July 31, 2025 • 38 mins
Amie Wells is joined by Dave McGinnis and Rhett Bryan to breakdown the past two weeks of Titans' training camp and the importance of the upcoming joint practices. Plus, Amie sits down with Tyjae Spears to discuss the running back's transition into year three.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:10):
This is the OTT. I'm Amy Wells.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
We are joined by Titans radio greats Dave McGinnis better
known as coach Mac, and Rett Brian, and we're here
talking some training camp because, you guys, we've reached a
point where we've got a couple days of padded practices
under our belts. Now we've had about ten days worth
of practices on and off with walkers and joggers and
(00:34):
actual like full go practices, so we've got a fairly
good sample size. We're in a rhythm, we're in a
groove a little bit of training camp. So Mac, I
guess the question is, to this point, does this team
seem to be like on track with kind of what
you'd expect a team to be doing at this point
in camp?
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Different teams had different personalities. This is a very young
football team. I mean I think I think that's gonna
be the theme that I think to get across. This
is a young football team at some critical positions. So
you ask me, are they where they should be?
Speaker 4 (01:06):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (01:07):
They are? Now is everything going to be exactly a
picture perfect It's not. That's not how training camp works.
The other thing that all coaches in this league want
to do amy, and it depends on the tone and
the timber of your team. A veteran football team you
treat a little bit different than a young football team.
But a young football team you want to put them
(01:29):
in as many tough situations as you can early to
see how they react. And that's extremely important because if
you don't ever test yourself as a player in practice,
and you and you and you play cautious in practice,
you're not going to survive in a game. You're just not.
So you ask me, are they where they should be? Yes,
(01:52):
they are with as young a team as this.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Is rit The thing that it seems we all forget
as we're watching these practice is that.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
The point is to practice.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
The point is to figure out what works and what
doesn't work. Just like Mack was just saying, the point
is to mess some things up.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
The point is to be in in.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
A tough, hard situation, so you work through them, and
sometimes we watch them, we're like, oh, drop the ball,
bad team. It seems that dramatic, and sometimes we have
to recalibrate and be like, this is the point.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
First of all, you're evoking thoughts of Alan iverson with
we're talking about.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Practice, talking about practice, not a game.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
It is so important, and Mac hit the nail on
the head as he usually does. You know, we talked
about this in previous OTPs. Now that guys like KeAndre
Coburn are not on the roster and that well Levis
is on ir these things. I think it's less than
forty players from last year's squad that are on the
(02:57):
ninety one right now, and then the average median age
has got to be way down, because at one point
it was forty four of the ninety one or twenty
five years of age or younger. It's more than that
now and so a lot of young fellas are going
to be counted on. It depended on heavily in this
(03:18):
well guess what young players do. In fact, veterans still
do them occasionally, and that's make mistakes. But you're right,
I mean, the structure is there so that when you
get to a game, practice should be hard, so that
when you get to the game, the game is the
reward ultimately. But you got growing pains. That's where this
thing is. And you know, it's just like I had
(03:39):
someone ask me about watching the Hall of Fame game,
Like I'm not watching a minute of that and because
they're trying to get their teams right as well. Now,
if it was somebody the Titans were going to see
the preseason later or maybe week one or two, that'd
be different. But I have no interest in that because
we got to figure out what's going on here, because
there have been so many wholesale changes to them. And
(04:00):
that's what Brian Callahan and his staff are trying to
do is get all this wrangled into ninety minutes plus
of getting ninety one guys to do what you need
them to do. But yeah, it's never as good as
it seems. It's never quite as bad as it seems either.
It's just what it is. And listen, for all the
(04:23):
talking about offense or cam Ward were throwing an interception.
Typically when the pads come on, the defense has the
advantage anyway regardless. I mean, we've seen this team with
veteran quarterbacks that had bad days because when you got
in the first few days of padded practice. I know
it's a long winded answer, but it's all true.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
I think it's interesting that you bring up the defense
specifically because in the last couple of days with pads on,
they have looked pretty good. I mean, obviously there are
things to be changed and improved upon, but it seems
like mac this team is really thriving in year two
of Denard Wilson's scheme.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
I've never in my thirty one seasons as a coach. Now,
not all of those were as a defensive coach, some
were as an assistant head coach over the whole team,
some were as a head coach over the whole team.
But in my thirty one training camps, I've never at
this point in training camp not seen the defense ahead, Okay,
(05:25):
not seeing the defensive ahead. And the other thing is
I give coach Callahan great credit because he's allowing Dinard
Wilson to stay with his install, and his install to
this point now is into some of his multiple blitzes. Now,
anytime you start blitzing early on and just bringing pressure
(05:47):
from everywhere, that's to the defense's advantage to begin with.
But that's what it's for, and that's for this young quarterback,
that's for the offensive line, that's for the But as
a general rule, and I can say this with pure impunity,
in thirty one seasons of training camps, I've never seen
(06:10):
at this point the defense not ahead of the offense
this summer.
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Speaker 1 (06:44):
Now back to the OTP.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Is there a player on the defense both of you
that has maybe stuck out to you who you've been
excited about what you've seen out of them now that
the pads are on.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
Cody Barton, yep, Cody Barton. And and of course I
cut my teeth in line on linebackers in this league.
But just the fact that and I was just when
I was starting to look at this roster, you know
that that area of behind the ball. Now, I've got
great confidence in Frank Bush. I know what kind of
coach he is. I've worked with him way too long.
(07:18):
He's a really good He's brought a lot of guys along.
But Cody Barton was a settling force for this defense
behind the ball, and he's he's made the two young
players James Williams and and and Gray made them better
too because now they're comfortable because he's directing them, he's
directing traffic. They're not worried about word to line up
(07:39):
or they're not worried about what the you know what
the offense is coming in because guess what the middle
linebackers telling them, Hey, move on over here, move this
so that they so that they can play.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
Cody Barton, James Williams and his growth in year two
are something to me noted. Additionally, Kevin Winston June, You're
who works so hard to get to make sure he
was healthy when this thing started. Starting to see him
flash around the ball again. It's early, but if we're
going with a solid answer, I'm staying on defense and
(08:12):
I'm talking about Roger McCrary. It's super important for him.
In year four. We don't know what the status is
going to be with Lagarious need and when you take
him out of this, that's a pretty young secondary. When
you're talking about Jarvis Browne Junior in year two and
all the pieces and parts that are there. I mean,
(08:33):
Amani Hooker would be the oldest guy in the secondary
basically or the most tenured. But Roger McCrary again continues
to be around the ball and to make something happen.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
Is there ever a point Mac where the defense is rolling,
they're staying on kind of their install schedule like you've
been talking about, and the offense says, well, we need
you to stop for a second, like pause, We've got
to do happen.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
Yes, it happens, and it's a it's a very legitimate question.
But that's that's coaching staff's talking about it. Okay, you
know that they will they will talk about it and say, okay, look,
we need to start seeing a little bit more of this.
We need to start seeing some too high that we
can throw against a little bit and let let this
get let this get settled down. They've run quite a
(09:23):
few what we call call it periods as to where
it's not scripted. In other words, Donard's Dinards calling the
defense matching the personnel with the offense. The offense is
doing the same thing. They're they're they're those call it
periods are very very critical. So you can manage it.
(09:43):
That's the beauty of working against somebody else too, because
now you can have a lot of call it periods
against somebody else, but you haven't seen them before. So
even if you're both playing your bass stuff, it's new.
Does that make sense? Absolutely, it's newest to what you're seeing.
That's why it's so smart what coach Callahan did setting
(10:07):
up going to two places to work out with this
young football team. Again, as I say, because with three
preseason games, you don't, especially what the team that's young,
you don't have enough padded practice work against real stressful situations.
Now when you go to two teams, it's like having
(10:29):
five preseason games, which we used to have a lot of.
So anyway, that's a long answer to say, but there
is a time. It's got to be a yang and
a yang to it. It always is because at the
end of the day, you want the Titans to get better. Yeah,
I mean, it's practice is not a zero sum thing.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
It's just not Well, it's interesting that you mentioned the
call it periods and explain for the ot people who
don't know what they are, because that was the listening
to you talk just then, was the first time that
it ever occurred to me that call it periods, while
always being beneficial for the players, are equally, if not
more so, beneficial for the coaching staff.
