Back in May, former Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns cornerback Eric Garror was attending a rookie camp tryout with hopes of getting signed for NFL training camp. 

Three months later, Garror is thriving with the Tennessee Titans against all odds and making plays against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.

Underdog Story

In many ways, Garror is the ultimate NFL underdog story. Coming out of McGill Toolen High School, Garror was a three-star recruit that had just two Division-I FBS offers (Louisiana and Richmond). Garror wound up in Lafayette playing for head coaches Billy Napier (2018-21) and Michael Desormeaux (2021-22), but would go undrafted despite playing over 2,600 collegiate snaps.

Garror is an undersized corner that played five years of college football. You don't see too many guys like him make it at the next level. He stands 5-foot-8, weighs 174 pounds, and NFL draft scouting reports said Garror "lacked a physical element to his game, and didn't have a frame that can carry a lot of weight."

But Garror has never let his size hinder him from making plays. "You've got to play big and play with heart," Garror said after Titans practice on Monday. "Since high school I've been a little underdog. That didn't hurt me, it just made me want to work more and grind more."

Working and grinding is all Garror has done since he earned and signed his contract with the Titans in mid-May. The 23-year-old is proving to be everything the Titans want from a young defensive back and his progress is not going unnoticed.

"He's been good. He's a scrappy dude. He's competitive," said Titans defensive coordinator Shane Bowen of Garror on Monday. "You can tell he's got a chip on his shoulder every single day. He's a guy that has improved since he's been here. We like the versatility piece, so hopefully that continues."

Titans head coach Mike Vrabel mentioned Garror as a player who has earned more playing time and will get increased opportunity next week against Minnesota. 

Climbing the Depth Chart

Garror is climbing the depth chart by doing everything the Titans ask young defensive players to do. In Tennessee's preseason opener with Chicago on Saturday, Garror recorded four tackles – two of which were tackles for loss made in the open field in the fourth quarter. 

Garror also got two opportunities as a punt returner, both in the fourth quarter. The second of which was a clutch 17-yard return that put Tennessee in Bears territory with less than one minute to play.

Special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman was impressed by Garror, and said he earned himself another opportunity to return punts against the Vikings.

Titans undrafted rookie Eric Garror reading his keys and triggering downhill to beat blocks for a big-time TFL.

The cornerback out of Louisiana has two TFLs today and has looked feisty at nickel against the Bears. pic.twitter.com/6fGUpOtCOi

— Seven Rounds in Heaven (@7RoundsInHeaven) August 12, 2023

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We all know the premium Mike Vrabel and the Titans place on special teams value. Vrabel also made it clear last week that the Titans' coaching staff would be paying extra close attention to which players tackle well in the preseason games.

"I think defensively you've got to be able to tackle," said Vrabel when asked by Titans media if there were specific positions that were evaluated more during preseason games. "They're all important, but I think the tackling is really where we'll see guys come down and tackle and get off blocks and stay on their feet."

Garror showed his grit as a willing and capable tackler on Saturday. That's what playing big and playing with heart looks like on game day.

In a Titans' secondary that has a lot of competition and young talent, Garror will be a name to watch throughout the remainder of training camp. If he can continue to build on his performance this weekend, one of training camp's biggest underdogs could find his way onto Tennessee's 53-man roster. 

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It’s all part of the process.