Raymond Returns to Dual Role on Special Teams

Head injury sustained late in 2019 does not discourage return man from handling punts and kickoffs in 2020.

NASHVILLE – Kalif Raymond took the kind of hit that would make most think twice.

Nevertheless, he has doubled up on return duties for the Tennessee Titans. In Monday’s 2020 season-opener at Denver, the 5-foot-8, 182-pound speedster will field punts and kickoffs.

“This guy’s got a bunch of confidence back there,” special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman said Thursday. “He’s had that great camp. He did it last year.”

Added to the active roster off the practice squad in Week 8, Raymond was the Titans’ kickoff returner for three games until Adam Humphries was injured against Kansas City. Then he took on punts as well and did both until he took a blow to the head on a pass reception late in the Week 16 loss to New Orleans.

ennessee Titans wide receiver Kalif Raymond (14) lays on the field after being hit by New Orleans Saints cornerback Janoris Jenkins (20) and fumbling the ball on a play during the second half at Nissan Stadium :: Christopher Hanewinckel/USA Today Sports

Raymond missed the final game of the regular season and the first week of the playoffs with a concussion but returned to his return duties in the divisional round against Baltimore. At a time when head injuries have caused numerous players to cut short their careers, Raymond admits that once his head cleared, he considered all the possibilities but came to just one conclusion.

“My reason to play kind of oversees anything that kind of happened during that play, because my reason to play is – a lot of it’s for my family, man,” he said during training camp. “It took a lot of people to put me in this position, so my reason to play, my why, I guess everybody says, kind of pushed me past to overlook those.

“To be honest with you, this is a dangerous game. You’re kind of going in with certain risks that you know can happen. Definitely something I'm aware of, just being aware of things like that. Playing style, when to go down, it definitely had me look at some things, but at the end of the day my why kind of pushed me past that.”

Ultimately, the Titans used four different players on punt returns and three on kickoff returns last season. The last time they had one player as their primary kickoff and punt return man was 2017, when Adoreé Jackson did it as a rookie.

Raymond has returned kicks and punts for four different NFL teams, beginning with Denver in 2016. For his career, he has averaged 7.7 yards on 33 punt returns and 21.3 yards on 38 kickoff returns. He has yet to take one back for a touchdown.

“Kalif has earned the right to go back there as a kickoff returner and punt returner,” Aukerman said. “He’s done a great job during training camp. We feel comfortable with him. We’re actually really excited for him to go out there.

“… A guy who’s got the confidence and doesn’t drop the ball, we’re going to give him that opportunity.”