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Joshua Kalu Saves Day With Blocked Field Goal For Titans

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NASHVILLE – Joshua Kalu could hardly contain his emotions in the locker room after Sunday's win over the Chiefs.

And that was nothing compared to the way he felt on the field.

Kalu made one of the biggest plays of the game for the Titans in Sunday's 35-32 win over the Chiefs. It was Kalu who blocked a field goal try by the Chiefs on the final play of the game that would have forced overtime.

"I am filled with joy," said Kalu, smiling. "I'm just happy, extremely happy, not just for me but for my teammates."

Moments earlier, Kalu had sprinted off the edge from the left side to get his left hand on a 52-yard field goal try by Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, a play that sparked a wild celebration.

"I couldn't control my emotions," Kalu said. "I was screaming, letting my emotions out. It hit me in my left hand, and I'll never forget it. As soon as I blocked it, I knew we had won the game.

"I was at the bottom of the pile – my teammates swarmed me. That's the first time in my life I was able to end a game like that, and I'll never forget that moment the rest of my life."

Consider Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill among those who was impressed.

"That was like one of those Madden plays," Hill said of the block. "He came off the edge like perfectly. So, good for him, bad for us."

Before the play, Kalu told fellow defensive back teammate Chris Milton he was going to block the kick.

"We had been talking about it the whole game, because every time he came off he was really, really close to getting one," Milton said of Kalu. "So he felt he was going to get one, and it happened to be on the last play of the game. I heard that (double-thud) and I knew then he got it. He definitely came up big-time for the team."

Kalu ran around after blocking the kick, before being swarmed by teammates.

Coaches and players said they were happy for Kalu, who spent the first half of the season on Injured Reserve because of a high ankle sprain. Kalu, who played collegiately at Nebraska, played in five games for the Titans in 2018, and he'd suited up just once this season before Sunday's game. He's played primarily on special teams in the NFL, but he played in the defense on some plays on Sunday.

"Kalu was on IR, and he fought his way back," teammate Logan Ryan said. "He got his chance, and he helped us win the game. It is a true testament of you never know when your opportunity is going to come and he made a huge play and impacted the game in a big way."

Kalu said he was happy to do his part.

"My teammates are proud of me – they know how hard I work," Kalu said. "Throughout the game I was getting closer and closer, and I knew I was going to get the next one. When I got a piece of it, I was immediately filled with joy. Look at me, I'm still smiling."

The Tennessee Titans take on the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 10 of the 2019 season at Nissan Stadium. (Photos: Donald Page)

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