When former NFL stars, Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor, and Channing Crowder from the Pivot Podcast partnered with Fanatics to visit the training camp to speak to the Titans’ new standout, L’Jarius Sneed, their goal was to talk just not about his on-field achievements but the chat took a scary shift when he shared a four-year-old story from his Louisiana Tech days that could have almost derailed his NFL career.
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In 2020, Sneed was involved in a shooting where he narrowly escaped the bullet injuries during a drug-related robbery gone awry. Instead, his friend was shot.
Following this incident, Sneed was put into a police car while his friend was rushed to the hospital. For the 27-year-old, it was a déjà vu because he grew up with a family history of incarceration and worried about losing everything he had worked hard for-Sneed’s football career and his future.
Despite the ordeal, Sneed resorted to faith and “started praying over him.”
Still, the gravity of the situation was too much to bear for Sneed as he kept questioning whether he’d ever return to playing football after playing for Louisiana Tech Bulldogs for four years.
To keep going, reaching out to those close to him became essential for the young footballer with the dream to make it to the NFL. His first call was to his mother, who was understandably startled and rushed to be by his side. Following that, Sneed reached out to Coach Jackson from Louisiana Tech, who reassured him that they would handle the situation together.
Unfortunately, the traumatic incident took place just before the pre-draft meetings, and Sneed chose to be 100% transparent by sharing his story with complete honesty.
Sneed approached pre-draft meetings with openness
Back in 2020, when NFL teams thoroughly examined every aspect of a player’s background, Sneed was completely open. He held nothing back because he knew he had moved past it. Teams were often surprised by his honesty but he remained confident in sharing his truth.
This honesty finally paid off for L’Jarius when the Kansas City Chiefs decided to take a chance and selected him in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
For Sneed, the Draft Day turned out to be a celebration after a tough phase, including a late invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine. He received all the support from his family and his entire community. The Louisiana city even organized a parade in his honor.
Following three seasons in Kansas City that included two Super Bowl victories, he now holds a four-year contract with the Titans. With NFL season around the corner, it would be interesting to see if Sneed can pull off Chiefs-level success in Tennessee.
