MIRAMAR, Fla. – Jarvis Brownlee Jr. stood in the front yard of his grandmother's house in South Florida and reflected on his journey to the NFL.
It was far from a straight and easy path.
"To come back home, it's like a big, awww," Brownlee said with a smile. "You just look back at how far you came, and the journey you had to go through and what you went through. I went through a lot of adversity when it came to my high school and college career.
"So, just to be able to say I overcame all that adversity I went through, and I'm where I am today, it's a blessing."
Brownlee is now counting the days to his second season with the Titans.
The feisty cornerback hopes the team will lean on him like they did last year, when he played 17 games, starting 14, during his rookie season while playing in first-year coordinator Dennard Wilson's defense.
"I think they should do what (they) did last year: Throw me in the fire and let it be," Brownlee said. "I feel like Dennard, he has been trusting me since I got in the building. Our bond has been getting better and better – I talk to him every day. Just to see they believe in my work ethic, my skill, what I did for my first year, it is just motivation. It gives you a good feeling about going back into that building and going back to work.
"Football is supposed to be fun and I had a whole lot of fun last year being out there with those guys, in my first year as a rookie. If you have to put it all on me, I'm ready. I am always ready for a challenge, always prepared. That is what you work for."
A fifth-round pick of the Titans in the 2024 NFL Draft, Brownlee didn't take the easy route.
Brownlee was grazed by a bullet in a drive-by shooting in the third grade.
Brownlee played at three high schools in Florida – Miramar High, Hallandale Broward High and Carol City High – as he tried to establish himself. He became a four-star prospect by Rivals, and a top-50 prospect in Florida.
In college, he transferred to Louisville after beginning his career at Florida State, which he called his dream school.
With the Titans, Brownlee was thrown into the fire last year, and he held his own.
Brownlee was credited with 74 tackles, an interception, nine passes defensed, two quarterback pressures and a fumble recovery in 2024.
Following the release of veteran cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, Brownlee is in a position to establish himself even more in 2025 in a secondary that will also include veterans L'Jarius Sneed, Roger McCreary, and Darrell Baker Jr., among others.
Titans Coach Brian Callahan said the team is counting on Brownlee.
"I'd like to see him take another jump," Callahan said of Brownlee. "I think he can clean up his technique. He had a couple of grabby penalties, more than you'd like to see. It's a little bit of his style, but I think he could clean up his eyes, I think that's the biggest thing, his eyes in man coverage.
"What you love is his toughness and his tenacity, and you love his ability to be sticky in coverage. I think he has a chance to be a good player."
Brownlee knows he needs to be better, and he plans to work at it.
"When it came to me last year, a lot was with my hands when it came to the top of the routes," he said. "Just being less handsy. I had about eight, nine flags. I felt like some of them shouldn't have been called, but you never look at it like that because there's always room for improvement. So, for me, just go back, look at the film and see where I can get better. I think I had a solid rookie season, but I do feel like I left a lot on the table looking back at my film. Just get more ball production and I feel like if I can do that, the season will go more smooth for me."
Brownlee said he's spent the offseason taking care of his body, and getting ready for Year 2.
The Titans begin their offseason program on April 22.
Brownlee is looking forward to what's next.
"Just to be better than I was last year, bring more to the table, more ball production," he said. "Just be the best version of myself. I feel like if I do that, be more consistent, more disciplined, less handsy, more film watching, getting more knowledge from the vets.
"Doing that, I think second year will be way better than year one."
