Tony Pollard is already doing more than carrying the Tennessee Titans’ backfield. He’s helping shape the future of it.
The veteran running back spoke at length about rookie Nick Singleton, the fifth-round pick Tennessee added earlier this year, and made it clear he sees a player with real upside. Pollard, who has taken on a leadership role amid the turnover on Robert Saleh’s retooled roster, has become something of a mentor to Singleton as the rookie learns the NFL game.
“Nick Singleton… I feel like he’s going to be a stud in this league," Pollard began, when I asked him what Singleton had shown behind the scenes. "He’s going to be one of those guys that teams are going to look to and call on to make plays out of the backfield.”
Singleton got his first regular-season action on Sunday, appearing briefly in the third quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles. The results were modest: four touches, 10 rushing yards, and a six-yard run as his best moment before heading back to the sideline.
Pollard, though, isn’t focused on the stat line. He sees the physical tools and the next step beyond them.
"“He’s strong, physical, fast, he’s very fast for his size..." Pollard continued. "Now he’s just got to get to the point to where the game slows down for him.”
That kind of growth, Pollard said, doesn’t come from trying to force the issue. It comes from trusting what got a player into the league in the first place.
Pollard said he tells that to Singleton all the time, continuing, "Don’t try to do too much extra, because what they saw in you is enough for you to be here. So just do what you do.”
He also pointed to the guidance he received early in his own career in Dallas, where veteran teammates helped reinforce the idea that “everyone in this building, on this team, is here for a reason.” Pollard said younger players need to avoid putting too much pressure on themselves and instead trust that they belong.
Singleton’s debut wasn’t overwhelming, and Saleh acknowledged that the rookie may have left some yards on the field. Still, the coach said there were also things he liked from the performance.
And in a season where Tennessee is sorting out roles and building around new pieces, Singleton’s early cameo matters. He was on the field in Week 2, and Pollard’s message is clear: the Titans have a plan for him, and Pollard is helping lead him into it.
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