Speaker 5 (11:15):
Well.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
A communication, Yeah, the community, the communication is big and
plus you know, being able because you never stop your install,
but your install takes into consideration everything you've put in
on day one to where you are on day seven
or eight. So once you have a call it period,
all of that roller dex is open to you. So
(11:36):
the players not only it's not only what they've worked
on that day.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
It's anything.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
It's anything. Yeah, and so that's that's a big plus.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
All right, let's switch over to offense. And we haven't
really done a deep diving cam Ward. We've let a
lot of other people, a lot of other pundits really
talk about him.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
We're not pundits, no, we're not.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
So I want to take some time here to talk
about what you've seen from him, what you like, which
you don't like, where where you're feeling about cam Ward. Rhett,
he had an interesting quote the other day that's getting
a lot of attention where he said he feels like
this offense is very mid right now. A lot of
people are taking that as a a knock. Maybe that like,
(12:17):
MID is bad. Tell me why MID is not bad?
Speaker 4 (12:22):
Well, it has a negative connotation. Yeah, uh, because the
kids say it, they say that's mid. The mid, if
you're going by literal definition, is not the best, but
it's also not the worst. I just think there's things
that need to be worked on and built off of.
(12:43):
I like the important here. The things I've gotten from
cam Ward's availabilities in the last few days, one is
just he doesn't care about the outside noise. He is
insulated into what he's doing here, and it's fortified by
something else. He said in another availability that I thought
was very interesting. We have realized and certainly as we
(13:07):
started to see that they were gravitating towards him as
the number one overall pick. Hearing about his family dynamic
and how his parents are. They're workers. Work ethic is
strong in that family. Competition is strong in that family.
And cam said it recently. He said, if my dad
can get up at four point thirty in the morning
(13:28):
to go to a job that he hates, I shouldn't
have any problem getting up early and going to a
job that I really like. And he said, in my opinion,
good things come to those who put the work in.
And I'm like, that resonates with me because I think
about my dad worked physical labor his whole life. He
(13:51):
worked twenty five years at the Nissan plant and retired,
but worked and built lots of important things in construction
before that, and he instilled that and my mother too,
So that resonated with me. That's a takeaway. It's just
the foundation of who he is. And I think the
other part is the on field stuff. I saw him
(14:14):
at one point in one of the padded practices where
he actually goes into the defensive huddle and it's chirping
like he's people want to talk about that day. He
and Big Jeff got into it a little bit. The
moment's not too big for him. He appears to be fearless.
That competitive layer is there and it's strong, and that
(14:40):
if he makes a mistake, brush it off, let's go
to the next one. I just those are just the
initial things that I've seen, and he knows the work
is laid out there and there's a lot of it
to do. But I think I hear him coming from
a good place and admitting so much. In so many words,
there's a lot. I don't no, I don't know what.
(15:00):
I don't know, but I'm working towards it.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Mac you've worked with a lot of rookies throughout your career,
safe to say that cam Ward is not your typical
prototype for rookie coming into this lead.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
He's way more material beyond his years, and I think
that comes a little bit. What Rev's talking about is upbringing.
But also, I mean his journey that he's been on,
it wasn't an easy journey. This was a five star
dude that had everything handed to him coming out of
West Columbia Brazoria. I played with dudes from West Columbia
Brazoria when I was at school at TCU. I mean,
(15:34):
you got to have some water in your bucket coming
out of West Columbia Brazoria down there on the coast.
But to be a zero star and to work through
three different universities to get to the point where people
notice you in the NFL at there's a lot to him.
But he's very honest. He's completely honest. He's being honest,
(15:57):
and he's un bothered by the noise that doesn't matter.
I mean there's this league engender's noise around coaches around players,
and if you're going to be in it and you're
going to be successful in it, you've got to learn
to keep the focus on what you're doing and not
(16:19):
worry about what people that think they know what you
should be doing are saying. Doesn't matter, and he's he's
able to brush that off pretty easily.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
He's established relationships, we know, with people at Calvin Ridley,
and Calvin Ridley in my evaluation, which you know, take
that for what it's worth, has emerged as a leader
that I don't think he was in twenty four. I
think he's walked into more of a not just being
a veteran, because obviously he was a veteran last year,
(16:50):
but you see him intentionally seeking out cam Ward, intentionally
seeking out some of the younger receivers, intentionally seeking out
these different guys on the offense and bringing them along.
It's not just about what Calvin Ridley is able to
do and his skill set and all of the athletic
attributes that he brings to a football team. Now it's
(17:10):
about Calvin Ridley as an athlete, but also as a
mentor and as a leader within that offense. Well, how
beneficial do you think that is to someone like cam Calvin.
Speaker 3 (17:23):
Ridley is a veteran player that realizes how important it
is for this young quarterback to develop. Yeah, that's what
he's done. He realizes that most veteran players reach a
point in their career where it's not just about their career,
(17:46):
it's about how the people around me can help the
whole team. He realizes that really quick, that's that's that's
a sign of a mature player. And Calvin Ridley knows that.
You know, not only is it a quarterback receiver thing,
(18:08):
but it's a veteran acceptance thing of this guy's got
a chance to really help us, but he's very young,
and so it's I'm not very young. I'm a veteran.
I understand what this is about and that there's nothing
like time on task in this league to teach you.
So if you have somebody that's willing to teach you
(18:31):
from what they've learned, it accelerates your learning curve.
Speaker 4 (18:35):
The other part of it is that Calvin Ridley is
right now he is wide receiver number one for the
Tennessee Titans. So there's a place of he's never been
lacked for confidence at all, but there's a place that
he's coming from, knowing that but never taking it for granted.
(18:57):
Every guy has a different path to meet at an
NFL facility to become a teammate. His path was much
different than cam Wards. And you got to remember it
hadn't been that many years ago. He was out of
football for an entire year when he was at Atlanta,
yep for something off the field that he paid his
debt and moved forward. And then when he got his
(19:18):
opportunity and made some numbers in Jacksonville and then they
were able to steal them away and bring him here,
he's never looked back. I mean you're talking about he
didn't have one hundred yard game until the Detroit game
last year and then still had over one thousand receiving yards.
He also knows that, yes, he's he's pouring into the
(19:39):
young quarterback and all these young receivers and his teammates.
He knows it takes eleven and twenty two and then
you know, the forty six active on game day to
get it done. So if I give that extra ten
percent and instill that and invest that into my teammates,
it's gonna pay dividends because at the end of the day.
He's got the same goals, he just wants to win.
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Speaker 1 (20:30):
Now back to the OTP.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
I would like to talk about Taj Spears though, because
as we're talking about people who have experienced maybe an
understanding of what their role looks like in twenty five
and some maturity and some growth in whatever different way
on the field, mentally, physically, spiritually, whatever it's happening all
across the offense it feels like.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
And Taj Spears is one of those guys.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
He has a physical difference I think from twenty four
to twenty five, and I think a mental difference is
what we're all noticing, right.
Speaker 4 (21:08):
Have you noticed that definitely? Is he is more dialed
in It was more akin to his rookie year, and
not that he didn't put in work in twenty twenty four.
But I can only describe Taja Spears as twenty twenty four.
It was kind of like the Titans twenty twenty four.
It's Murphy's law. Anything that could happen did. There was
(21:30):
off the field stuff, on the field stuff. The biggest
thing is he ran into obstacles with his health, two
different concussions, had a handstring. I think it kept him
out of five games. It was just one of those things.
If you want to sum up Taja Spears is twenty
twenty four, and he would disagree with this. But Week
(21:51):
seventeen in Jacksonville, Tony Pollard's banged up. They put him down,
let him have a rest that week, and here we are.
And I went back look at the game book. Three
minutes and twenty three seconds left in the third quarter,
he has nineteen carries for exactly one hundred yards. WHOA
And then the next play, josh hinz Allen comes into
(22:12):
the backfield hits him for a five yard loss, his
second concussion. That ends his season. And not only that,
it takes away his first hundred yard game ninety five yards.
There was still the whole fourth quarter to go. He
was on track to have a career day and that
is in a Nutshelle in one game and less than
sixty minutes on four quarters of play. What his twenty
(22:36):
twenty four was like and he came back a different guy.
