NASHVILLE – Ugo Amadi says it is time to write another story.
Obviously, it won’t be a sequel to You Can’t Go Home Again, the Thomas Wolfe novel published posthumously more than 80 years ago, roughly two years after the author’s death.
The Tennessee Titans’ decision to trade for Amadi brought the 25-year-old defensive back to his hometown and gave him the chance to play on a field he first experienced during his earliest days in the sport. Amadi said he was six years old when he took part in a youth football game at Nissan Stadium, the Titans’ home since 1999.
And unlike George Webber, Wolfe’s fictional protagonist, the locals in this case quickly made it perfectly clear that they could not be happier about Amadi’s return.
“I just couldn’t believe it, you know,” he said when he was informed of the deal. “It’s all happened so fast.
“ …. I was already on the flight to Tennessee [when the deal was announced]. So, when I landed, it was crazy.”
Countless test messages that heralded, “You’re home,” “You’re home,” “You’re home!” greeted him upon his arrival.
So did the reality of his situation after being traded for the second time in fewer than two weeks. The Titans got Amadi from the Philadelphia Eagles, who acquired him in a trade of their own nine days earlier.
Amadi’s first practice with his newest team was the last full workout of training camp. It was two days before the final preseason contest (Saturday against the Arizona Cardinals) and a little more than two weeks before the 2022 opener against the New York Giants.
The first step is to learn the nickel back (aka slot cornerback) position, a clear indication that franchise officials are concerned about Elijah Molden’s ongoing injury issues. Molden was the primary option at that spot a year ago but was hurt in the opening days of camp, returned to action briefly following the preseason opener but soon returned exclusively to rehab work.
At 5-foot-9, 201 pounds, Amadi is built to match up with the shorter, shiftier receivers who typically line up in the slot. Plus, he has experience in that role during his three seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, the team that selected him in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
“Well, you get kind of in a pinch here when guys start going down,” coach Mike Vrabel said. “(Amadi) has played in there. He has experience. I think there’s some physicality that shows up. He triggers in the run game. He’ll blitz.
“… As teams start to trend more to playing with three wide receivers on the field, we have to make sure we have enough of those guys that have played in there.”
Eventually, though, the expectation is that Amadi will expand his role to other parts of the defense. He also can play safety, traditional cornerback and was a heavy contributor on special teams during his time in Seattle.
For his career, he has been credited with 125 tackles, one interception, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery along with 18 tackles on special teams.
“Being able to play multiple positions, … I understand that’s very rare,” Amadi said. “Especially in today’s league, it’s a passing league. You need guys that can cover, can hit, guys who can pick up coverages very fast.
“I definitely have to play catch up. We’ve got a game coming up this week. It’s going to be a lot, but … you’ve just got to flip the page and get ready for a new story.”
The final chapter will be the one when he actually walks through the doors of his home and greets his family.
“It’s actually funny,” Amadi said. “When I landed, I was about to call my mom and my sister but was like, ‘Nah, this is not that type of trip. I’m staying with the team right now until I can get my spot.”
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