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Cornerback L'Jarius Sneed has spent so little time on the field since being traded to the Tennessee Titans that the teammate he's almost certainly spent the most time playing and practicing alongside is safety Xavier Woods, who he played one year at Louisiana Tech with in 2016.
Sneed sat out through most of the Titans' offseason activities and training camp in 2024, managing pre-existing injuries dating back to his time with the Kansas City Chiefs. He injured his quad just five games into the 2024 season and the issue lingered, eventually landing Sneed on season-ending injured reserve.
Heading into the 2025 offseason, Sneed is still rehabbing from his quad injury and he's dealing with off-field legal issues stemming from a lawsuit about an alleged altercation in Texas in December.
Asked about his long-standing relationship with Sneed at an introductory Titans press conference on May 1, Woods said they have talked but weren't super close in college since Woods was a senior when Sneed was a freshman.
Woods doesn't seem to believe the Titans signed him to be Sneed's keeper, but he'll embrace the role of helping a talented player make the most of his ability just like he did the past few years with ascendant star Jaycee Horn in Carolina.
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"Jaycee knew that if he was able to be out there every game, or at least a majority of the games, he can be a Pro Bowler and All-Pro," Woods explained. "So it’s just putting your head down and just working. This injury thing, it’s a little bit of luck. Football has a 100% injury rate. It’s a little bit of luck, a little bit of God in there. And it’s how do you train? You put those things together and leave it in God’s hands.
"I can be an influence on Sneed and Sneed can be an influence on me. Sneed has been to the Super Bowl. I haven’t been to the playoffs since… it’s been so long I can barely remember. I think it goes back and forth, not just me influencing him but him influencing me as well."
If staying healthy and on the football field is mostly a matter of luck, Woods has been one of the luckiest players in the NFL in recent years. He played 100% of the Panthers' defensive snaps in 2024, a feat he also accomplished with Minnesota in 2021. He's played 96% or more of his team's defensive snaps six of the last seven years, and has only missed nine games in eight pro seasons.
Woods joins a Titans secondary built around Sneed, young cornerbacks Jarvis Brownlee Jr. and Roger McCreary and veteran safety Amani Hooker, as well as third-round draft pick Kevin Winston Jr. Woods says he's reached a point in his career where he doesn't view himself as a strong safety or a free safety, but rather an all-purpose safety who'll do the job in front of him.
The Titans begin the on-field portion of their 2025 offseason program in early May, with OTA practices beginning on May 27.
MEET CAM WARD: Don't believe Cam Ward will be Tennessee Titans' hero? This is how he'll prove you wrong
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at [email protected]. Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @nicksuss.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Titans: How Xavier Woods factors into L'Jarius Sneed future
Continue reading...
Sneed sat out through most of the Titans' offseason activities and training camp in 2024, managing pre-existing injuries dating back to his time with the Kansas City Chiefs. He injured his quad just five games into the 2024 season and the issue lingered, eventually landing Sneed on season-ending injured reserve.
Heading into the 2025 offseason, Sneed is still rehabbing from his quad injury and he's dealing with off-field legal issues stemming from a lawsuit about an alleged altercation in Texas in December.
Asked about his long-standing relationship with Sneed at an introductory Titans press conference on May 1, Woods said they have talked but weren't super close in college since Woods was a senior when Sneed was a freshman.
Woods doesn't seem to believe the Titans signed him to be Sneed's keeper, but he'll embrace the role of helping a talented player make the most of his ability just like he did the past few years with ascendant star Jaycee Horn in Carolina.
ANALYSIS: Tennessee Titans QB Cam Ward shares major trait with recent NFL rookie sensations
"Jaycee knew that if he was able to be out there every game, or at least a majority of the games, he can be a Pro Bowler and All-Pro," Woods explained. "So it’s just putting your head down and just working. This injury thing, it’s a little bit of luck. Football has a 100% injury rate. It’s a little bit of luck, a little bit of God in there. And it’s how do you train? You put those things together and leave it in God’s hands.
"I can be an influence on Sneed and Sneed can be an influence on me. Sneed has been to the Super Bowl. I haven’t been to the playoffs since… it’s been so long I can barely remember. I think it goes back and forth, not just me influencing him but him influencing me as well."
If staying healthy and on the football field is mostly a matter of luck, Woods has been one of the luckiest players in the NFL in recent years. He played 100% of the Panthers' defensive snaps in 2024, a feat he also accomplished with Minnesota in 2021. He's played 96% or more of his team's defensive snaps six of the last seven years, and has only missed nine games in eight pro seasons.
Woods joins a Titans secondary built around Sneed, young cornerbacks Jarvis Brownlee Jr. and Roger McCreary and veteran safety Amani Hooker, as well as third-round draft pick Kevin Winston Jr. Woods says he's reached a point in his career where he doesn't view himself as a strong safety or a free safety, but rather an all-purpose safety who'll do the job in front of him.
The Titans begin the on-field portion of their 2025 offseason program in early May, with OTA practices beginning on May 27.
MEET CAM WARD: Don't believe Cam Ward will be Tennessee Titans' hero? This is how he'll prove you wrong
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at [email protected]. Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @nicksuss.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Titans: How Xavier Woods factors into L'Jarius Sneed future
Continue reading...