It's clear he comes out there. He's one of the
first dudes out of the building every day to practice.
There's a renewed focus and purpose there and hearing his
availability this week, he talked about living in the moment
(22:57):
and segmenting life and Okay, that's done, Let's move to
this and not dwelling on things that didn't go the
way that he wanted it to, not dwelling on a
fumble he had, any of those things. There's clearly a
growth here and I think you'll see it on the
football field.
Speaker 1 (23:17):
I think so too.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
We actually had the chance to talk to Taja Spears
a couple of days ago.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
And I will warn you it's a little bit of
a chaotic interview.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
We talked about a lot of his mental state and
how he's growing and changing. But then we also have
some cameos from people like Jakwan Jackson and Big Jeff,
So check this out. Taj Spears, running back for your
Tennessee Titans, joins us right here on the OTP. Now, Taja,
I've just got to ask you, because you look like
(23:48):
you're having so much fun. How good does it feel
to be healthy and playing football?
Speaker 6 (23:53):
First thing you gotta do is thank the Lord because
I've been through, you know, last year, I've been through
quite a few battles throughout the season. It's just this
off season, just prepping, getting my body right, getting my
mind right. So I just wanted to give a big
shout out to the Lord. It's so fun.
Speaker 5 (24:11):
Yeah, it's so fun.
Speaker 1 (24:12):
You look like you're having fun.
Speaker 6 (24:14):
I am, Yeah, I am, I am, I am.
Speaker 5 (24:19):
I am.
Speaker 6 (24:20):
I was finna going through details by I am because
the Lord is so good, so good, because like I
don't know.
Speaker 5 (24:26):
It's just like like he's just.
Speaker 6 (24:28):
Doing something to my soul right now, and I just
want to be able every chance I get. I just
want to say thank you to him, and of course
thank you to everybody around me too.
Speaker 2 (24:37):
You know, people are noticing that it's not just you
that's feeling at I think other people are noticing that
something's happening in you. Because all of the comments that
we heard during the off season, as you're going through
the off season program, you know, and all of the things.
It wasn't just about what you were doing on the field.
It was about how mentally you were different. You seem
more mature, you seem more in sync, you seem more
(24:59):
almost in alignment.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
Are you Are you feeling that?
Speaker 2 (25:02):
Are you surprised that people are noticing that?
Speaker 5 (25:06):
That?
Speaker 6 (25:06):
That's that was one of my biggest things, like taking
my shift off of what people was thinking and noticing,
and like focus on Taj the way he's noticing about hisself.
And I do feel a maturity, I do feel a
I do feel a connection with myself, and I do
feel the consistency. So yeah, and it's just that's just
something you build on. It's just like like I'm honestly
(25:27):
pride pride in myself every day to be the best
version of myself I can. I can show up ass
no knowing days wasn't perfect. I wasn't perfect at all
to day practice, but I guess I showed up as
my best self and that's all I can do.
Speaker 5 (25:40):
Well.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
And you had some big moments at practice today. You
made some big plays you know, I usually be.
Speaker 5 (25:44):
So hard on myself. Yeah, all on myself.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
Now, I'm great. How are you?
Speaker 2 (25:51):
What have you noticed about Taj Spears being back here
at training camp?
Speaker 1 (25:56):
Tell me tell me about your guy over here?
Speaker 7 (25:57):
Oh man, a lot of energy, fantastic, Yeah, a lot
of speed breaking tackles, doing what you always do.
Speaker 1 (26:04):
Yeah, nothing different, He's just same old.
Speaker 6 (26:12):
He is.
Speaker 7 (26:15):
Either is either he cut the cut the beard off
and keep the stash, or he do a different hairstyle.
Speaker 2 (26:20):
Okay, So how do you decide what it's going to be?
What's the plan for this year?
Speaker 5 (26:24):
Tell the people it's a game time decision.
Speaker 6 (26:26):
It's a game time decisions. I'm in I'm in a
barber chair. Yeah, and I'll be like, man, I'm gonna
keep it. Man, I'm gonna cut it. It's just a
game time decision.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
Of all the styles he's had, which one was the
best one?
Speaker 5 (26:38):
Oh? Lay, I'll probably say.
Speaker 7 (26:44):
When it's all out, Really, there's nothing just regularly double
strand twists?
Speaker 5 (26:49):
Okay?
Speaker 1 (26:50):
Is that an option?
Speaker 5 (26:51):
Something like that?
Speaker 7 (26:53):
Is that an option like double strand twists? Or want
to just buy himself hanging down and we could just
flick it back and just you know it, let it flow.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
Do you want do you want to take a picture
as like an inspo that you can take with you?
Speaker 5 (27:04):
Yes? Of course.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
You get a camera over here so we can all
all take over. We need in pictures for for Ta's hair.
Speaker 1 (27:14):
Here do.
Speaker 5 (27:20):
Try to take a pit had hold of mic?
Speaker 1 (27:25):
Perfect?
Speaker 5 (27:25):
All right?
Speaker 1 (27:26):
So now you're ready to go to the barber?
Speaker 6 (27:28):
Oh no, not yet, not yet. I'm just I'm going
through the process right now.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
So is that a post capter?
Speaker 7 (27:33):
How about you cut his hair?
Speaker 3 (27:35):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (27:37):
How about? How about it?
Speaker 2 (27:38):
I need you to know I cut my husband's hair
in the backyard. It's nothing fancy, it's a bus cut,
but I can do it for you.
Speaker 5 (27:45):
It's a bird chirping when he was cutting it.
Speaker 1 (27:48):
No, I don't know what that means. Were they birds
chirping outside? Maybe?
Speaker 5 (27:53):
Yeah? Let me tell you fun fact about me.
Speaker 6 (27:54):
I love sitting in my backyard with a bird stirping,
sunlight so beautiful.
Speaker 5 (27:58):
You do?
Speaker 1 (27:59):
That's a your zen moments.
Speaker 5 (28:01):
My zen moment. Okay, I have my shoes on though.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
Like it?
Speaker 3 (28:09):
I like it.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
I'll cut your hair. You won't like it?
Speaker 5 (28:12):
You can't, don't, don't you won't enjoy to do? Yeah?
Don't touch to do.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
Yeah, you won't like You won't like it. You would
not enjoy that you got.
Speaker 5 (28:21):
We probably got to do something else.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
You will probably leave it to the professionals, but I.
Speaker 5 (28:25):
Will probably got to get ice cream.
Speaker 1 (28:27):
I'm gonna need a YouTube video.
Speaker 7 (28:31):
N Sorry for crashing the video, but tighten up, tighten up.
Speaker 5 (28:36):
That's my that's my wave brother. That's my wave brother.
I love him to jeth man. I love him the jet.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
You guys have like seen a lot of life together,
the two of you.
Speaker 5 (28:44):
Yeah, we have.
Speaker 6 (28:45):
Man, it's that's so beautiful. Uh, just not knowing them
from a canna paint. My first day getting to college,
we was in we was in the same dormitory together
and just meeting him getting to know them, complete asshole.
Speaker 5 (29:00):
Excuse my language, but please, that's that's that's my brother.
Speaker 6 (29:03):
Though, Like, that's my brother, and he look out for
me when I can't coming for myself.
Speaker 5 (29:07):
He's coming for me.
Speaker 6 (29:08):
And you know, I the little bit I do for him,
I I bet there for him too. So man, I'm
I'm nothing but thankful for him.
Speaker 5 (29:15):
And he's not an asshole. He's really a great guy. Man.
Speaker 6 (29:19):
He he had my back when he had my back
when I ain't had my own back. So each and
every day pushing me, get waking me up on time,
and taking care of my dogs.
Speaker 5 (29:27):
Big thanks Mallow and Valentine. I love y'all.
Speaker 6 (29:30):
But yeah, he took care of my dogs, like taking
care of my family, keep in contact with my dad,
make sure my mom straight, make sure everybody's straight.
Speaker 5 (29:36):
So he's everything I could asks for the brother.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
See, and that's a that's a great thing to have
as you're pursuing a career that's not only just bigger
than yourself. I mean, you're a professional athlete, you're part
of a massive industry, but you have someone here to
really help keep you grounded, keep you real, and keep
your head on straight.
