Why Tennessee Titans draft pick Jarvis Brownlee said he was hyped, anxious and 'kind of upset'

Jarvis Brownlee could smile, pacing his mother's bedroom as he answered questions after being chosen as a fifth-round pick by the Tennessee Titans in the 2024 NFL Draft Saturday.

But he wasn't necessarily happy.

The Louisville cornerback was miffed that he fell to the fifth round, but described himself as "hyped and anxious and kind of upset" but ready to get to Nashville and get back to playing football.

"I'm just ready to go," he said. "It's a dream come true. It's a blessing. I'm just so anxious to show the world what Jarvis Brownlee can do."

The 6-foot, 190-pound Miami Gardens, Florida, native admitted he struggled with maturity while playing at Florida State before he transferred to Louisville in April 2022. He played three seasons in Tallahassee, started in 15 games and had with 51 tackles with two interceptions and three pass break-ups. Brownlee did not participate in FSU's first five spring practices in 2022 and entered the transfer portal.

"When I got to Florida State, I was emotional, you know, coming from Miami," said Brownlee, who committed to Miami coming out of high school in 2018. "I was losing a lot of friends at home to gun violence and car accidents. My mom ... it was still hard at home so I was getting calls from her. And I was young. I was 17 when I got to college."

The combination of Brownlee's the off-the-field issues and the pressure of playing at Florida State caused him to play with a chip on his shoulder that turned out not to be productive. Brownlee realized he need to change his scenery, take some of that pressure off and return to why he loved the game.

"I've always had the confidence, so for me it was the little things," Brownlee said.

Brownlee transferred to Louisville and started 13 games at corner in 2022. He finished third on the team with 66 tackles and two interceptions. His 2023 season was sporadic as he dealt with a foot injury that forced him to miss three games. He finished the season with 30 tackles, a fumble recovery, an interception and six pass breakups before declaring for the draft in December.

Brownlee said can play both outside corner and nickel but has grown to enjoy playing nickel.

"I just like being the guy that can be in charge," he said. "Setting the defense, communicating, making sure the backside is on the same page. That's how you have fun as a defense. We all move as one movement."

Reach sports writer George Robinson at georgerobinsontheleafchronicle.com and on the X platform (formerly Twitter) @Cville_Sports.