Levis: Trying to be 'same dude' despite QB battle

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Last twelvemonth astatine this time, Will Levis knew helium was the starting backmost for the Tennessee Titans. Now, helium finds himself successful an uphill conflict against No. 1 prime Cameron Ward.

"I deliberation anyone who's ever been successful my concern tin hold that it sucks," Levis said Wednesday. "I'm conscionable trying to bash everything I tin not to fto it impact me. I'm conscionable being the aforesaid dude each time successful the gathering and being present for the guys."

Levis said helium foresaw the Titans drafting a backmost with the archetypal prime and started to woody with the affectional facet of it during the build-up to the draft. It helped him absorption connected the positives, specified arsenic being successful the aforesaid discourtesy for consecutive seasons for the archetypal clip successful the past 5 seasons dating backmost to his assemblage days astatine Kentucky and Penn State.

Levis besides said the backmost room, which includes veterans Brandon Allen and Tim Boyle, has been large due to the fact that they're capable to "keep it light" portion competing for a spot. Levis' enactment with Ward has been affirmative arsenic well. Having been successful a akin concern successful the past, Levis said he's consenting to beryllium determination for Ward arsenic helium gets acclimated to the NFL.

"He is simply a truly astute kid," Levis said. "We've been capable to speech a batch astir conscionable the antithetic installs that we've gone done and proceeding his perspective, however helium sees things. He's a heck of an athlete, a heck of a quarterback, too."

"It's been good," Ward added. "He was 1 of the archetypal ones to travel up to maine successful the locker room. It's breathtaking to enactment with idiosyncratic who's played an existent NFL shot game. So I'm gladsome to instrumentality a small proposal from him."

Ward and Levis shared reps with Allen and Boyle during the squad play and 7-on-7 enactment Wednesday. Titans manager Brian Callahan cautioned not to enactment excessively overmuch value into the existent bid oregon rep sharing due to the fact that it's much of an instructional period.

During the offseason, Levis went to California to enactment with idiosyncratic backmost manager Jordan Palmer. Levis wanted to rebuild from the crushed up and absorption connected the basics with Palmer. He said helium feels bully present aft "relearning his stroke" and moving connected assorted footwork improvements.

"I've been truly pleased with the enactment that he's enactment in," Callahan said. "I spot a existent betterment successful his footwork and his base. His quality to power the shot has improved."

Levis was past successful the bid during the Titans' archetypal 7-on-7 period. He completed a speedy slant to second-year receiver Jha'Quan Jackson and connected with seasoned James Proche II connected the backside of the play aft his archetypal 2 reads were taken away.

Practice ended with information Mark Perry intercepting a Levis walk and returning it for what would person been a pick-six. So Levis inactive has enactment to bash arsenic helium tries to refind his crushed arsenic a starting backmost successful the league.

Levis intends to enactment acceptable to instrumentality vantage of immoderate opportunities that mightiness travel his mode if helium doesn't triumph the occupation successful Tennessee.

"I don't program connected shifting my mindset astatine each careless of what the concern is," Levis said. "I'm conscionable going to beryllium acceptable to play backmost whenever my name's called."