him and hit him and he just keeps on coming . " In 2005 , as a Freshman , Ringer earned honorable mention Freshman All - America status from " The Sporting News " . He was also named to " The Sporting News " Big Ten All - Freshman Team . He finished with 122 carries for 817 yards , the second - best single - season rushing total by a True freshman in MSU history . In 2006 , as a sophomore , Ringer earned the Biggie Munn Award , which is an award given to the team ' s most inspirational player . In 8 games ( including five starts ) , he led the Spartans in rushing with 86 carries for 497 yards , despite missing five games with a knee injury . Then - Spartans coach John L . Smith said of Ringer , " Javon Ringer is a special player and a special young man . He has incredible heart and courage . After suffering what appeared to be a season - ending knee injury , Javon willed himself back onto the playing field . He worked his tail off , so he could go to the field and compete with his teammates . " After his Sophomore year , Ringer changed his number from 39 to 23 . As a Junior , in 2007 , Ringer had a breakout season , rushing for 1 , 447 yards on 245 carries with a 5 . 9 average , becoming Michigan State ' s first 1 , 000 yard carrier since T . J . Duckett in 2001 . In addition , he was named Second Team All - Big Ten in the coaches and media polls . 2008 season . In April 2008 , NFL draft expert Mel Kiper named Ringer as his choice as the best back in the class of 2009 . Going into 2008 , Ringer ranked 6th all time on MSU ' s rushing list with 3 , 259 yards . Also , his 596 carries is 7th in school history . He also was seventh on MSU ' s all purpose yardage list with 4 , 311 . In 2008 , as a Senior , Ringer was mentioned on several Heisman Trophy watch lists . He was nominated for three national awards : the Maxwell Award ( an award given to the College football Player of the Year ) , Walter Camp Award , and the Doak Walker Award ( nation ' s top running back ) . He was a preseason third - team All - American and first - team All - Big Ten selection by Phil Steele ' s " College Football Preview " , where he was rated 6th among the nation ' s top running backs . The " Chicago Tribune " calls Ringer a " Brusing Runner " , a title that former teammate Jehuu Caulcrick also acquired . Ringer was also named as one of four team captains Ringer also had never carried the ball over thirty times in a game before the 2008 season , a mark which he broke multiple times in 2008 . On August 30 , against , Ringer had 200 all - purpose yards , including a career - best 102 yards on kickoff returns , he had 81 yards on the ground on 27 attempts with 2 touchdowns . On September 6 , against , Ringer was named Big Ten Tri - Player of the Week after scoring a career - high five touchdowns , with 205 all - purpose yards . He rushed for 135 yards on a 34 carries . On September 13 , 2008 , against , Ringer was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week for the second week in a row , when he rushed for 282 yards on 43 carries , with a 6 . 6 average , scoring 2 touchdowns . His rushing yardage and number of carries were both career highs at the time . In that game , he had 309 all - purpose yards , which is 2nd all time in MSU History . On September 20 , against , Ringer had 39 Carries for 201 yards , including 2 touchdowns , earning Big Ten Offensive Player of the week for the third straight time , becoming the first player to do so . On September 27 , against Indiana , Ringer had a career high 44 carries for 198 yards and 1 touchdown On October 5 , against , Ringer had a then season low 25 carries for 91 yards and no touchdowns . After this win , Michigan State entered the national rankings at # 23 On October 11 , against , Ringer had 124 yards on 35 with 2 touchdowns . Ringer now had 1 , 112 yards , becoming the first Spartan with back - to - back 1 , 000 yard seasons since T . J . Duckett did it in 2000 - 2001 . After this game , Michigan State had a record of 6 - 1 , their best start since 2003 . On October 16 , Michigan State created a website dedicated to Ringer . 2 Days later , in a 45 - 7 loss against a tough run defense , Ringer had a then season low 16 carries for only 67 yards . On October 25 , against the , Ringer had 37 for 194 and 2 Touchdowns , leading the Spartans to defeat the Wolverines for the first time at Michigan since 1990 , also snapping a 6 - game losing streak against them . On November 1 , Against , Ringer , who was slowed by a stomach virus , had 21 carries for a then season low 54 yards , with 2 rushing touchdowns . On November 8 , against , Ringer had 32 carries for 121 yards ( a 3 . 