Following Tennessee Titans practice on Tuesday, head coach Robert Saleh announced something many had already figured out: rookie Fernando Carmona would be the starter at right guard.
This is the best-case scenario for the Titans, and how he develops will be a significant factor in the offense's success. But what many may not know is that it almost never happened; Carmona had no interest in football; he played tennis, basketball, and volleyball in high school before trying out for football as a Junior.
Fernando Carmona the TENNIS PLAYER never thought he’d be a starting NFL lineman pic.twitter.com/bcnnXeOL0K
— AtoZ Sports Nashville (@AtoZSports) September 1, 2026
“I always told myself, I would never play football at that time,” Carmona said. “It was funny, there was a tennis court right here, and a football field
right there, and every afternoon all of the football players would come to the gate and call him to play with them.”
Now, a few years later, Carmona is a starting NFL guard, known for the nasty streak he developed in college, and will have a chance to grow into a force on the gridiron, not Wimbledon. And his upside from his late start in the game should have fans excited for his future.
This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Titans' Fernando Carmona: From tennis court to NFL starter