Speaker 5 (29:54):
Yeah, and you need that.
Speaker 6 (29:56):
You need that because like not just like like the theme,
it's like social things, but like the pressure is gonna
take you for so many different loops, like the pressure
to perform, the pressure to to keep in contact with
your family so much, so many different pressures can just
like deteriorate you. But like having a brother to bill
up each and every day, Like that's a different guy.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
Talk to me about stuff on the field.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
Where do you feel like you've improved technically this season.
Speaker 6 (30:19):
I'm just really just being on the field, just going
through the reeds, like going through the reeds, like where
do the ball supposed to go, and like what's supposed
to happen?
Speaker 5 (30:27):
Jeff. I'm mad at Jeff right now.
Speaker 2 (30:29):
He was practice to day y'all fighting, Yes, yes, yeah, Hey,
Tad the clip and you tell me if he helped
me down.
Speaker 5 (30:38):
Haulk him down yesterday. That's what y'all y'all heard, Cali,
he said. It's in the media CALLI told the media
day already that it was action on him there. But
I made him run that. If it wasn't for me,
he wouldn't have ran that down. If it wasn't for me,
he wouldn't have ran that. That's the fast you ever
ran because of me.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
Okay, I gotta ask why is everybody on this team
feeling it's important to come over here and bother you
right now?
Speaker 5 (31:06):
Because I'm a good person.
Speaker 6 (31:07):
Yeah person, I usually probably stop buying bothering them, but
now I'm a good person.
Speaker 5 (31:11):
It's like you say, it's just the energy, like people.
Speaker 6 (31:14):
Not gonna come to people not gonna come mess with
somebody to have bad energies like it's all about enjurgy, haveing,
good energy, and just try to be the best you
can't be every day.
Speaker 2 (31:22):
Do you feel like this team has a better energy
than you've ever experienced before.
Speaker 5 (31:25):
I do.
Speaker 6 (31:26):
We are all fine around you know. Of course, it's
day two, but I don't believe in like day two.
Speaker 5 (31:30):
I believe it stack in the day.
Speaker 6 (31:32):
So of course, like we're in training, camping, the day
is getting longer and harder, but I feel like.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
It's I feel like it's great, Taj.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
This has been the most chaotic and the most entertaining
interview we've done in a long time one. This is
definitely gonna be my best one. So thank you for
taking the time.
Speaker 5 (31:48):
Thank you, thank you, and tighty Frians. I love y'all.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
I think that when you have that many people teammates
crashing your interviews, coming in to talk nice about you
in the case of his fringe Kwan Jackson, or kind
of give you a hard time in the case of
Jeffrey Simmons, I think that says you're a pretty universally
liked guy.
Speaker 5 (32:12):
Mac.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
Is that what you have found in your history to
be true?
Speaker 3 (32:15):
They respect him, yep, because the kid's a ballplayer. The
guy's a ballplayer, and retch right, he had a really
good rookie year. He really did. But when you hurt,
then all of a sudden it's different, and then you've
got to read. Then you've got to regenerate yourself. Well
he's done that. But he's very well respected by his
(32:37):
teammates because once it's kicked off, he plays ball and
he loves playing ball. I just want him to be healthy.
If he's healthy, he is going to be a very,
very big contributor for this team.
Speaker 4 (32:52):
I think one of the things he would tell you
is that one of the things he was not as
prepared for as he'd like to have been in a
year two is the revolving door and changes that there
always is on a team. In his position group specifically,
I don't think there are a lot of players that
probably would, if they were honest and open with you,
(33:16):
would tell you, you know, I wouldn't really for that.
I didn't realize player X, y Z, whatever one's going
to be in his locker room or locker next to me.
The business part of it comes up and reminds you
sometimes harshly in this But yeah, I love Jeff getting involved,
and of course he's going to talk smack. Of course,
his teammate Jakwan Jackson's going to come in and crash
(33:38):
the party a little bit. But I think Max right,
there's a level of respect there because he is a player,
and I mean literal definition of the player part of it.
Just he can play, but he's an endaring person. He
will be one of those guys to say, hey, you good,
(33:58):
let me check on you.
Speaker 5 (33:59):
You good? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (34:00):
Yeah, I'm good too. You know, what's I just you know,
I'm the president of the fan club. Max got pointed out,
But it's true. He is one of the very solid
persons on this football roster. A good person.
Speaker 2 (34:17):
Yeah, yeah, but there's a and I mean, he's one
of a couple really good people on this roster. One
of the things that I'm quickly learning, and it has
been consistent throughout my time with the Titans anyway, is
that one of the things that makes a Titan a
Titan is being a good human. We don't have too
many people in these locker rooms that are not good
(34:40):
people in my estimation anyway. All Right, speaking of good people,
there are a lot of good people going back to
work in the coming days and weeks, because there is
more training camp to get through and the Titans are
getting reaid ready to go on a pretty substantial road trip.
Speaker 1 (34:56):
They are going to.
Speaker 2 (34:56):
Tampa joint practice with the Bucks. They're going to play
their first preseason game there. Then they are going straight
from Tampa to Atlanta, where they're going to spend a
week in Atlanta doing joint practices with the Falcons, also
doing some independent work, and then they'll play their second
preseason game in Atlanta before coming back to Nashville. All on,
all of the trip is about ten days, give or
(35:19):
take a couple hours mac. How does a trip like
that benefit a team like the Titans, Well, it's like it's.
Speaker 4 (35:25):
Like it was.
Speaker 3 (35:26):
See nowadays, not very many people go away to camp
anymore because the facilities have been built out everywhere that
you stay at, the familiarity. We go back to a
young football team. These guys now for ten days it's
going to be us against them boot camp, boot camp.
(35:48):
They there and they're going to live with each other,
and there's a lot that comes out of that. I mean,
I've had thirty nine training camps and I know that,
you know, living together in a dormitory when everybody's got money,
and you're leaving a really nice house and a nice bed,
and you know, there's just there's something about it, and
this we talk about making players uncomfortable on the field,
(36:13):
get out of your comfort zone and kind of have
to depend on the people around you. I like what
we're doing.
Speaker 4 (36:21):
Yeah. You there are still a handful of teams that
I think about Pittsburgh or is it they go Latrobe?
Speaker 3 (36:28):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (36:29):
Is it Latrobe?
Speaker 5 (36:31):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (36:31):
Latrobe pay Yeah, the Cowboys go.
Speaker 4 (36:35):
To and the birthplace of Arnold Palmer. I think Latrop, Pa.
Speaker 1 (36:39):
I don't know, maybe a couple of times.
Speaker 5 (36:41):
That's all I know.
Speaker 4 (36:42):
I think about them every year, and the Cowboys and Oxnard,
and there's reasons why they do that. This type of
ten day window is one of those main reasons. And
I think that was very smart on Brian Callahan's part
to orchestrate something where it's like, listen, we got so
many new and moving parts here, let's just put it
(37:05):
and listen. I go back to his friend Jeff Fisher,
the former coach here, and what they went through in
four different seasons after they left Houston, they played in
four different stadiums. At four years, they played in the Astronome.
They played in Memphis, they played at Vandy, they played
at what is now Nissan Stadium, and all they had
(37:25):
was each other and their families.
Speaker 5 (37:27):
That's it.
Speaker 4 (37:28):
Like they were vagabonds, they were gypsies, and they had
building block cornerstone pieces and added to the fold. But
they had melded together by the time nineteen ninety nine happened.
And all right, it's weird. I kind of have those
same kinds of feelings here. They were in a better
(37:51):
place roster wise back then, but there's that same kind
of feel to this. It's like Max, right, it's us
against them.
Speaker 2 (38:00):
Well that is that's the next step on this Titans
training camp journey, and we're gonna get you there because
of course the OTP IS may to be there every
step of the way. But before we head out, a
couple more days of practice here Dissension Saint Thomas Sports Park.
We've got three more padded practices to get through at least.
