Titans WR Treylon Burks proved that hustles pays off in Sunday's loss
Despite the 20-16 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, Tennessee Titans rookie wide receiver Treylon Burks shined on Sunday afternoon for the second straight game. Burks hauled in four passes for 70 yards through the air and scored the first touchdown of his NFL career in the most unconventional way possible. Somehow, Burks' first career score […]
Despite the 20-16 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, Tennessee Titans rookie wide receiver Treylon Burks shined on Sunday afternoon for the second straight game.
Burks hauled in four passes for 70 yards through the air and scored the first touchdown of his NFL career in the most unconventional way possible. Somehow, Burks' first career score came via fumble recovery.
Early in the second quarter, Tennessee threw a screen pass to running back Derrick Henry that busted open for a big gain. Henry hit the second level and turned on the jets, closing in on the goal line when he was hit from behind by Cam Taylor-Britt and fumbled the football.
Luckily, Burks never gave up on the play. He hustled all the way down the field with Henry (nearly 70 yards), and the rookie ended up falling on the fumble for a Titans touchdown.
Not exactly how you draw it up, but absolutely what the Titans teach.
Burks told the media after the game that Coach Mike Vrabel's emphasis on effort and finishing the play motivated him to hustle to the ball. The rest of it was just being in the right place at the right time.
"Coach Vrabel harps on effort and finish. Finish longer than the guy with the ball, and that's what we all do," Burks said. "It just so happened I was in the right place at the right time."
Burks took that ball home with him after the game, and later told me that while he certainly didn't expect his first TD to come in that fashion, he's not going to complain about getting it out of the way. He believes it was an example of hustle being rewarded.
With the way the rookie is emerging and playing right now, this looks like it will be the first of many in a Titans uniform. Treylon Burks has some real superstar potential, and we're only seeing the beginning of it.
Image via George Walker IV / Tennessean.com-USA TODAY NETWORK
