OTAs are well underway for the Tennessee Titans. While the city of Nashville is caught up in Preds fever, quarterback Marcus Mariota is easing back into practice. It’s a major, positive step towards a 2017 campaign that many think will see the Titans break out and become playoff contenders. But, believe it or not, that’s not what caught my eye about yesterday’s practice report.
Courtesy of Jim Wyatt at Titans Online:
Titans defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau likes the look of his new pupils, from the veterans to the rookies.
He’s quick to remind the pads still aren’t on, so he’s hesitant to praise the youngsters too much.
But LeBeau smiled big when asked about cornerback Adoree’ Jackson
, the team’s first-round pick out of USC.
“I like the fact that we drafted him because he was fast,’’ LeBeau said, “but he is faster than fast, that’s what I like about him. What we saw on the video and scouting him is what we see out here. He has a really good knack for the ball, and he has tremendous burst, and that is the game today in the NFL.
“You have people spread out all over and the quarterbacks are pretty adept at getting the ball to them. So you need people to match them and he’s one of the guys who can.”
Something about LeBeau is incredibly interesting. He doesn’t do too many interviews, but if you ever catch one, it’s simply electric. “Faster than fast” is like an old Southern-ism. Now, it’s not on the level of Robbie Caldwell calling drinks “belly washers,” but it’s close enough to deliver a certain mental image.
Naturally, Wyatt does not document facial expressions. I mean, he’s writing a football column…not a novella. But, I’m still picturing a slick half-smile on LeBeau’s face as he delivers this line. Maybe he’s wearing sunglasses, too. I don’t know – hard to tell. How cool LeBeau is in my mind’s eye may differ from how cool LeBeau is in your mind’s eye…but I think you get the point.
Dick LeBeau is a cool dude.
Look, I poo-pooed a bit on the drafting of Jackson. I have to give the Titans regime a little more credit so far. He’s been impressing in OTAs, and provides a dynamic element to the defense that it lacked in the secondary last year. Granted, it’s June. We still don’t know a whole hell of a lot just yet. What we’ve seen so far is something I said we wouldn’t see – so for that, I have to eat a little crow.
Regardless, I’m still over here waiting on LeBeau to write a book. The man’s a legend.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. A strong advocate of GSD (get shit done) and #BeBetter, he’s down to talk Tennessee Titans and Alabama Crimson Tide football over a beer any day. Check him out covering the WWE for WrestlingNews.co. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley, @WrestlingNewsCo
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