Tennessee Titans rookie running back Tyjae Spears made quite the first impression during the team’s preseason opener on Saturday, as the Tulane product was among the team’s biggest standouts.
Spears tallied six carries for 32 yards while flashing his impressive speed and agility. He also displayed a strong stiff-arm that aided in an outstanding 14-yard run, which was his longest of the day.
The 2023 third-round pick said he felt nervous — he certainly didn’t look like he was — going into the game but was quickly able to settle in once play began.
“You’ve just got to go out there calm with a level head and just take it one play at a time. You’re going to make mistakes, but it isn’t about the mistakes, it’s about how you bounce back from them,” Spears said, per Kayla Anderson of 104.5 The Zone. “It’s the first one on the NFL stage, so just very nervous, but once the kickoff got done, just got settled into the game and just started playing.”
Spears was thrown into the fire immediately in his first NFL action, as not only did he get the first carry and series overall, he also fielded the opening kickoff, taking it for 22 yards.
While the return was no doubt good, Spears wasn’t totally pleased because he slipped. However, the return also helped him build early confidence for the plays to come.
“I was definitely nervous (before the kickoff return), but it was cool. It gave me a lot of confidence, so just keep on building on it,” he said. “I’ve got to do better — I slipped. I’ve got to do better than that.”
As far as getting used to the speed of the game was concerned, Spears said going against the Titans’ talented defense helped prepare him for it.
“We’re kind of fortunate that we’ve got a great defense here,” Spears said. “So we see that, day in and day out. Our defense gives us a good look, so it definitely helped us prepare for it.”
When asked what grade Derrick Henry gave him for his nasty stiff-arm of a Bears defender, Spears revealed The King didn’t give him a grade but did provide a positive review for his overall showing.
“He didn’t give me no grade, but he was like, ‘overall, good series and just keep going. Just keep on working. You did good.'”
#Titans rookie RB Tyjae Spears on his performance in the preseason game on Saturday:@RamonKaylaWill pic.twitter.com/2xUgFu2zWV
— Kayla Anderson ✨ (@KaylaAndersonTV) August 14, 2023
