NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee Titans team doctor and orthopedic surgeon Burton Elrod, who’s been with the franchise since it came to Tennessee in 1997, is leaving the team.

“I am thankful for the opportunity the Titans organization has given me to work with their NFL team for the last 19 years,” Elrod said in a statement. “It’s been a wild ride; from the highs of the Music City Miracle and Super Bowl to the lows of losing Steve McNair. After twenty-plus weekends a year and almost 400 NFL games, it’s time for a break.

Dr. Burton Elrod has been the Titans' team physician since 1997. James Kenney/AP Photo

“I’m leaving the Titans with what I consider the best team doctors, consultants, and trainers in the NFL. I think the Titans have turned the corner and the glory days are coming back. I am going to enjoy watching the Titans win and not having to work the games.”

Dr. David Moore, who works at Elrod’s Elite Sports Medicine and Orthopedics, was head team physician for the Nashville Predators from 2007 to 2008, will replace Elrod with the Titans.

“We are excited to add Dr. Moore to our medical team,” said Titans general manager Jon Robinson. “Dr. Moore joins an already top-flight crew of medical professionals, and we look forward to his contributions to our team. We would also like to thank Dr. Elrod for his years of distinguished service for the Titans and wish him well in the future.”

Elrod is a native of Centerville, Tenn. He attended Lipscomb University and went to medical school at the University of Tennessee.

He is regarded as a pioneer in sports medicine and arthroscopic surgery.

“For 19 years, Dr. Elrod has dedicated himself to caring for the Tennessee Titans family,” Moore said. “I am honored to join the Titans sports medicine team, and to continue the tradition of excellence in care and commitment to service that he started.”

A low-key presence around the team, often in flip flops, his mustache and typical tan helped make Elrod a recognizable sideline presence even for Titans fans who might not have known his name.

In a 2014 article in Nashville Lifestyles, he spoke of managing stress with adventurous hobbies and undertakings. He’s dived with great white sharks, hunted alligators, raced cars and shot wild hogs out of helicopters.

“You could say I’m an adrenaline junkie,” he said. “It’s how I relax -- as odd as that sounds.”