How Hines Ward helped an XFL tight end fight for a chance with the Tennessee Titans

Forget football. NFL great Hines Ward wants Alize Mack to be the kind of person who's pleasant on elevators.

Elevator etiquette isn't usually the best way to play your way on to an NFL roster. But Ward knows it's the next step in Mack's five-year journey to make a pro squad.

"In football all we do each and every day is communicate," Ward told The Tennessean. "The head coach calls the play in to the quarterback or the defense. When you’re on the field you’ve got to communicate with your teammates to try to achieve one goal. But also working on your communication skills is doing the little things off the field, too. I said when you get in the elevator, communicate with people in the elevator. Don’t just walk in and look up at the number. Communicate. Say ‘Good morning. Hey. I love your shoes.’ "

Mack is one of seven tight ends competing for a Tennessee Titans roster spot. At times, he's looked like a big, athletic, lock for a job. At others he's fallen into old patterns missing time with injuries that hamper his progress.

But the one thing Mack has that none of the Titans' other tight ends do is extremely recent tape. Mack signed with the Titans in May after playing for Ward last spring in the newly-reestablished XFL, where he caught 28 passes for 238 yards, and the Titans' attention.

"I think when he has a comfort level I see a player that can play fast, has a good skill set and good size," Titans coach Mike Vrabel said of Mack. "We’re just making sure now we’re able to stay on top of him. So he can play that fullback role. Play on the line of scrimmage. Play off the ball. The more that he can stay on top of some of that stuff and play fast, that’s going to help him."

Mack's journey, and his latest chance

From 2019-22, Mack had brief stints with the Saints, Steelers, Chiefs, Lions and Packers but never lasted longer than a few months and never made it past the practice squad. So Mack turned to the XFL.

"When I was in the XFL I just tried to do my job to the best of my ability," Mack said. "Obviously the goal is to get back to the NFL. It was a great opportunity to be able to get 10 games on film and play against some great competition and thankfully it gave me another opportunity."

Ward, the Steeler's all-time leading receiver, raves about Mack's ability. He says he's an ace at creating separation as a route runner. He calls Mack a "plucker" with great hands. He's impressed by Mack's eagerness to play special teams.

But more than that, he's complimentary of Mack's habits. At the beginning of Mack's tenure in San Antonio, he was shy around Ward, barely saying any more than "Yes sir" or "No sir" on the practice field. But as time went on, Mack loosened up and Ward saw the player blossom.

"My motto has always been, ‘You can’t have NFL dreams with playground habits,’" Ward said. "That hit home with him because the approach to the game, the approach to the details of understanding concepts. He was always a big proponent of asking why. I love players that ask why a lot because they want to know. The better they know what you want, the more chances they’re going to have success at what they have to do."

Three weeks into training camp, Mack is showing how those traits manifest themselves. He's taken reps with the first-team offense. He caught a touchdown from second-string quarterback Malik Willis on a deep crossing route. He's played in-line tight end and he's split out wide and he's lined up in the backfield as an H-back and he's played special teams.

But he's also missed every practice since Aug. 4 when he limped off the field, making it tougher for the Titans to evaluate him heading into their first preseason game on Saturday. While he's been hurt, tight ends like rookie Josh Whyle, free agent signee Trevon Wesco and veteran Kevin Rader have been able to take more reps.

The pipeline goes two ways

Mack showed off one of his most distinct habits after practice before his injury. He walked over to the Jugs machine where players practice catching passes, turned around, laid on his back and started catching balls from the ground with his legs hiked up in the air.

Five years into his NFL journey, Mack is doing what it takes to stick. Titans tight ends coach Tony Dews mentioned Mack's NFL experience as a reason why he stands out, but also said the catches he made in the XFL served as a proof-of-concept that he can play. Dews is another guy who says Mack "takes advantage of the opportunities he gets."

But now more than ever, there's a long list of players waiting to take advantage of those opportunities. The XFL and USFL are feeding grounds for the NFL and they know it. Ward said it's his goal for 20% of his roster to leave for NFL opportunities every summer. And when they leave, he never wants them to have to come back not having gotten their chance in the NFL.

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Players are going to come back, though. The DC Defenders of the XFL sent a scout to Titans practice on Aug. 1. When NFL cut day comes on Aug. 29, XFL and USFL teams are going to scour the players available to try to build their rosters and find the next round of guys like Mack.

"Right now we’re setting up our draft boards," Ward said. "We’re looking at the bottom half of every roster just to see who gets cut."

Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on Twitter @nicksuss.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Hines Ward helps XFL player contend for a Tennessee Titans roster spot