By Jim Gehman, Player Engagement Insider
Wide receiver Tajae Sharpe played sharp last year as a senior at Massachusetts when he led the nation with 111 receptions and his team with 1,319 receiving yards and five touchdowns. He was named a Walter Camp All-American and selected to the All-MAC Team for the second consecutive season.
The Tennessee Titans chose Sharpe in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
“I was just so thankful,” he said. “I was extremely blessed and extremely happy to be picked by such a great organization. I couldn’t be more proud. It was an exciting moment for me and my family, a moment I’ll never forget.”
Just as he did at UMass, Sharpe has played sharp for the Titans. His mindset through training camp and the preseason has been simple. “Just compete every single day,” Sharpe said. “Just try to show everybody what I can do day in and day out. Just try to get better and learn the system inside and out.”
Sharpe may have had a head start in learning about the systems that are used in the NFL. For the past two seasons at UMass, his head coach has been Mark Whipple, a former quarterbacks coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns, and an offensive assistant coach with the Philadelphia Eagles.
“It’s helped me a lot. He’s such a great coach and a great person in general,” Sharpe said. “The conversations we had throughout our two years, he just helped me so much and in so many ways to take my game to the next level. He brought a great offensive system, an offensive mind. He helped me understand the game of football way better than I did – the fundamentals about the game, reading coverages and defenses, and why I’m doing certain things on certain routes. I’m extremely blessed to have had him in my corner for the past two seasons.”
Titans wide receivers coach Bob Bratkowski just may become the next coach in Sharpe’s corner. He told the Tennessean’s John Glennon, “I would put him in the category of a natural football player who understands the game. He operates at a level of a third-year professional. He’s got it figured out. He knows what it takes to be a pro, which is rare for a rookie. He got a lot of good coaching. But he was also raised very well. He has a maturity to him. He’s not a completely finished product, but he’s well on his way.”
What is the rookie’s reaction to his coach’s critique?
“I’m humbled by those comments by him,” Sharpe said. “It means a lot to me. But you know, that’s just the kind of person that I’ve always been on or off the field, just trying to improve on my craft individually every single day. Just trying to do the right things for my team and my organization and just being dependable and accountable all of the time.
“To hear my name called in the Draft, that was a blessing, but that’s when the real work started. (Making the Titans) will mean everything. It was a childhood dream of mine to play in the NFL, so to be able to put on that jersey, it means the world. But I haven’t beaten any odds yet. I haven’t done anything. I’m going to have to prove what I’m worth every single Sunday.
“I’m just so blessed and thankful that I get to wake up every single day and play the game that I’ve loved since I was a young kid. I’m living out my dream. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”