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Titans DT Leads Rookies in Key Stat

The Tennessee Titans can't take their rookie off the field too long.
Jeremy Brener|
Tennessee Titans defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat (93) returns the ball after stripping it from Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) during the second quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024.
Tennessee Titans defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat (93) returns the ball after stripping it from Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) during the second quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. | Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Tennessee Titans

When the Tennessee Titans selected defensive lineman T'Vondre Sweat in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, many were surprised to see him still on the board.

Sweat had some off-field issues while at the University of Texas, which likely led to his fall in the draft. He was also seen as too heavy, weighing in at 366 pounds at the NFL Combine.

However, now that he is in the NFL, Sweat is proving to all the teams that passed on him that they made a mistake. He currently leads all defensive rookies in snaps through the first 15 weeks of the season.

"Probably some of y'all were doubting me about my conditioning," Sweat said via team reporter Jim Wyatt. "I just came to work and blocked out the outside noise and just continued to do what I do best, which is to play football."

It's been easy to put Sweat on the field because he continues to make big plays for the Titans. Perhaps the biggest play of his rookie season came in Week 15 against the Cincinnati Bengals when he used a stiff arm to take down an opposing offensive lineman to gain 30 yards on a fumble recovery.

The run earned him some recognition from NFL Network analyst Kyle Brandt on his "Angry Runs" segment.

"Coming from the best running back in the game right now," Sweat joked after being honored by Brandt via Wyatt. "I can't be any more grateful, man. This is great for me. My running back skills paid off with me training with Derrick (Henry). … Everybody was excited for me, especially seeing a big guy like me do something like that. It was pretty cool."

Sweat and the Titans are back in action in Week 16 against the Indianapolis Colts.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener.

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