Former Tennessee Titans running back Eddie George, now the football coach at Tennessee State, is recovering after undergoing double knee replacement surgery.

George, 50, said doctors told him the need for surgery was due to his years of playing football. George said he hopes his rehabilitation will be complete by the time TSU begins spring practice in March.

"These last few years have been pretty brutal," said George, who is using a walker to get around. "My knees were just so beat up from the years of pounding. The cartilage had moved, and it was more of bone-on-bone. I could have probably waited another decade, but I wanted to enjoy my youthful years healthy so I decided to go ahead and have it done."

After winning the 1995 Heisman Trophy at Ohio State, George spent eight seasons in the NFL − seven with the Titans/Oilers and his last with the Dallas Cowboys.

George played in 141 NFL games and started in 136. He rushed for 10,441 yards on 2,865 carries and scored 68 rushing touchdowns and 10 receiving touchdowns.

George was a semifinalist this year for the second time for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was enshrined into the Titans Ring of Honor in 2021 along with former Titans coach Jeff Fisher and general manager Floyd Reese.

George recently completed his third season as TSU's coach after leading the Tigers to a 6-5 record. It was TSU's first winning season since 2017. TSU was 5-6 and 4-7 in George's first two seasons.

Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on X @MikeOrganWriter.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Titans: Eddie George has double knee replacement surgery