Titans' Jurrell Casey worth his weight in sacks

It is mid-afternoon on Thursday, moments after the Titans have finished practicing, and defensive lineman Jurrell Casey — the AFC's reigning defensive player of the week — is marching through the team's locker room.

Except for the fact that the 6-1, 305-pound Casey really doesn't march. Nor does he strut. It's actually closer to a waddle, with some upper-body jiggling clearly noticeable as he pads his way toward his locker.

That's the funny thing about Casey.

Unlike some of the NFL's other top defensive linemen, Casey's somewhat doughy physique has never called to mind phrases like "carved from granite" or "chiseled in stone." But it seems to matter little on the football field, where Casey produced eight tackles, two sacks, two tackles for loss and a quarterback pressure against Jacksonville last Sunday.

He has four sacks through six games and is on pace to become the first Titans' defensive lineman since Jevon Kearse (2001 and 2002) to post back-to-back season of double-digit sacks.

So why should Casey, who signed a four-year, $36 million extension in the offseason, care that he doesn't necessarily look the part, even if it makes him the occasional target of some good-natured jabs from coaches and teammates?

"When you first look at Jurrell, you don't necessarily think that he would be that productive of a player," Titans coach Ken Whisenunt said. "But from having watched him as an opponent and then having watched him as a guy that's on our team, you just marvel at what he does."

Adds defensive line coach Giff Smith, with a smile: "I think what Casey is is a really good athlete in a bad man's body. That's what I tell him, anyway. But he's definitely what you're looking for, even if not by sight."

Informed of his coaches' comments, Casey just chuckles.

"I laugh at it because I know it's true," Casey said. "I don't hide from it. I know my abilities. I know how I train, so when I see myself, I know they're probably looking at me like, 'What does he do all day? What is going on?'

"That was my problem coming out of college. A lot of guys saw me and they're like, 'There's no way he can be athletic enough to play in this league.' But I took that as a challenge."

Casey acknowledges he's not a huge weight-lifter during the season, steering clear of traditional power-building exercises like the bench-press, the squat and the power clean. He does his heavy weight-training during the offseason, then works on maintaining that strength during the season by working with kettlebells and dumbbells.

"I'm not a big weight-room guy," Casey said. "During the season, you do enough pounding on the field, so there's no reason to come in and pound your body in the weight room also.

"Some people love to lift. Some don't. I'm one of those guys that don't, and it's worked out perfectly fine."

So just how has Casey, who registered 10.5 sacks last season, become of the NFL's better defensive linemen despite a comparative lack of rippling muscles?

Here are a few ways that teammates, coaches and Casey said he gets the best of offensive linemen on Sunday afternoons:

Quick hands: Casey does a great job anticipating where an offensive lineman is going to place his hands and what he plans to do. That makes it easier for him to fend the lineman's hands off and gain an advantage.

"He's very active with his hands," Smith said. "He knows how to set moves up. He does a good job of feeling where the offensive lineman is leaning and where he's weak. A lot of that is through film study and a lot of that is through natural ability."

Athleticism: When the Titans were low on linebackers earlier this season, coach Ken Whisenhunt said he could play Casey at linebacker if needed — and he wasn't joking. Casey is quick to get off the ball and use moves to get past offensive linemen.

"Most guys just rush up the field and have a move while they're on the way up the field," Titans guard Andy Levitre said. "But he'll kind of give you some shake, and for a guy his size, you don't see that very often. He's not your typical defensive lineman in terms of the way he rushes guys. He's very smart, he's very crafty and he's really good with angles."

Adds Smith: "I think he has a good first step …. And off his first step, his conversion to a move is about as quick as anyone I've ever seen."

Balance: Casey's relatively low center of gravity and his small, quick feet mean that he doesn't get knocked off balance very often.

"He really handles himself well in there," Smith said. "You're talking about a 300-pound man that can change directions awfully quick, and you just don't see that too often."

Confidence: Casey is not a very vocal player but that shouldn't be taken as a sign of self-doubt.

"He's not the biggest guy, but his confidence is like a giant," Titans defensive end Kamerion Wimbley said. "I think that translates over into his play."

Added Casey: "That's my big thing. I believe that once I touch that field, I'm the best person out there on the offensive or defensive side. If you don't have that, you're probably 10 steps behind the next man."

Reach John Glennon at 615-259-8262 and on Twitter @glennonsports.

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