(38:20):
Then there will be a little bit of a break
for a second, and then a couple more practices and
everybody hits the road. So we will have all of
the updates here. Of course for coach Mac, who will
always be around for Rett Brian, who is so interesting
and you guys should really just hang on every word
that he says. I'm Amy Wells and this has been
(38:40):
the OTP
This is the OTT. I'm Amy Wells.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
We are joined by Titans radio greats Dave McGinnis better
known as coach Mac, and Rett Brian, and we're here
talking some training camp because, you guys, we've reached a
point where we've got a couple days of padded practices
under our belts. Now we've had about ten days worth
of practices on and off with walkers and joggers and
(00:34):
actual like full go practices, so we've got a fairly
good sample size. We're in a rhythm, we're in a
groove a little bit of training camp. So Mac, I
guess the question is, to this point, does this team
seem to be like on track with kind of what
you'd expect a team to be doing at this point
in camp?
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Different teams had different personalities. This is a very young
football team. I mean I think I think that's gonna
be the theme that I think to get across. This
is a young football team at some critical positions. So
you ask me, are they where they should be?
Speaker 4 (01:06):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (01:07):
They are? Now is everything going to be exactly a
picture perfect It's not. That's not how training camp works.
The other thing that all coaches in this league want
to do amy, and it depends on the tone and
the timber of your team. A veteran football team you
treat a little bit different than a young football team.
But a young football team you want to put them
(01:29):
in as many tough situations as you can early to
see how they react. And that's extremely important because if
you don't ever test yourself as a player in practice,
and you and you and you play cautious in practice,
you're not going to survive in a game. You're just not.
So you ask me, are they where they should be? Yes,
(01:52):
they are with as young a team as this.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Is rit The thing that it seems we all forget
as we're watching these practice is that.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
The point is to practice.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
The point is to figure out what works and what
doesn't work. Just like Mack was just saying, the point
is to mess some things up.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
The point is to be in in.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
A tough, hard situation, so you work through them, and
sometimes we watch them, we're like, oh, drop the ball,
bad team. It seems that dramatic, and sometimes we have
to recalibrate and be like, this is the point.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
First of all, you're evoking thoughts of Alan iverson with
we're talking about.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Practice, talking about practice, not a game.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
It is so important, and Mac hit the nail on
the head as he usually does. You know, we talked
about this in previous OTPs. Now that guys like KeAndre
Coburn are not on the roster and that well Levis
is on ir these things. I think it's less than
forty players from last year's squad that are on the
(02:57):
ninety one right now, and then the average median age
has got to be way down, because at one point
it was forty four of the ninety one or twenty
five years of age or younger. It's more than that
now and so a lot of young fellas are going
to be counted on. It depended on heavily in this
(03:18):
well guess what young players do. In fact, veterans still
do them occasionally, and that's make mistakes. But you're right,
I mean, the structure is there so that when you
get to a game, practice should be hard, so that
when you get to the game, the game is the
reward ultimately. But you got growing pains. That's where this
thing is. And you know, it's just like I had
(03:39):
someone ask me about watching the Hall of Fame game,
Like I'm not watching a minute of that and because
they're trying to get their teams right as well. Now,
if it was somebody the Titans were going to see
the preseason later or maybe week one or two, that'd
be different. But I have no interest in that because
we got to figure out what's going on here, because
there have been so many wholesale changes to them. And
(04:00):
that's what Brian Callahan and his staff are trying to
do is get all this wrangled into ninety minutes plus
of getting ninety one guys to do what you need
them to do. But yeah, it's never as good as
it seems. It's never quite as bad as it seems either.
It's just what it is. And listen, for all the
(04:23):
talking about offense or cam Ward were throwing an interception.
Typically when the pads come on, the defense has the
advantage anyway regardless. I mean, we've seen this team with
veteran quarterbacks that had bad days because when you got
in the first few days of padded practice. I know
it's a long winded answer, but it's all true.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
I think it's interesting that you bring up the defense
specifically because in the last couple of days with pads on,
they have looked pretty good. I mean, obviously there are
things to be changed and improved upon, but it seems
like mac this team is really thriving in year two
of Denard Wilson's scheme.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
I've never in my thirty one seasons as a coach. Now,
not all of those were as a defensive coach, some
were as an assistant head coach over the whole team,
some were as a head coach over the whole team.
But in my thirty one training camps, I've never at
this point in training camp not seen the defense ahead, Okay,
(05:25):
not seeing the defensive ahead. And the other thing is
I give coach Callahan great credit because he's allowing Dinard
Wilson to stay with his install, and his install to
this point now is into some of his multiple blitzes. Now,
anytime you start blitzing early on and just bringing pressure
(05:47):
from everywhere, that's to the defense's advantage to begin with.
But that's what it's for, and that's for this young quarterback,
that's for the offensive line, that's for the But as
a general rule, and I can say this with pure impunity,
in thirty one seasons of training camps, I've never seen
(06:10):
at this point the defense not ahead of the offense
this summer.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
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Speaker 1 (06:44):
Now back to the OTP.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Is there a player on the defense both of you
that has maybe stuck out to you who you've been
excited about what you've seen out of them now that
the pads are on.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
Cody Barton, yep, Cody Barton. And and of course I
cut my teeth in line on linebackers in this league.
But just the fact that and I was just when
I was starting to look at this roster, you know
that that area of behind the ball. Now, I've got
great confidence in Frank Bush. I know what kind of
coach he is. I've worked with him way too long.
(07:18):
He's a really good He's brought a lot of guys along.
But Cody Barton was a settling force for this defense
behind the ball, and he's he's made the two young
players James Williams and and and Gray made them better
too because now they're comfortable because he's directing them, he's
directing traffic. They're not worried about word to line up
(07:39):
or they're not worried about what the you know what
the offense is coming in because guess what the middle
linebackers telling them, Hey, move on over here, move this
so that they so that they can play.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
Cody Barton, James Williams and his growth in year two
are something to me noted. Additionally, Kevin Winston June, You're
who works so hard to get to make sure he
was healthy when this thing started. Starting to see him
flash around the ball again. It's early, but if we're
going with a solid answer, I'm staying on defense and
(08:12):
I'm talking about Roger McCrary. It's super important for him.
In year four. We don't know what the status is
going to be with Lagarious need and when you take
him out of this, that's a pretty young secondary. When
you're talking about Jarvis Browne Junior in year two and
all the pieces and parts that are there. I mean,
(08:33):
Amani Hooker would be the oldest guy in the secondary
basically or the most tenured. But Roger McCrary again continues
to be around the ball and to make something happen.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
Is there ever a point Mac where the defense is rolling,
they're staying on kind of their install schedule like you've
been talking about, and the offense says, well, we need
you to stop for a second, like pause, We've got
to do happen.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
Yes, it happens, and it's a it's a very legitimate question.
But that's that's coaching staff's talking about it. Okay, you
know that they will they will talk about it and say, okay, look,
we need to start seeing a little bit more of this.
We need to start seeing some too high that we
can throw against a little bit and let let this
get let this get settled down. They've run quite a
(09:23):
few what we call call it periods as to where
it's not scripted. In other words, Donard's Dinards calling the
defense matching the personnel with the offense. The offense is
doing the same thing. They're they're they're those call it
periods are very very critical. So you can manage it.
(09:43):
That's the beauty of working against somebody else too, because
now you can have a lot of call it periods
against somebody else, but you haven't seen them before. So
even if you're both playing your bass stuff, it's new.
Does that make sense? Absolutely, it's newest to what you're seeing.
That's why it's so smart what coach Callahan did setting
(10:07):
up going to two places to work out with this
young football team. Again, as I say, because with three
preseason games, you don't, especially what the team that's young,
you don't have enough padded practice work against real stressful situations.
Now when you go to two teams, it's like having
(10:29):
five preseason games, which we used to have a lot of.
So anyway, that's a long answer to say, but there
is a time. It's got to be a yang and
a yang to it. It always is because at the
end of the day, you want the Titans to get better. Yeah,
I mean, it's practice is not a zero sum thing.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
It's just not Well, it's interesting that you mentioned the
call it periods and explain for the ot people who
don't know what they are, because that was the listening
to you talk just then, was the first time that
it ever occurred to me that call it periods, while
always being beneficial for the players, are equally, if not
more so, beneficial for the coaching staff.