8 average ) with 2 touchdowns . Purdue coach Joe Tiller said of Ringer after the game , " I don ' t know if he gets stronger or if the opponent just begins to wear down . But he ' s had multiple games where he ' s broken big plays in the second half . That tells me this guy is great from an endurance point of view . " On November 22 , against , Ringer had a season low 17 carries for a season low 42 yards . Penn State at the time had the 10th best rushing defense in the nation . Ringer ' s final game was against in the 2009 Capital One Bowl on January 1 , 2009 , in which he had 20 carries for 47 total yards and 1 touchdown , the game was supposed to be a " showdown " between Ringer and Georgia RB Knowshon Moreno , but both players combined for only 43 carries and 109 yards , with Ringer ' s touchdown being the only between the two . Ringer ' s numbers on the year established MSU single - season records for touchdowns and points scored . Ringer finished 2nd all time in MSU history ( behind Lorenzo White ) as leading rusher . Ringer is MSU ' s all - time leader in all - purpose yards ( 5 , 349 ) . His 823 career carries lead all - active FBS players and ranks third in MSU history ; his 4 , 351 career yards were first among active players on BCS teams . Ringer was as high as 2nd in the " ESPN EXPERTS " Heisman poll , but at one point completely dropped off of the list after 2 games with less than 100 yards rushing . After a good game against University of Michigan , Ringer re - entered the Heisman poll and finished the season ranked 8th . The " ESPN Fan poll " ranked him 3rd in Heisman voting , with over 10 percent of the votes Ringer was the only running back nominated for Heisman all year . Ringer was named a first - team Midseason All - American by " Sporting News Today " , SI . com , CBSSports . com , CollegeFootballNews . com , Rivals . com , and Phil Steele . He was also named a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award , the Maxwell Award , and the Walter Camp Player of the Year award . He was named a finalist and finished third for the Doak Walker Award , finishing behind Shonn Greene and Knowshon Moreno . Ringer finished seventh in " College Football News " Top 10 Player Race ( for national player of the year ) . He was also named an " Associated Press " First - Team all American . He was also a candidate for Big Ten Player of the Year . Ringer finished his 2008 season leading the nation in Rushing attempts ( 370 ) , coming in 2nd in Total rushing yards ( 1590 ) , first in rushing touchdowns ( 21 ) . He also finished third in the nation in yards per game ( 132 . 5 ) and all - purpose yardage ( 1974 ) . He averaged more than 30 carries a game and had 92 more carries than anyone else in college football . His 44 carries against Indiana are the most by any college football player in a single game in 2008 . He graduated in 2009 with a Sociology major . Rankings . Ringer finished his career at Michigan state with the following rankings : Professional career . Pre - NFL draft . In April 2008 , NFL draft expert Mel Kiper named Ringer as his choice as the best back in the class of 2009 . However , when Mel Kiper revised his 2009 draft choices in February 2009 , Ringer was not listed as one of Kiper ' s top 5 running backs . It was revealed that Ringer has been playing on a torn lateral meniscus , which he had surgery on six days after the season ended . Ringer has said that he has worked out at the combine with his knee at " 80 % " . Ringer skipped the 2009 Senior Bowl because of his injury . Despite the injury , Ringer chose to participate in the 40 - yard dash at the NFL combine . He clocked in at 4 . 59 . Ringer was quoted as saying " I personally was disappointed because I know I ' m a lot faster than that . But I was able to do that just coming off knee surgery , so if I look at it that way , I ' m happy . " He finished third among running backs in the 20 - yard shuttle ( 4 . 11 seconds ) and fifth in the three - cone drill ( 6 . 87 seconds ) . During the combine , Ringer said he completed interviews with 12 teams . ESPN . com ranked him as the 8th best running back in the draft . When Scouts Inc graded Ringer , they gave him a 1 ( Exceptional ) in Character . They said of Ringer , " No off - the - field issues we are aware of . Coaches and teammates have only positive things to say about him . Outstanding intangibles . " Ringer was a projected 3rd Round pick . Another site lists him as a mid - second round draft choice . Ringer has drawn comparisons to current NFL players Mike Hart and Chester Taylor . His strengths are listed as build , toughness , and patience , while his weaknesses are listed as height , breakaway speed , open field elusiveness , and injuries . A " Dayton Daily News " article states that Ringer is " Still projected as a 2nd - rounder " , despite the injury . The same article states that Ringer interviewed with the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals at the NFL combine . Ringer was one of 3 MSU players to be invited to the NFL combine , along with QB Brian Hoyer and Safety Otis Wiley . Ringer took part in Michigan State ' s 2009 NFL Pro Day at the Duffy Daugherty indoor facility . Ringer ' s shuttle time was 3 . 89 , which was faster than the fastest time at the NFL combine . Ringer said of the workout , " I think I did pretty well , especially coming back from my knee injury . I ' m still not 100 percent , probably around 85 or 90 . This is basically another big stepping stone from what I did at the combine . Now that I was able to do some training , I felt like my change of direction was superb . I feel like I did really well in the shuttle and in the three - cone drill . " He participated in an MSU - sponsored podcast after the event discussing the event . Ringer improved his forty time from a 4 . 59 at the combine to a 4 . 