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Tennessee Titans' Will Levis knows about emotion. Now it's time to learn when to slide
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- Tennessee Titans' Will Levis knows about emotion. Now it's time to learn when to slide
The Will Levis that Tennessee Titans fans are seeing — he who lets out viral celebratory screams , with the veins bulging in his neck, and who tries to lower his shoulder to truck through All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey : This is his toned-down version.
Levis spoke with the media Wednesday after his emotionally charged performance in the Titans' 28-27 win over the Miami Dolphins on Monday. The rookie quarterback threw for 327 yards and a touchdown, and led a fourth-quarter comeback to make the Titans the first team to overcome a 14-point deficit in the final three minutes and win in regulation since 2016.
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The quarterback poked fun about how expressive he can be. He corroborated Titans coach Mike Vrabel's joke about the team's intention to show Levis tape of quarterbacks getting hurt for running recklessly with the ball in "A Clockwork Orange"-esque attempt to teach him to slide.
But he also explained his position and what he feels is his responsibility as a quarterback.
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"It's interesting," he said. "I think as a quarterback, as a competitor, as a leader, you hear about staying calm, cool and collected. There's definitely something to be said about that. I feel like I keep myself that way a lot. But when there are those times when you are able to show your emotions, this is an emotional game. You can't have it bottled up all the time. Just be yourself out there and show those emotions and wear your heart on your sleeve sometimes."
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Levis admits he wasn't always able to harness his emotions at the appropriate times. When he was a younger player, his emotions poured out into his play. Now he believes he's better equipped to collect himself after good plays and mistakes alike and that allows him to express his authentic personality after triumphs.
Which leads to exuberant outbursts as ESPN's national TV audience saw on "Monday Night Football."
"Sometimes I will acknowledge a little thing here and there even in the midst of a drive but it's important to reset and get back to the next play," Levis said. "Even with (offensive coordinator Tim Kelly), we were talking, we got that procedure penalty and he was going crazy on the sideline and fired up. But get it out of your system, move on and just play the next play. I feel like we did a good job of that, being able to put all the bad stuff we did in the first half behind us and get the win."
Levis' competitiveness and expressiveness are felt by more than just the fans. Outside linebacker Harold Landry said Wednesday that he feels Levis' passion even on the defensive side. Teammates have been saying similar sentiments since Levis took over as the Titans' starter in late October.
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The only difference is that Monday, the Titans were able to channel that passion into some celebration.
The Titans (5-8) return to action Sunday against their AFC South rival Houston Texans (7-6) at Nissan Stadium (noon, CBS), with the Titans still in pursuit of their first divisional win of the season, trying to gain ground in the division race and aiming to keep their slim postseason hopes alive.
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com . Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @nicksuss.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Titans QB Will Levis explains how he harnesses his passion
