NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Inside linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr. is a man on a mission entering his fifth season, and it has shown early on in Tennessee Titans training camp.
Entering his first season in Tennessee, Murray feels he has something to prove after an up-and-down start to his career with the Los Angeles Chargers.
"I'm coming in with the mindset of trying to prove s---," Murray said. "Every time I wake up in the morning, that's what I'm chasing."
The chip on Murray's shoulder was clearly seen in the Titans' fully padded practices last week. Murray joked that he felt "like a kid in a candy shop" because he finally got the chance to "just wreck s---."
Murray has already made quite an impression on his new team. Titans coach Brian Callahan said Murray has made it difficult for the offense to execute some of its plays because of how quickly he's able to diagnose a play and blow it up.
"He's very active, hard to block," Callahan said. "He's really physical. He sees it, and he hits it. We've had some trouble, especially early on."
Murray is the model of what you'd imagine an NFL inside linebacker to be. At 6-foot-2, 241 pounds, he wears his No. 56 jersey with the bottom half tucked into his shoulder pads and meets ball carriers with bad intentions.
The Titans turned to Murray when Azeez Al-Shaair, who led the team with 163 tackles last season, signed a three-year, $34 million deal with the Houston Texans in free agency. Titans general manager Ran Carthon promptly signed Murray to a two-year, $15.5 million contract.
Murray now finds himself in the middle of the Titans defense. He is the guy that defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson wants standing in front of the huddle barking the relayed calls from the sideline to the rest of the players. Wilson told Murray they want to empower him to take a leadership role on the team.
These are the duties for a player who wears the green dot helmet, allowing him to hear the call from the defensive coordinator.
"Every great defense has that guy, and I truly believe I'm here to be that guy," Murray said. "I come in here every day, and I just try to listen more than I speak because it's just a great situation."
Before the snap, Murray can be seen getting other defenders realigned and communicating like a traffic cop on a busy city street during rush hour. Once the ball is snapped, Murray shifts to seek and destroy mode.
"We want him to have the green light," Wilson said. "Cut it loose, play with no fear of making mistakes. See what he sees, believe it and go."
The tenacious style the Titans want Murray to play with has been on display since he stood out at Oklahoma where he finished with 335 tackles (37 for a loss) and nine sacks over three seasons. Murray's 4.52-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine along with a 38-inch vertical and 10-foot-9 broad jump complimented his production, making him a player many NFL scouts thought had immense potential.
The Chargers traded the 37th and 71st overall picks in the 2020 draft to the New England Patriots to select Murray with the 23rd pick. After three seasons, Los Angeles elected not to pick up Murray's fifth-year option, allowing him to become a free agent in March.
The Titans hope to tap into the talent that made Murray one of the top defensive players in his draft class. Eliminating the fear of making mistakes could prove to be the key to unlocking Murray's potential. So far, Murray seems to have gotten the message and feels right at home in Wilson's defense to the point where he's "ready and willing to run through a wall" for his new defensive coordinator.
Murray commended Wilson for having a special way of motivating players and putting them in the best position to make plays. The way Murray is able to blitz and come downhill against the run has him feeling like he can revisit his Oklahoma days.
"A lot of times I'll see something and to [Wilson] it's like, if you see it, go get it and don't even worry about if you f--- it up or stuff like that," Murray said. "I love the way they're calling it so far and look forward to getting better every day."
Opposing teams will try to take advantage of Murray's approach by using misdirection runs to get him out of position to make tackles. They'll also use route combinations to entice him to jump a receiver's route and open a window for the quarterback to fit the ball into for another receiver.
The Titans coaching staff knows they have to get Murray to play fast and with discipline.
"We're not looking for a guy to be a maverick and play out of control," linebacker coach Frank Bush said. "Controlled aggression, taking chances, calculating good chances and just freeing himself to go attack the football and make things happen."
Murray is entering new territory both on and off the field. He has a new team, lives in a new city and got married last month.
But the mission remains the same.
"I just look forward to getting better every day," Murray said. "I want to be the best."