Julius Chestnut arrives in Tennessee as an underdog in 2022.
Chestnut, an undrafted free agent from Sacred Heart, joined the team as a rookie. Then Chestnut made the team again in 2023, but his season was cut short in Week 3 due to a season-ending hamstring injury.
“It was hard, an adjustment definitely,” Chestnut said of last season. “But I had people around me helping me out, and I tried to use the time to get better.”
Looking ahead, Chestnut is doing his part to put himself in the running back mix going forward.
Chestnut has appeared in nine games throughout his first two NFL seasons, including six in 2022 and the first three in 2023. Chestnut was injured in Cleveland while playing on special teams, where he earned his name the first two seasons, especially returning kickoffs.
Chestnut, who has nine career carries for 12 yards, has impressed in preseason games with prolonged playing time.
After healing the injuries in the fall, he started focusing on himself.
“I really just spent the time trying to get better at my weaknesses, trying to be better in the passing game, trying to catch more, do things like that, and focus on my conditioning,” Chestnut told ESPN. “When you first come to the NFL, you have no idea how to condition or what to expect. So, as I realized it was a different style than college football, I had to adjust. So actually, I’m just learning.”
While clearing out his locker at the end of the season, Chestnut stated that he is highly motivated after missing the majority of the year.
Chestnut, who is set to become an exclusive rights free agency, recalls missing time due to a knee ailment during his final season at Sacred Heart, where he rushed for 3,467 yards and 29 touchdowns from 2018 to 2021.
“Watching (in 2023), and seeing my brothers fall short of the playoffs, it makes me want to get back out there,” Chestnut went on to say. “I don’t enjoy seeing disappointment on our brothers’ faces. I just want to give and help as much as I can.
“I’ve been through (injuries) before, and I simply put my trust in God and my family to get through it. (My plan) is to keep working and hoping to find a spot on this team. Whatever it takes to get here, I’ll do my best to play hard and practice as much as possible. I want to come back stronger and better than I was before.”
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