Speaker 5 (11:15):
Well.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
A communication, Yeah, the community, the communication is big and
plus you know, being able because you never stop your install,
but your install takes into consideration everything you've put in
on day one to where you are on day seven
or eight. So once you have a call it period,
all of that roller dex is open to you. So
(11:36):
the players not only it's not only what they've worked
on that day.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
It's anything.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
It's anything. Yeah, and so that's that's a big plus.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
All right, let's switch over to offense. And we haven't
really done a deep diving cam Ward. We've let a
lot of other people, a lot of other pundits really
talk about him.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
We're not pundits, no, we're not.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
So I want to take some time here to talk
about what you've seen from him, what you like, which
you don't like, where where you're feeling about cam Ward. Rhett,
he had an interesting quote the other day that's getting
a lot of attention where he said he feels like
this offense is very mid right now. A lot of
people are taking that as a a knock. Maybe that like,
(12:17):
MID is bad. Tell me why MID is not bad?
Speaker 4 (12:22):
Well, it has a negative connotation. Yeah, uh, because the
kids say it, they say that's mid. The mid, if
you're going by literal definition, is not the best, but
it's also not the worst. I just think there's things
that need to be worked on and built off of.
(12:43):
I like the important here. The things I've gotten from
cam Ward's availabilities in the last few days, one is
just he doesn't care about the outside noise. He is
insulated into what he's doing here, and it's fortified by
something else. He said in another availability that I thought
was very interesting. We have realized and certainly as we
(13:07):
started to see that they were gravitating towards him as
the number one overall pick. Hearing about his family dynamic
and how his parents are. They're workers. Work ethic is
strong in that family. Competition is strong in that family.
And cam said it recently. He said, if my dad
can get up at four point thirty in the morning
(13:28):
to go to a job that he hates, I shouldn't
have any problem getting up early and going to a
job that I really like. And he said, in my opinion,
good things come to those who put the work in.
And I'm like, that resonates with me because I think
about my dad worked physical labor his whole life. He
(13:51):
worked twenty five years at the Nissan plant and retired,
but worked and built lots of important things in construction
before that, and he instilled that and my mother too,
So that resonated with me. That's a takeaway. It's just
the foundation of who he is. And I think the
other part is the on field stuff. I saw him
(14:14):
at one point in one of the padded practices where
he actually goes into the defensive huddle and it's chirping
like he's people want to talk about that day. He
and Big Jeff got into it a little bit. The
moment's not too big for him. He appears to be fearless.
That competitive layer is there and it's strong, and that
(14:40):
if he makes a mistake, brush it off, let's go
to the next one. I just those are just the
initial things that I've seen, and he knows the work
is laid out there and there's a lot of it
to do. But I think I hear him coming from
a good place and admitting so much. In so many words,
there's a lot. I don't no, I don't know what.
(15:00):
I don't know, but I'm working towards it.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Mac you've worked with a lot of rookies throughout your career,
safe to say that cam Ward is not your typical
prototype for rookie coming into this lead.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
He's way more material beyond his years, and I think
that comes a little bit. What Rev's talking about is upbringing.
But also, I mean his journey that he's been on,
it wasn't an easy journey. This was a five star
dude that had everything handed to him coming out of
West Columbia Brazoria. I played with dudes from West Columbia
Brazoria when I was at school at TCU. I mean,
(15:34):
you got to have some water in your bucket coming
out of West Columbia Brazoria down there on the coast.
But to be a zero star and to work through
three different universities to get to the point where people
notice you in the NFL at there's a lot to him.
But he's very honest. He's completely honest. He's being honest,
(15:57):
and he's un bothered by the noise that doesn't matter.
I mean there's this league engender's noise around coaches around players,
and if you're going to be in it and you're
going to be successful in it, you've got to learn
to keep the focus on what you're doing and not
(16:19):
worry about what people that think they know what you
should be doing are saying. Doesn't matter, and he's he's
able to brush that off pretty easily.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
He's established relationships, we know, with people at Calvin Ridley,
and Calvin Ridley in my evaluation, which you know, take
that for what it's worth, has emerged as a leader
that I don't think he was in twenty four. I
think he's walked into more of a not just being
a veteran, because obviously he was a veteran last year,
(16:50):
but you see him intentionally seeking out cam Ward, intentionally
seeking out some of the younger receivers, intentionally seeking out
these different guys on the offense and bringing them along.
It's not just about what Calvin Ridley is able to
do and his skill set and all of the athletic
attributes that he brings to a football team. Now it's
(17:10):
about Calvin Ridley as an athlete, but also as a
mentor and as a leader within that offense. Well, how
beneficial do you think that is to someone like cam Calvin.
Speaker 3 (17:23):
Ridley is a veteran player that realizes how important it
is for this young quarterback to develop. Yeah, that's what
he's done. He realizes that most veteran players reach a
point in their career where it's not just about their career,
(17:46):
it's about how the people around me can help the
whole team. He realizes that really quick, that's that's that's
a sign of a mature player. And Calvin Ridley knows that.
You know, not only is it a quarterback receiver thing,
(18:08):
but it's a veteran acceptance thing of this guy's got
a chance to really help us, but he's very young,
and so it's I'm not very young. I'm a veteran.
I understand what this is about and that there's nothing
like time on task in this league to teach you.
So if you have somebody that's willing to teach you
(18:31):
from what they've learned, it accelerates your learning curve.
Speaker 4 (18:35):
The other part of it is that Calvin Ridley is
right now he is wide receiver number one for the
Tennessee Titans. So there's a place of he's never been
lacked for confidence at all, but there's a place that
he's coming from, knowing that but never taking it for granted.
(18:57):
Every guy has a different path to meet at an
NFL facility to become a teammate. His path was much
different than cam Wards. And you got to remember it
hadn't been that many years ago. He was out of
football for an entire year when he was at Atlanta,
yep for something off the field that he paid his
debt and moved forward. And then when he got his
(19:18):
opportunity and made some numbers in Jacksonville and then they
were able to steal them away and bring him here,
he's never looked back. I mean you're talking about he
didn't have one hundred yard game until the Detroit game
last year and then still had over one thousand receiving yards.
He also knows that, yes, he's he's pouring into the
(19:39):
young quarterback and all these young receivers and his teammates.
He knows it takes eleven and twenty two and then
you know, the forty six active on game day to
get it done. So if I give that extra ten
percent and instill that and invest that into my teammates,
it's gonna pay dividends because at the end of the day.
He's got the same goals, he just wants to win.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
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(20:24):
which we work and live. Ashley, the official furniture provider
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Speaker 1 (20:30):
Now back to the OTP.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
I would like to talk about Taj Spears though, because
as we're talking about people who have experienced maybe an
understanding of what their role looks like in twenty five
and some maturity and some growth in whatever different way
on the field, mentally, physically, spiritually, whatever it's happening all
across the offense it feels like.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
And Taj Spears is one of those guys.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
He has a physical difference I think from twenty four
to twenty five, and I think a mental difference is
what we're all noticing, right.
Speaker 4 (21:08):
Have you noticed that definitely? Is he is more dialed
in It was more akin to his rookie year, and
not that he didn't put in work in twenty twenty four.
But I can only describe Taja Spears as twenty twenty four.
It was kind of like the Titans twenty twenty four.
It's Murphy's law. Anything that could happen did. There was
(21:30):
off the field stuff, on the field stuff. The biggest
thing is he ran into obstacles with his health, two
different concussions, had a handstring. I think it kept him
out of five games. It was just one of those things.
If you want to sum up Taja Spears is twenty
twenty four, and he would disagree with this. But Week
(21:51):
seventeen in Jacksonville, Tony Pollard's banged up. They put him down,
let him have a rest that week, and here we are.
And I went back look at the game book. Three
minutes and twenty three seconds left in the third quarter,
he has nineteen carries for exactly one hundred yards. WHOA
And then the next play, josh hinz Allen comes into
(22:12):
the backfield hits him for a five yard loss, his
second concussion. That ends his season. And not only that,
it takes away his first hundred yard game ninety five yards.
There was still the whole fourth quarter to go. He
was on track to have a career day and that
is in a Nutshelle in one game and less than
sixty minutes on four quarters of play. What his twenty
(22:36):
twenty four was like and he came back a different guy.