42 during Pro Days . When asked about where he wants to get drafted , Ringer responded , " I ' ll go anywhere . To get picked up somewhere will be a blessing . " Ringer ' s performance at Pro Day " absolutely blew NFL teams away " , due to putting up impressive numbers while not fully recovered . With his draft stock on the rise , Ringer has worked out with several NFL teams , including the Denver Broncos , the Tennessee Titans and the San Diego Chargers . He has also drawn interest from the Seattle Seahawks . He has since received workouts from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers , the Buffalo Bills , and the New York Jets . A website that predicts him as a 3rd to 4th rounder also compares him to Priest Holmes . Ringer stated about his knee right before the draft , " My leg feels fine . Right now , I ' ll give it between 90 - 95 % . " One site calls Ringer a " willing , if undersized , workhorse " , but also questions his durability . When talking about draft day , Ringer responded " I ' m not nervous at all . I ' m just kind of really mellow , calm . . . knowing that whatever happens is going to happen , and whatever team I go to , that ' s the team where I ' m meant to be . " Mel Kiper said of Ringer " He ' s only 5 - 9 , 205 , but he ' s remarkably strong , a good athlete and just a tough kid with great character . He blocks extremely well , and he ' ll be a very serviceable No . 2 back . He ' ll probably end up being a fourth - or fifth - round pick . " Ringer spent time with his family in Dayton , Ohio , on April 25 watching the draft and celebrating his mother ' s birthday , waiting to get selected . Tennessee Titans . 2009 . Ringer was not selected in the first 4 rounds of the draft , where he was projected to go by some . Instead , Ringer was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the 5th round of the 2009 NFL Draft , 173rd overall , the 11th RB taken overall . At the time of being drafted , he was one of eight Running Backs on the Titans roster . Terry McCormick of the Nashville City Paper , when grading the Titans draft , gave the Ringer pick an " A " . Ringer said on his Twitter page about being drafted “ Titans ! I can ’ t tell you how excited I am ! ” . He was the first ( and only ) MSU player drafted this year . Ringer said of his future pro career , " I definitely have something to prove with me showing that I am just as good , if not better , than a lot of the running backs that went above me . I don ' t want to be one of those running backs who is titled as , He was a good running back in college and went to the NFL and became a bust . I want to make sure I continue to be called a great running back also in the NFL . " He mentioned of where he would fit in , " I would say I fit in pretty well . I know Chris Johnson is kind of like the super - fast one , and LenDale White is like the really big one . I would kind of be in the middle . " Ringer is expected to play special teams and operate as a third - down back . Ringer said of the running back situation in Tennessee , " I feel very confident in my abilities . I feel like I ' m definitely going to learn a lot from the vets . I ' m very happy to be in a room with LenDale White and Chris Johnson . I ' m going to make sure to play my role and push them in practice . I ' m also going to make sure I . . . continue to do what I can do to help Tennessee . " Because 23 was taken by Donnie Nickey , Ringer was assigned # 3 , a number normally prohibited for use by running backs . He kept the number until early August , when he switched to number 21 . Mini - Camp / OTA ' s . Ringer participated in his first organized team activities in May 2009 . When talking about rookie camp , he said " Ability - wise , I feel like I am good with competing . Strength , speed and quickness , I feel like I am OK . It ' s just the plays are a lot more complicated than college , and I am trying to get used to it . I just need some more time . We all just need time . But the veterans have been helpful . " Discussing all the Titans rookies ( including Ringer ) , offensive coordinator Mike Heimer - dinger said " Right now , you can tell they ' re all rookies . But that ' s about it . " Ringer was one of three Titans rookies who remained unsigned trough July 20 . Bruce Tollner , Ringer ' s agent , said of signing Ringer “ We are continuing to talk with the Titans , and hopefully we should have something done pretty soon . " However , Ringer and the Titans agreed to a multi - year deal on July 21 , 2009 . His base salary is expected to be $ 310 , 000 . Titans ' running backs coach Earnest Byner said of the running backs , “ Each one knows that they ' re competing for playing time and a position on this team , so there ' s something to be said about that . ” He also said of Ringer , “ Bringing in Javon has definitely added to the mix because , right away , guys know he ' s something to reckon with because they see what he ' s done out here . " Training Camp . Ringer participated in the Titan ' s Training Camp in Clarksville & Nashville , Tennessee which started July 25 . Ringer said of his role " My goal is to make sure I keep producing each chance I get and try to make sure I am being productive , And just continue to do what I can to get better . " Titans head coach Jeff Fisher said of Ringer " He ' s got great run skills and he ' s in good shape , He ' s got a sense and a knack for pushing the ball north and south . Again we just finished the first day in pads , and he ' s probably had 10 reps , so we still have some time . " Ringer