Unpacking Will Levis' first snaps at Tennessee Titans camp — from epic throws to untold stories
Colton Dowell eyed the television remote control in his hotel room and thought better of picking it up.
The Tennessee Titans' rookie receiver had opened the door to the room Thursday, only to find fellow rookie Will Levis already there. Dowell, the local kid from Lebanon who was chosen in the seventh round of the NFL draft a couple of weeks ago, came face-to-face with Levis, the quarterback from the University of Kentucky whom the Titans took in the second round.
The two shared a room during Titans rookie minicamp last week.
"I'm kind of scared to touch the remote," Dowell said with a grin Saturday after the second day of rookie minicamp at the Titans' practice facility. "He was the first one in there and he was just looking at his iPad and he was studying plays. Our remote hasn't moved."
Mostly because Dowell recognized something the moment he met Levis for the first time that day.
The two soon were joined by a third roommate, tight end Josh Whyle, a fifth-round pick out of Cincinnati. An impromptu study session commenced.
"He's a very intense guy," Dowell said of Levis. "He really wants to make the most of this opportunity."
The word intense has been used over and again to describe Levis, who fell from a sure-fire first-round pick to the Titans.
"We were up there going through plays," Dowell said. "If we had questions we'd ask him; just kind of back-and-forth banter over the playbook."
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'Pretty darn good'
Some of that work that Levis, Dowell and Whyle did showed up on the practice field inside the team's bubble during the second day of rookie practice Saturday afternoon.
Levis and Dowell connected on a few passes along the way, while Whyle and Levis saved their best for last — literally.
The 6-foot-7 Whyle pulled the curtain on practice a bit early when he extended his long arms, lunged into the air and wrapped his hands around a ball that Levis had thrown. The two briefly celebrated before making their way out of the facility.
Whyle on the placement of the pass: "I'd say pretty darn good."
"He's a pretty good dude," Whyle said. "I like him a lot. We're just going to keep building that chemistry throughout rookie minicamp, OTAs and so on."
But that end-the-practice-early highlight won't be the only highlight Levis takes away from his first experiences as a Titan. Nor will it be any of his completions or reads.
Nope, the man with a master's degree in finance from Kentucky sounded genuinely excited about his mistakes on the field in college, which he said he had discussed honestly with Titans coaches
"That's the most fun part about this whole process, is when they pull up the tape of your mistakes," Levis said. "It's always fun talking through those things. ... Going to tell the truth, whether it was my fault or if there's other things that played into it.
"At the end of the day it's always on the quarterback. I know that regardless of what happens, the only way to gain the trust of (coach Mike Vrabel) and my teammates to the fans is how I perform on the field."
'Everything happens for a reason'
While Levis spent part of rookie minicamp getting to know some of the 26 other rookies and 21 tryout players there, one face that found itself near Levis during many drills was a familiar one.
It belonged to offensive lineman Peter Skoronski, who was taken with the 11th overall pick in the first round.
Levis' grandfather, Dave Kelley, coached Skoronski's father, Bob, when Bob played football for Yale. On occasion, Kelley would stay with the Skoronskis during his recruiting trips to Chicago.
Levis said his family and the Skoronskis began talking again leading up to the NFL draft, and the two share the same agency.
As he slipped out of the first round, Levis said his imagination began to run wild.
"I was like, 'How funny, how coincidental would it be if I end up on the same team?' And here we are," Levis said. "It's pretty funny how all those things come together. I truly feel like everything happens for a reason."
Opportunity knocks
Outfitted in a bright red jersey bearing the number 8, which was tucked into dark blue shorts, Levis stood in one end zone reviewing a play card that rested in the hands of Titans offensive coordinator Tim Kelly.
A few second later, Levis stood behind center, arms raised, hands prepared to catch the impending snap.
"Ready, set, hut!" he shouted.
The ball was on its way to him.
Everyone in front of him moved forward while Levis took a few steps back, his right hand now gripping the ball.
He looked methodically to his right, then straight ahead, then to his left, checking his different reads.
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The ball never left his hand, and he repeated this exercise a few more times under the watchful eyes of several of his coaches who were scattered about, watching his every motion.
His feet. His right arm. His eyes.
The drill complete, Levis briefly took off his blue helmet, tugged a black headband toward his forehead, then slid his helmet back on.
With Titans coach Mike Vrabel standing five yards behind him, Levis again barked for the ball. This time he was going to throw it. This time he ushered it into the waiting arms of Whyle, much to the delight of fellow offensive players from which brief cheers resonated. Levis smiled.
"Fun," he said as he took the podium post-practice. "First time playing ball in a long time. We all love the opportunity to come out here and just play and learn. It's just a lot of fun getting to know the guys, getting to know the coaches. A lot of work to do, but a lot of good work the last few days."
Fancy meeting you again
Levis first met Vrabel long before the Titans traded up to draft him with the 33rd overall pick, though Vrabel has no recollection of the encounter.
Levis was a young kid living in Attleboro, Massachusetts, many years ago when he found himself with his family at New England Patriots camp. Football and marker in hand, Levis came face to face with Vrabel, who signed the ball for the young boy.
"Wasn't that nice of me?" Vrabel joked. "He must have caught me on a good day."
The ball didn't survive a house fire a few years ago, Levis said. He hasn't yet asked Vrabel for a replacement.
"The price has gone up," Vrabel said.
The price, Levis insisted, is something he's willing to pay to try to make his way in the NFL.
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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Will Levis at Tennessee Titans rookie camp: Our first impressions
