NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — After skipping all of the Titans offseason program up until this week, Pro Bowl safety Kevin Byard was on the field for a mandatory minicamp.
On Thursday he spoke for the first time since his return in an attempt to set the record straight about his absence from Organized Team Activities.
“First and foremost I wanted to address the situation with OTAs and things like that,” Byard said to open his media availability. “I had been in communication with the coaching staff really early in this offseason, obviously before this (contract) news and all this stuff had come out that I was going to have my own plan to work out. I had stayed in communication with the coaching staff the entire offseason about any little nuances or changes that were coming with the defense. But I had been enjoying training on my own and felt that was important. The coaches were receptive of it, and I feel like it’s shown over the past couple days that I’m still in shape and not missing a beat at all.”
Byard began training in mid-February shortly after the Super Bowl with his own personal trainer. He quickly ramped his conditioning level up and didn’t want to take a step back by joining the team for phase one conditioning work in mid-April.
That plan was something on his mind long before new Titans general manager Ran Carthon approached Byard about taking a pay cut this spring.
“I guarantee I will not be the last player or the first player they will come to about taking a pay cut,” Byard said. “I felt like it was very important for myself to come here and be a leader. Be the person I’ve always been: making plays, communicating and things like that. And that’s the person I’m always going to be.”
Byard says he remained in constant communication with his coaches and teammates during his absence and didn’t feel like he was behind physically or mentally on the field this week. He plans to return to his personal training regimen leading up until the start of training camp in late July.
The eight-year pro says he’s leaving all contract discussions between his agent and the organization, choosing to focus only on the things he can control. Right now, Byard’s goal remains to be a great player and leader for the Titans this season and hopefully beyond.
“I didn’t want to make (the contract talks) a story,” Byard said. “Because it’s really not a thing in my mind. Every single day I wake up in the morning with gratitude and I just want to be the best player and best person I can possibly be because that’s the only thing I can focus on.”
