Tennessee Titans’ Taylor Lewan: I’m Not a Scumbag

By Cory Buck | Dec 17, 2014

Nov 9, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Tennessee Titans offensive tackle Taylor Lewan (77) is shoved by Baltimore Ravens linebacker Courtney Upshaw (91) in the fourth quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens won 21-7. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports /

Tennessee Titans rookie tackle Taylor Lewan defended himself against public perception following his guilty charge of being drunk and disorderly outside a bar while in college.

With his court case for assault and battery charges concluded, NFL rookie tackle Taylor Lewan knows he can’t change people’s minds, but he also knows what he thinks of himself. He’s not what some have labeled him as and if they want to hold their views, that’s just fine with him. He stands by his account of things and he’s prepared to move on.

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“There is nothing I can do but do the probation, do what’s mandated of me, and do it correctly so that people say, ‘This guy had structure, and he followed the structure and did what he was supposed to do’,” Lewan told The Tennessean following his guilty plea to a drunk and disorderly charge that will put him on probation for the next year.

Lewan faced three charges for misdemeanor assault as well as assault and battery before pleading down. He maintains his innocent, but stands prepared to face the consequences of that night in 2013 when Lewan was accused of hitting a fan outside a bar hours after his Michigan Wolverines lost to the Ohio State Buckeyes.

“My biggest thing is I wanted people to know that I didn’t hit anybody, I didn’t assault anyone,” he said.

Lewan can hardly expect his word to be enough to sway the court of public opinion, and he knows that. He also knows anyone who directly meets him will have a different impression of the Tennessee Titans tackle.

“People are going to have their opinions, and the way I play on the field it is real easy for them to call me a dirtbag or scumbag and stuff like that, and that’s fine. But if you see me out on the street I am going to give you a smile, a handshake, and I am always going to be polite.”

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