also said " I am definitely doing a lot of watching , Different things that they do is the reason why they ' re successful in the NFL , so I am kind of watching and learning and seeing how they go about their business . . . . I am asking questions and they ' ve been very helpful with me . " Teammate Chris Johnson said of the other backs , " Basically if you have the talent to make it here , you pretty much know how to read a defense and know how to run a ball , So there are not a lot of things I can tell him as far as how to run the ball . . . . ( It ' s ) just making sure I let him know some of the things I did to learn the playbook quickly . " About adjusting to the NFL , Ringer said " It ' s definitely a lot more complicated than in college , definitely . But mainly it ' s just the play calling , it ' s a lot longer than what it was in college , but all - in - all it ' s just learning a whole new terminology , some things are similar , but it ' s the words that they use are different . So it ' s all about adjustment . A lot of intelligence out there , they don ' t make mistakes . They are pretty mature on what they are doing . I am trying to build up to that , because a lot of them are veterans and have been there for a while . They understand what is going on , and I am just trying to keep up and not make them look bad . " Titans running backs coach Earnest Byner said of Ringer “ You can see the running skills , the things that we saw when we watched him at Michigan State , Good patience , good body lean , the ability to set the inside zones , acceleration , vision . Can he go in and compete on offense ? Yes he can . With the way things are progressing , with the competition … that competition is going to make that third position much better . " When describing the role of the 3rd string running back , Jeff Fisher said " The rotation is , for the most part , like it was last year , So the third running back will be called upon if the second back can ’ t play , and to be a good player on special teams . " Ringer commented on the role , saying " Special teams can help you win or lose a game . My goal coming in here was to be a productive player anyway possible . If special teams is it then that will be it . I know that ’ s going to be a big deal . I know I ’ ll get my chance sooner or later . ” Ringer was the favorite for the 3rd string running back role , which he won . Pre - season . The Titans were the first NFL team to play a preseason game , in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 9 , 2009 . Ringer played his NFL debut there . Ringer discussed the game earlier , saying , " I am very excited . I have never even been to an NFL game as a fan , so my first experience I am going to be playing in one , I am looking forward to it . " Ringer had 4 carries for 14 yards , along with 2 catches for 9 yards , while the Titans won 21 - 18 . On August 15 , in a preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers , Ringer lead the team in rushing with 7 attempts for 51 yards , including a 36 yard touchdown run . The Titans won 27 - 20 . Ringer said of the run , " I saw a linebacker prepare to blitz , and I thought the offense was going to check out of the play . But as the cadence kept going , I realized we were going to run into that blitz " . In a 10 - 30 loss against the Dallas Cowboys , the first game in Cowboys Stadium , Ringer again led the team in rushing , this time with 33 yards on 5 attempts . He had what would have been a 17 - yard touchdown run called back due to a penalty . He also had 2 catches for 6 yards , and averaged 34 yards on two kickoff return . Jim Wyatt , of the Tennesseean , reports that Ringer is the favorite for the 3rd string job , and almost a lock to make the roster . Fullback Ahmard Hall said “ He ’ s a character guy , and you could tell that from the start , He ’ s the total package . You rarely get that combination of humility and natural athletic ability and I think he has that great combination . You combine those two and you get someone who could be unstoppable . ’ ’ Of all the praise , Ringer responded , “ I have to give credit to how I was brought up . I grew up in a religious family and I know without God none of this would be possible for me anyway , so that definitely keeps me humble . My personality is not to boast and brag about the accomplishments and things I am trying to do . Actions speak louder than words and that is what I try and strive for . ’ ’ In a 17 - 23 loss to the Cleveland Browns , Ringer only had one run for two yards . Ringer finished off the pre - season with a 7 carry 18 yard performance , in a 27 - 13 win over the Green Bay Packers . Ringer finished the pre - season with 24 carries for 118 yards , with one touchdown and 4 catches for 15 yards , ranking 27th among all NFL running backs for the preseason . Regular Season . The Titans were also the first team to play in the Regular season , when they played the Steelers on September 10 . Ringer was used to return kicks . In the 10 - 13 overtime loss , Ringer had 3 Kick Returns , a 19 yard average , including a long of 21 yards . He also played on special teams , and had one tackle . Ringer was again used as a kick returner , this time in a 31 - 34 loss to the Houston Texans . Ringer had 6 returns for a 20 yard average , with a long of 25 , and no touchdowns . He also played