Sacred Heart's Julius Chestnut is making the kind of noise that turns a backup's role into a household name — at least in Tennessee.
The Titans running back earned AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors for the week of October 18 after playing a pivotal role in Nashville's dramatic 26-20 comeback victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Tennessee had dug itself a 13-0 hole in the first half before rallying for its first win of the season, and Chestnut was central to that turnaround on special teams.
For a program like Sacred Heart — a proud FCS school out of Fairfield, CT, that doesn't routinely flood NFL rosters — a conference-wide weekly award for one of its alums is a genuine milestone. Chestnut's recognition is a reminder that the pipeline from the Northeast's smaller programs to pro football is alive, even if it runs narrow.
The Pioneers' other active NFL alum, offensive tackle J.D. DiRenzo, is on the Carolina Panthers roster, though no notable stats or game activity from the Panthers were recorded in the same window.
For Sacred Heart fans, Chestnut is the story of the week — and it's a good one.
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