Will Levis called it a 'dream come true' as he led the Tennessee Titans to a victory on an impressive four-touchdown NFL debut on Sunday; Levis slipped out of the first round of the NFL Draft in April before eventually landing in Tennessee.
Monday 30 October 2023 11:31, UK
Will Levis had waited for this moment. And he didn't disappoint, lifting the Tennessee Titans to victory over the Atlanta Falcons on a memorable NFL debut Sunday.
This past April Levis had watched on from the green room at the NFL Draft in Kansas City as 31 picks passed by without the Kentucky quarterback hearing his name called. Once considered a high first-round selection, a suited-and-booted Levis cut a figure of disappointment in the company of friends and family as Thursday night drew to a close with his future still yet to be decided.
He didn't have to hang around too much longer on the Friday, with the Titans taking him with the second pick of the second round.
Six months on, Levis starred on his debut in place of the injured Ryan Tannehill as he completed 19 of 29 passes for 238 yards and four touchdowns in a 28-23 victory over the Falcons.
"This is a dream come true, for sure," said Levis. "I've got 12 minutes to celebrate it before we're on to Pittsburgh, as [head coach Mike] Vrabel said. I've been dreaming of this moment as a kid my entire life. Even just to touch the field in a NFL game, let alone get a win, is incredible."
Three of his touchdowns on the day, including a 47-yard heave, went to DeAndre Hopkins, before Levis showed off his arm strength again later in the game with a 33-yard strike to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine in the fourth quarter.
"He's a very talented quarterback, confident," said Hopkins. "He plays the game like he's been here. (Offensive coordinator) Tim Kelly and those guys did a great job getting him prepared today."
The Titans' passing attack has been largely stagnant over the opening weeks of the season, as much adding more meaning to an opportunity to take the reins in the absence of Tannehill. Levis, though, remained unfazed as he connected on the kind of deep shots that have been missing from this Tennessee offense.
"The last couple of weeks, I think there were certain days where I was kind of feeling the butterflies a little bit," he explained. "But, really just confidence and keeping it neutral, just head space and everything. I didn't really have any of those (nervous) feelings today, so that was good."
Derrick Henry was on hand to offer balance on the ground as he carried the ball 22 times for 101 yards, the Titans running back echoing the praise for his rookie teammate.
"He was ballin', huh?" said Henry. "He was playing out of his mind. It was good to see, because he works so hard. I could tell he was locked in, and we were excited to see it come together for him and the offense."
Levis posted a passer rating of 130.5, marking the best in Titans franchise history among players with 20-plus attempts in his first start as a rookie. He meanwhile became just the fifth player in NFL history to attempt 20-plus passes with a passer rating of 130.0 or better in his first game.
Whether Tannehill is healthy or not, the starting job might well belong to Levis for the foreseeable.