It's clear he comes out there. He's one of the
first dudes out of the building every day to practice.
There's a renewed focus and purpose there and hearing his
availability this week, he talked about living in the moment
(22:57):
and segmenting life and Okay, that's done, Let's move to
this and not dwelling on things that didn't go the
way that he wanted it to, not dwelling on a
fumble he had, any of those things. There's clearly a
growth here and I think you'll see it on the
football field.
Speaker 1 (23:17):
I think so too.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
We actually had the chance to talk to Taja Spears
a couple of days ago.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
And I will warn you it's a little bit of
a chaotic interview.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
We talked about a lot of his mental state and
how he's growing and changing. But then we also have
some cameos from people like Jakwan Jackson and Big Jeff,
So check this out. Taj Spears, running back for your
Tennessee Titans, joins us right here on the OTP. Now, Taja,
I've just got to ask you, because you look like
(23:48):
you're having so much fun. How good does it feel
to be healthy and playing football?
Speaker 6 (23:53):
First thing you gotta do is thank the Lord because
I've been through, you know, last year, I've been through
quite a few battles throughout the season. It's just this
off season, just prepping, getting my body right, getting my
mind right. So I just wanted to give a big
shout out to the Lord. It's so fun.
Speaker 5 (24:11):
Yeah, it's so fun.
Speaker 1 (24:12):
You look like you're having fun.
Speaker 6 (24:14):
I am, Yeah, I am, I am, I am.
Speaker 5 (24:19):
I am.
Speaker 6 (24:20):
I was finna going through details by I am because
the Lord is so good, so good, because like I
don't know.
Speaker 5 (24:26):
It's just like like he's just.
Speaker 6 (24:28):
Doing something to my soul right now, and I just
want to be able every chance I get. I just
want to say thank you to him, and of course
thank you to everybody around me too.
Speaker 2 (24:37):
You know, people are noticing that it's not just you
that's feeling at I think other people are noticing that
something's happening in you. Because all of the comments that
we heard during the off season, as you're going through
the off season program, you know, and all of the things.
It wasn't just about what you were doing on the field.
It was about how mentally you were different. You seem
more mature, you seem more in sync, you seem more
(24:59):
almost in alignment.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
Are you Are you feeling that?
Speaker 2 (25:02):
Are you surprised that people are noticing that?
Speaker 5 (25:06):
That?
Speaker 6 (25:06):
That's that was one of my biggest things, like taking
my shift off of what people was thinking and noticing,
and like focus on Taj the way he's noticing about hisself.
And I do feel a maturity, I do feel a
I do feel a connection with myself, and I do
feel the consistency. So yeah, and it's just that's just
something you build on. It's just like like I'm honestly
(25:27):
pride pride in myself every day to be the best
version of myself I can. I can show up ass
no knowing days wasn't perfect. I wasn't perfect at all
to day practice, but I guess I showed up as
my best self and that's all I can do.
Speaker 5 (25:40):
Well.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
And you had some big moments at practice today. You
made some big plays you know, I usually be.
Speaker 5 (25:44):
So hard on myself. Yeah, all on myself.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
Now, I'm great. How are you?
Speaker 2 (25:51):
What have you noticed about Taj Spears being back here
at training camp?
Speaker 1 (25:56):
Tell me tell me about your guy over here?
Speaker 7 (25:57):
Oh man, a lot of energy, fantastic, Yeah, a lot
of speed breaking tackles, doing what you always do.
Speaker 1 (26:04):
Yeah, nothing different, He's just same old.
Speaker 6 (26:12):
He is.
Speaker 7 (26:15):
Either is either he cut the cut the beard off
and keep the stash, or he do a different hairstyle.
Speaker 2 (26:20):
Okay, So how do you decide what it's going to be?
What's the plan for this year?
Speaker 5 (26:24):
Tell the people it's a game time decision.
Speaker 6 (26:26):
It's a game time decisions. I'm in I'm in a
barber chair. Yeah, and I'll be like, man, I'm gonna
keep it. Man, I'm gonna cut it. It's just a
game time decision.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
Of all the styles he's had, which one was the
best one?
Speaker 5 (26:38):
Oh? Lay, I'll probably say.
Speaker 7 (26:44):
When it's all out, Really, there's nothing just regularly double
strand twists?
Speaker 5 (26:49):
Okay?
Speaker 1 (26:50):
Is that an option?
Speaker 5 (26:51):
Something like that?
Speaker 7 (26:53):
Is that an option like double strand twists? Or want
to just buy himself hanging down and we could just
flick it back and just you know it, let it flow.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
Do you want do you want to take a picture
as like an inspo that you can take with you?
Speaker 5 (27:04):
Yes? Of course.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
You get a camera over here so we can all
all take over. We need in pictures for for Ta's hair.
Speaker 1 (27:14):
Here do.
Speaker 5 (27:20):
Try to take a pit had hold of mic?
Speaker 1 (27:25):
Perfect?
Speaker 5 (27:25):
All right?
Speaker 1 (27:26):
So now you're ready to go to the barber?
Speaker 6 (27:28):
Oh no, not yet, not yet. I'm just I'm going
through the process right now.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
So is that a post capter?
Speaker 7 (27:33):
How about you cut his hair?
Speaker 3 (27:35):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (27:37):
How about? How about it?
Speaker 2 (27:38):
I need you to know I cut my husband's hair
in the backyard. It's nothing fancy, it's a bus cut,
but I can do it for you.
Speaker 5 (27:45):
It's a bird chirping when he was cutting it.
Speaker 1 (27:48):
No, I don't know what that means. Were they birds
chirping outside? Maybe?
Speaker 5 (27:53):
Yeah? Let me tell you fun fact about me.
Speaker 6 (27:54):
I love sitting in my backyard with a bird stirping,
sunlight so beautiful.
Speaker 5 (27:58):
You do?
Speaker 1 (27:59):
That's a your zen moments.
Speaker 5 (28:01):
My zen moment. Okay, I have my shoes on though.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
Like it?
Speaker 3 (28:09):
I like it.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
I'll cut your hair. You won't like it?
Speaker 5 (28:12):
You can't, don't, don't you won't enjoy to do? Yeah?
Don't touch to do.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
Yeah, you won't like You won't like it. You would
not enjoy that you got.
Speaker 5 (28:21):
We probably got to do something else.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
You will probably leave it to the professionals, but I.
Speaker 5 (28:25):
Will probably got to get ice cream.
Speaker 1 (28:27):
I'm gonna need a YouTube video.
Speaker 7 (28:31):
N Sorry for crashing the video, but tighten up, tighten up.
Speaker 5 (28:36):
That's my that's my wave brother. That's my wave brother.
I love him to jeth man. I love him the jet.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
You guys have like seen a lot of life together,
the two of you.
Speaker 5 (28:44):
Yeah, we have.
Speaker 6 (28:45):
Man, it's that's so beautiful. Uh, just not knowing them
from a canna paint. My first day getting to college,
we was in we was in the same dormitory together
and just meeting him getting to know them, complete asshole.
Speaker 5 (29:00):
Excuse my language, but please, that's that's that's my brother.
Speaker 6 (29:03):
Though, Like, that's my brother, and he look out for
me when I can't coming for myself.
Speaker 5 (29:07):
He's coming for me.
Speaker 6 (29:08):
And you know, I the little bit I do for him,
I I bet there for him too. So man, I'm
I'm nothing but thankful for him.
Speaker 5 (29:15):
And he's not an asshole. He's really a great guy. Man.
Speaker 6 (29:19):
He he had my back when he had my back
when I ain't had my own back. So each and
every day pushing me, get waking me up on time,
and taking care of my dogs.
Speaker 5 (29:27):
Big thanks Mallow and Valentine. I love y'all.
Speaker 6 (29:30):
But yeah, he took care of my dogs, like taking
care of my family, keep in contact with my dad,
make sure my mom straight, make sure everybody's straight.
Speaker 5 (29:36):
So he's everything I could asks for the brother.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
See, and that's a that's a great thing to have
as you're pursuing a career that's not only just bigger
than yourself. I mean, you're a professional athlete, you're part
of a massive industry, but you have someone here to
really help keep you grounded, keep you real, and keep
your head on straight.