on special teams , but had no tackles . In a 17 - 24 week 3 loss to the New York Jets , Ringer was benched as the kick returner , and , while active , did not play in the game . Ringer ' s kick return replacement , Ryan Mouton , had two fumbles during returns . Despite this , Titan ' s coach Jeff Fischer stood behind his decision to bench Ringer . In a 37 - 17 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars , Ringer was again active , but only played as a reserve on special teams . Ringer was one of three Titans who did not register a stat . The Titans , who last year had 13 wins , only three losses , started the season out zero wins four losses . They had their fifth loss of the season in a 31 - 9 loss to the Colts , a game in which Ringer was once again active , but only played special teams , not registering a stat . Ringer was one of two Titans that did not record an offensive stat . In a record - breaking 59 - 0 loss to the New England Patriots , Ringer had his first NFL carries , having 7 carries for 47 yards ( 6 . 7 average ) , including a 32 yard run , for no touchdowns , all amounting in Garbage time . The Titans finished the game with negative 7 passing yards as their record moved to 0 wins 6 losses , putting them in a tie for the worst record in the NFL alongside the St . Louis Rams and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers . Despite his performance in the loss , head coach Jeff Fisher said that Chris Johnson and LenDale White will continue to get the majority of the carries . " There ' s not enough balls to go around . I wouldn ' t hesitate to put Ringer in if there ' s an issue , " Fisher said . During a practice on October 28 , 2009 , Ringer injured his back and had to be carted off in an ambulance . Fisher said of the injury " It could be any number of things and it would be unfair for me to speculate right now . He is obviously in some pain . " The call to the hospital was initially phoned to treat a potentially " traumatic " injury , but tests have revealed that the injury is " not considered serious " . After spending a night with back problems , Ringer was released from the hospital early morning on October 29 . Ringer ' s expected to miss a few weeks , as he ' s listed on the injury report with a back injury . Fisher commented on the injury , " We got some good news on Javon . He obviously didn ’ t practice today , but he ’ s going to be OK . We were really concerned about it . We feared the worst and we got good results , " but would not elaborate as to the full extent of the injury . In a 30 - 13 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars , Ringer was declared inactive before the game , and did not play . It was however , the Titans first victory of the season . In week 9 , Ringer was again inactive and did not play . In week 10 , Ringer was listed as questionable , but was declared inactive , and did not play . In a 20 - 17 win against the Houston Texans , Ringer was inactive , and did not play . In 20 - 17 win against the Arizona Cardinals , Ringer was listed as the # 2 running back . He had one yard on one carry . Ringer played because LenDale White , the team ' s usual # 2 Running back , was benched due to being late to a team meeting . Ringer was then inactive for the rest of the season . Ringer finished the season with 8 attempts for 48 yards , playing in 7 games . Post - Season . The Titans were eliminated from playoff contention with a week 16 loss to the San Diego Chargers . 2010 . Titans starting running back Chris Johnson - who had the vast majority of the carries in 2009 , rushing for over 2000 yards - will reportedly get fewer carries in 2010 . This will likely mean in increase in number of carries for Ringer . Backup Running back LenDale White is an impending free agent , and his future with the team also has an impact on Ringer ' s future . During the 2010 NFL Draft , White was traded to the Seattle Seahawks . Despite the team signing Stafon Johnson and LeGarrette Blount as undrafted free agents , Head coach Jeff Fisher has confirmed that Ringer will be the new # 2 running back , stating " We have a terrific running back [ in Chris Johnson ] , and a very talented backup in Javon . " When Chris Johnson held out of training camp , Ringer took the first - string role . When discussing the # 2 running back role , offensive coordinator , Mike Heimerdinger said , " [ Ringer ' s ] been really good in training camp . I have a lot of confidence in Javon , with everything he has shown . He has the ability to make some runs . . . There ' s no reason why he can ' t be that guy . " During the first pre - season game of the 2010 season , Ringer led the team in rushing yards ( 60 yards , seven carries ) . Fullback Ahmad Hall said of Ringer " Everybody knew he was a great back last year . . . He really , really immersed himself in the playbook , and picked everything up . If anything happened to C . J . he could definitely fill in and execute well . He is a smart guy , and he applies himself . The guy is a good running back . " 2012 . In week 5 of the 2012 NFL season Ringer sprained his MCL causing him to miss the rest of the 2012 season . The injury occurred late in the 4th quarter of a game between the Titans and the Minnesota Vikings . Ringer had missed the first 3 weeks of the 2012 season recovering from a lingering 2011 injury .