Will Levis, Derrick Henry call out Titans fans for booing Malik Willis
Everything went right for Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback Will Levis in his NFL debut.
The same cannot be said for his teammate Malik Willis, who lost a fumble on Tennessee’s first possession and was booed by fans at Nissan Stadium in Sunday’s 28-23 win over the Atlanta Falcons — something Levis took exception with.
“Malik, that really left a sour taste in all of our mouths when we were hearing those boos when he was coming on the field,” Levis said, via Titans team reporter Jim Wyatt. “We’ve got to know that he’s going to be a big part of us going forward to win games, so let’s just come correct next time as fans and treat him correctly.”
Levis wasn’t the only Titans player to voice his frustration with the way Willis was treated. Running back Derrick Henry, who’s typically a man of few words, gave a minute-and-a-half response to reporters about why it was unfair to boo Willis.
“I understand fans are frustrated when we lose and it’s not going the way we all planned, but we’re all frustrated,” Henry said. “Nobody wants to win more than we do as players. … It doesn’t help being booed when you’re just trying to go in there and make a play.”
Receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who had 128 yards and three touchdowns on Sunday, also said he didn’t appreciate the fans jeering Willis, stating it was not something he expected to see when he signed with the Titans in the offseason.
Willis didn’t attempt a pass against the Falcons, but he ran it two times for four yards and had the lost fumble. He’s played in just two games this season, completing four of five passes for 74 yards and rushing five times for 21 yards.
Willis has six turnovers in nine games over two seasons. He’s fumbled four times and lost three of them.
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