Speaker 5 (29:54):
Yeah, and you need that.
Speaker 6 (29:56):
You need that because like not just like like the theme,
it's like social things, but like the pressure is gonna
take you for so many different loops, like the pressure
to perform, the pressure to to keep in contact with
your family so much, so many different pressures can just
like deteriorate you. But like having a brother to bill
up each and every day, Like that's a different guy.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
Talk to me about stuff on the field.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
Where do you feel like you've improved technically this season.
Speaker 6 (30:19):
I'm just really just being on the field, just going
through the reeds, like going through the reeds, like where
do the ball supposed to go, and like what's supposed
to happen?
Speaker 5 (30:27):
Jeff. I'm mad at Jeff right now.
Speaker 2 (30:29):
He was practice to day y'all fighting, Yes, yes, yeah, Hey,
Tad the clip and you tell me if he helped
me down.
Speaker 5 (30:38):
Haulk him down yesterday. That's what y'all y'all heard, Cali,
he said. It's in the media CALLI told the media
day already that it was action on him there. But
I made him run that. If it wasn't for me,
he wouldn't have ran that down. If it wasn't for me,
he wouldn't have ran that. That's the fast you ever
ran because of me.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
Okay, I gotta ask why is everybody on this team
feeling it's important to come over here and bother you
right now?
Speaker 5 (31:06):
Because I'm a good person.
Speaker 6 (31:07):
Yeah person, I usually probably stop buying bothering them, but
now I'm a good person.
Speaker 5 (31:11):
It's like you say, it's just the energy, like people.
Speaker 6 (31:14):
Not gonna come to people not gonna come mess with
somebody to have bad energies like it's all about enjurgy, haveing,
good energy, and just try to be the best you
can't be every day.
Speaker 2 (31:22):
Do you feel like this team has a better energy
than you've ever experienced before.
Speaker 5 (31:25):
I do.
Speaker 6 (31:26):
We are all fine around you know. Of course, it's
day two, but I don't believe in like day two.
Speaker 5 (31:30):
I believe it stack in the day.
Speaker 6 (31:32):
So of course, like we're in training, camping, the day
is getting longer and harder, but I feel like.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
It's I feel like it's great, Taj.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
This has been the most chaotic and the most entertaining
interview we've done in a long time one. This is
definitely gonna be my best one. So thank you for
taking the time.
Speaker 5 (31:48):
Thank you, thank you, and tighty Frians. I love y'all.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
I think that when you have that many people teammates
crashing your interviews, coming in to talk nice about you
in the case of his fringe Kwan Jackson, or kind
of give you a hard time in the case of
Jeffrey Simmons, I think that says you're a pretty universally
liked guy.
Speaker 5 (32:12):
Mac.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
Is that what you have found in your history to
be true?
Speaker 3 (32:15):
They respect him, yep, because the kid's a ballplayer. The
guy's a ballplayer, and retch right, he had a really
good rookie year. He really did. But when you hurt,
then all of a sudden it's different, and then you've
got to read. Then you've got to regenerate yourself. Well
he's done that. But he's very well respected by his
(32:37):
teammates because once it's kicked off, he plays ball and
he loves playing ball. I just want him to be healthy.
If he's healthy, he is going to be a very,
very big contributor for this team.
Speaker 4 (32:52):
I think one of the things he would tell you
is that one of the things he was not as
prepared for as he'd like to have been in a
year two is the revolving door and changes that there
always is on a team. In his position group specifically,
I don't think there are a lot of players that
probably would, if they were honest and open with you,
(33:16):
would tell you, you know, I wouldn't really for that.
I didn't realize player X, y Z, whatever one's going
to be in his locker room or locker next to me.
The business part of it comes up and reminds you
sometimes harshly in this But yeah, I love Jeff getting involved,
and of course he's going to talk smack. Of course,
his teammate Jakwan Jackson's going to come in and crash
(33:38):
the party a little bit. But I think Max right,
there's a level of respect there because he is a player,
and I mean literal definition of the player part of it.
Just he can play, but he's an endaring person. He
will be one of those guys to say, hey, you good,
(33:58):
let me check on you.
Speaker 5 (33:59):
You good? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (34:00):
Yeah, I'm good too. You know, what's I just you know,
I'm the president of the fan club. Max got pointed out,
But it's true. He is one of the very solid
persons on this football roster. A good person.
Speaker 2 (34:17):
Yeah, yeah, but there's a and I mean, he's one
of a couple really good people on this roster. One
of the things that I'm quickly learning, and it has
been consistent throughout my time with the Titans anyway, is
that one of the things that makes a Titan a
Titan is being a good human. We don't have too
many people in these locker rooms that are not good
(34:40):
people in my estimation anyway. All Right, speaking of good people,
there are a lot of good people going back to
work in the coming days and weeks, because there is
more training camp to get through and the Titans are
getting reaid ready to go on a pretty substantial road trip.
Speaker 1 (34:56):
They are going to.
Speaker 2 (34:56):
Tampa joint practice with the Bucks. They're going to play
their first preseason game there. Then they are going straight
from Tampa to Atlanta, where they're going to spend a
week in Atlanta doing joint practices with the Falcons, also
doing some independent work, and then they'll play their second
preseason game in Atlanta before coming back to Nashville. All on,
all of the trip is about ten days, give or
(35:19):
take a couple hours mac. How does a trip like
that benefit a team like the Titans, Well, it's like it's.
Speaker 4 (35:25):
Like it was.
Speaker 3 (35:26):
See nowadays, not very many people go away to camp
anymore because the facilities have been built out everywhere that
you stay at, the familiarity. We go back to a
young football team. These guys now for ten days it's
going to be us against them boot camp, boot camp.
(35:48):
They there and they're going to live with each other,
and there's a lot that comes out of that. I mean,
I've had thirty nine training camps and I know that,
you know, living together in a dormitory when everybody's got money,
and you're leaving a really nice house and a nice bed,
and you know, there's just there's something about it, and
this we talk about making players uncomfortable on the field,
(36:13):
get out of your comfort zone and kind of have
to depend on the people around you. I like what
we're doing.
Speaker 4 (36:21):
Yeah. You there are still a handful of teams that
I think about Pittsburgh or is it they go Latrobe?
Speaker 3 (36:28):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (36:29):
Is it Latrobe?
Speaker 5 (36:31):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (36:31):
Latrobe pay Yeah, the Cowboys go.
Speaker 4 (36:35):
To and the birthplace of Arnold Palmer. I think Latrop, Pa.
Speaker 1 (36:39):
I don't know, maybe a couple of times.
Speaker 5 (36:41):
That's all I know.
Speaker 4 (36:42):
I think about them every year, and the Cowboys and Oxnard,
and there's reasons why they do that. This type of
ten day window is one of those main reasons. And
I think that was very smart on Brian Callahan's part
to orchestrate something where it's like, listen, we got so
many new and moving parts here, let's just put it
(37:05):
and listen. I go back to his friend Jeff Fisher,
the former coach here, and what they went through in
four different seasons after they left Houston, they played in
four different stadiums. At four years, they played in the Astronome.
They played in Memphis, they played at Vandy, they played
at what is now Nissan Stadium, and all they had
(37:25):
was each other and their families.
Speaker 5 (37:27):
That's it.
Speaker 4 (37:28):
Like they were vagabonds, they were gypsies, and they had
building block cornerstone pieces and added to the fold. But
they had melded together by the time nineteen ninety nine happened.
And all right, it's weird. I kind of have those
same kinds of feelings here. They were in a better
(37:51):
place roster wise back then, but there's that same kind
of feel to this. It's like Max, right, it's us
against them.
Speaker 2 (38:00):
Well that is that's the next step on this Titans
training camp journey, and we're gonna get you there because
of course the OTP IS may to be there every
step of the way. But before we head out, a
couple more days of practice here Dissension Saint Thomas Sports Park.
We've got three more padded practices to get through at least.
(38:20):
Then there will be a little bit of a break
for a second, and then a couple more practices and
everybody hits the road. So we will have all of
the updates here. Of course for coach Mac, who will
always be around for Rett Brian, who is so interesting
and you guys should really just hang on every word
that he says. I'm Amy Wells and this has been
(38:40):
the OTP
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