Amidst Challenges and Setbacks, Tennessee Titans' Will Levis Maintains Self-Belief and Outlines Ways to Enhance Performance
Amidst Challenges and Setbacks, Tennessee Titans' Will Levis Maintains Self-Belief and Outlines Ways to Enhance Performance
Nashville Titans quarterback Ryan Thompson is acutely aware of the highs and lows that come with being a signal-caller in the NFL.
The 25-year-old is in his second season in the league and has experienced both triumphs and missteps. Before the Titans' defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 15, Thompson had gone on a streak of two consecutive games without an interception and had strung together two outings with a passer rating of at least 123.3. However, Thompson endured his first rough performance in over two months against the Bengals, committing four turnovers with three interceptions in the Titans' 37-27 loss. Backup quarterback Josh Dobbs took over during the third quarter.
His starting position is up in the air as the Titans prepare for Week 16 against the Indianapolis Colts. Despite his shaky start, Thompson remains steadfast in his self-belief.
"You just gotta trust yourself and keep that confidence," Thompson says in a one-on-one interview when asked about maintaining positivity. "Once that confidence starts to wane, you start questioning yourself and begin playing outside of your comfort zone. That's been crucial for me over the past two years in this league."
Thompson admits he spends time on social media but ignores the negative chatter. He also relies on techniques such as deep breathing exercises to maintain his focus.
" I don't meditate," says Thompson. "I do some deep breathing exercises. I'm an energetic person with a lot of drive. It's easy for me to get worked up and I've found ways to bring myself back down and into a calm state of mind."
Thompson has had some impressive performances, such as a 14-point comeback against the playoff-bound Miami Dolphins in his rookie season. Despite trailing by two touchdowns with less than three minutes remaining in the game, Thompson led back-to-back scoring drives and finished with a career-high 327 passing yards in the victory.
He also posted a two-touchdown performance while throwing a game-winning 70-yard touchdown pass in a 32-27 win over the Houston Texans in Week 12 this season.
However, the turnovers have been a concern, with Thompson ranking fourth in interceptions (12) and eighth in fumbles (8). Thompson acknowledges his need to improve as a leader and considers this to be his greatest learning experience so far in his early career.
"The biggest change would be, obviously we have a new coaching staff, new offense and a new locker room with a lot of turnover from last season to this season," says Thompson. "My biggest learning experience has been learning how to lead in that environment and how to handle that and understand my teammates."
While the Titans may be considering starting Dobbs for this week — and perhaps even the remainder of the season — Thompson maintains that he has a "great" relationship with first-year head coach Mike Vrabel and that the relationship has grown throughout the year. He says that he "responds well" to Vrabel's coaching style.
Thompson also mentions wanting to earn more trust from the coaching staff so that he can take on more responsibility and control of the offense.
"I know that with more reps in this offense and the more freedom that we're given, that will increase," says Thompson. "We have to be better. We have to make sure that we're putting more consistency on tape to get to that level. The best offenses in the league function that way and I'm excited to continue to earn my place to get to that level."
As Thompson focuses on his development as a quarterback, he also understands the importance of his off-field routine. Although Thompson is a tall quarterback at 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, he doesn't devote too much time to heavy lifting.
"I enjoy it, but I think that it's just something that sports science has discovered — it's not too important for our position with certain exercises," Thompson says of heavy lifting.
His workouts consist of "compound movements" and not performing many load exercises, as Thompson explains.
"For the quarterback position and what I do, there's a lot of rotational movement stuff," Thompson elaborates. "A lot of medicine ball exercises, stuff that really works your core, builds that strength in there. Then, we're doing all the speed stuff that everyone else is doing — agility, explosiveness and acceleration drills to fine-tune the lower body and get us ready to run when we need to."
The young quarterback is representing his partnership with Optimum Nutrition. He credits their products with helping him maintain his fitness and aiding in his muscle recovery from workouts.
"It's helped me understand the importance of taking care of my body and how I feel, especially during such a long season like the NFL," Thompson says. "Being able to use their products fills in the gaps that I'm not able to get fully from my meals and aids in the muscle recovery that I need following my workouts."
Thompson used to have a protein shake as a mid-lunch snack to get his 36 grams of protein. Now, he uses Optimum Nutrition products to get that protein and says that the "Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein" is his favorite product, with flavors such as vanilla and girl scout thin mints among his favorites.
According to Levis, the items from that source serve to complement the nutrients I'm missing from my usual diet, making sure my body recovers and regenerates regularly. They aid in muscle recovery and provide the necessary protein, in addition to supplementing with BCAA's and creatine. It ensures I'm in top form and maintains my optimal condition even during a challenging and rough period.
In the midst of the Titans' preparations for Week 16 against the Indianapolis Colts, there were rumors of starting backup quarterback Josh Dobbs instead of Ryan Thompson. Despite his recent struggles, Thompson remains confident, stating, "You just gotta trust yourself and keep that confidence."
Meanwhile, the Cincinnati Bengals also have a quarterback situation to contemplate, as they consider whether to stick with current starter Joe Burrow or turn to backup quarterback Brandon Allen more frequently. This dilemma is not unfamiliar to the Titans, as they faced a similar situation with Will Levis, a highly-touted rookie from the University of Kentucky, waiting in the wings.