Lewan Joins Chorus of NFL Players Talkin

NASHVILLE Taylor Lewans larger-than-life persona has been a Tenne see Titans constant for almost a decade now.He is an entertainer extraordinaire, a wise-cracking, sharp-witted smart aleck, who along with former teammate Will Compton has crafted a national following for their podcast. One of Lewans favorite social media catchphrases: No Bad Days.But in talking to media Tuesday, the seemingly ever-upbeat Lewan revealed he does indeed have bad days, and that in fact, his 2021 season probably featured at least as many of them as it did good ones. Harrison Bader Jersey He began by taking us back to the 2021 offseason still in the proce s of recovering from the torn ACL he suffered in Jose Martinez Jersey October of 2020 when Lewan couldnt even run until about month before the start of training camp.Scroll to ContinueLewans limited physical preparation and the resultant lo s of confidence predictably made for a nightmare of a season-opener. He was the primary culprit when the Titans surrendered six sacks in a 38-13 lo s to Arizona, his play so disappointing that Lewan was booed by home fans when after suffering from cramps his return to the game was announced.Things gradually improved as the season progre sed, but his overall performance didnt match the Pro-Bowl levels he showed earlier in his career. The teams offensive struggles didnt help, nor did the top-seeded Titans upset lo s to visiting Cincinnati in the divisional round of the playoffs.Last year lets not get it twisted, that **** was ******* miserable, Lewan said Tuesday. You guys can bleep that out but Trevor Rosenthal Jersey seriously, that **** was miserable. The first game was terrible. The middle (and) the end of the year, things started going well. But damn, it was not fun. Every week was like youre not feeling your best.What Lewan did about those crushing feelings of personal and team disappointment, however, was encouraging.Instead of simply allowing those negative thoughts to run hard-charging sprints through his mind, Lewan tripped them up by reaching out for help.Youre making 100 excuses in your head and then you get Michael Wacha Jersey down, and youve got to go unpack all those things, Lewan said. You cant pretend it didnt happen. I had to go and talk to a lot of people and figure that stuff out, unpack that stuff. Once we did, I feel a whole lot better. I feel like more like myself than I ever have. Not The FirstIf that theme sounds like a familiar one, it should.Only weeks ago, Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill revealed and benefited from -- therapy in the aftermath of a sub-par season that ended with three interceptions in the playoff lo s. It's a deep scar," Tannehill said. Brett Cecil Jersey Every time I closed my eyes I kind of re-watched the game. I didn't get a whole lot of sleep for weeks. I was in a dark place, and it took me a while, a lot of work to get out of it.I've worked through it, but therapy, talking to people, time helped. It took a lot of work to get through it.The decision of two franchise Miles Mikolas Jersey cornerstones to share their mental-health struggles and their means of coping with them -- just so happened to occur in May, which is . But we know these types of i sues whether in the sports world or otherwise occur on a regular basis.Think back to last November, for instance, when former Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown detailed a depre sion so deep in 2020 that he considered . He also climbed by reaching out for profe sional help, and by talking to one of his closest friends New York Jets receiver Elijah Moore.It was a dark moment, said Brown, who posted a social-media video about his experience. It just came with my heart that I wanted to share with others and help others so much as I can. Tim McCarver Jersey The fact that more and more NFL players are opening up about mental-health i sues is beneficial in a number of ways: It continues to reduce any remaining stigma surrounding the significance of mental-health concerns, delivering the me sage to profe sional athletes that its not a sign of weakne s to ask for help. It shows that NFL teams recognize the importance of supporting their players mental health, as illustrated by Titans coach Mike Vrabel last season in regards to Brown.I do appreciate (Browns) courage and willingne s to share that me sage, Vrabel said at Chris Beck Jersey the time. The mental health of our staff --everybody in this building -- is something I focus on very regularly. Thats a huge part of our busine s and what we do. The elevated Andrew Miller Jersey platform of NFL players such as Brown, Tannehill and Lewan means their me sage is delivered to a multitude of people who are profe sional athletes, encouraging them to follow similar paths.In the moments following the Titans OTA se sion on Tuesday, an energized Lewan looked happier than ever, trading light-hearted barbs with reporters before offering a self-evaluation much improved from last year.Being out here now is already a world of difference to me, Lewan said. I can put a helmet on. Im not gasping for air after four Whitey Herzog Jersey or five plays (going) through a whole period and Im laughing, talking trash with the boys. Its a good time.Football is now fun for me again. If theres any difference you want to know between last year and this year, Im enjoying the hell out of myself now.No Bad Days? Thats a stretch.But Lewan is the latest Titans player to show he can effectively deal with them.