On April 25, 2013, Chance Warmack's name was announced to a large crowd at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. He walked up to the stage in a purple dress shirt under a gray suit and put on a dark blue hat that read "Titans." Warmack became the first guard to be drafted by the Titans in the top 10 overall in 30 years.
More than five years later, Warmack is now a Philadelphia Eagle and will face off against the team that took a chance on him for the first time in his career. His goal is to keep it business as usual.
"If anything, I'm excited just to see some of the guys I was with when I was there," Warmack said. "But nah, I'm just preparing for the game. It's all it is."
Warmack was selected 10th overall as an All-American out of Alabama. He signed a four-year contract and played four seasons with the Titans before joining the Eagles on a one-year deal in March 2017.
Warmack said he is most appreciative of the relationships he created with different coaches and players during his time there. He took a lot of what he learned here to Philadelphia and those experiences only made him better.
"Four years in the organization, it really teaches you a lot," Warmack said. "As a rookie coming out of college, I look back at it now, I've changed so much. I wouldn't change anything. I'm glad that I started there, and it will be really good to see everyone again who is still there and make the most about it."
Warmack's time with the Titans wasn't easy, especially for a top-10 pick. He struggled at his position under high expectations and had to endure two head coaching changes. He also suffered a hand injury in his final year which kept him out of 14 games in 2016.
Warmack said he's been able to handle any difficulties by remaining open-minded, asking questions of older and younger players alike, and just gaining more experience. He learned a lot of those strategies in Tennessee and they helped him become a better player in Philadelphia.
"I guess just to handle the different variables that come out, the different factors that come at you, you can't predict everything that's going to happen," Warmack said. "You just control what you can control and do the best that you can. Don't be so hard on yourself, know that everybody messes up, and you can always grow from your mistakes."
Warmack said the Titans' offense has changed so much under new head coach Mike Vrabel that he cannot give a good scouting report of how it will operate. However, he did play with Marcus Mariota in the young quarterback's first two years in the league and believes he will challenge the Eagles' defense on Sunday.
"Obviously, he's very athletic. He can read coverages just as well as anybody. He's a very good quarterback in terms of making plays on his own," Warmack said. "He rallies the guys and the guys rally behind him. He's a great leader. And that's just when he was younger, so I can only imagine him now being comfortable in that situation, so it'll be good to see him too so I'm excited."
For his own offense, Warmack liked what he's seen as quarterback Carson Wentz has returned. He expects the offense to get even better as the season goes on. Right now, important weapons are still missing in key positions and Wentz has only just returned. Warmack said there is a lot of football to be played.
For this Sunday's game, Warmack will be able to help break down the key players on a Titans team the Eagles haven't faced since 2014 a little better than his teammates. But he knows it's up to the Eagles as a team to go on the road, play their own style of football, and grind out a win.
"For those who have a good understanding of the personnel there, that's an advantage," Warmack said. "But we play tough teams every week, different coordinators go to different teams, so it's a challenge every week regardless of whether you see them twice a year, or you don't. Just have to attack it the same way and approach it with the same mentality."
