Tennessee Titans wide receiver Bryce Oliver (80) is tackled by Minnesota Vikings cornerback Shaquill Griffin (1) after catching a pass during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Amis)

After a record-breaking final season at Youngstown State in 2023, Bryce Oliver went to work in pursuit of a long-time dream — a career in the NFL.

Despite going undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Penguins alum was offered an undrafted free agent contract with the Tennessee Titans and he made the most of his opportunity, having just completed his first season in the league.

“It’s a blessing, man. It’s a blessing just to be able to get those reps under your belt and just to see how the game is played, to see how guys operate and how guys play, and to get the whole flow of the game down,” Oliver said in a phone interview. “When I come back for OTAs next year, God willing, it’ll be nothing unfamiliar. I’ll have multiple game reps under my belt, so I won’t be shocked by anything I see. I’ll be a little more seasoned than I came in last year.”

Oliver had his options after the draft, receiving UDFA offers from the Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New England Patriots, in addition to the Titans.

But for him, the Titans stood out because of the veteran receivers that the team had at the time, including Calvin Ridley and DeAndre Hopkins, and due to his familiarity with the team’s former general manager Ran Carthon.

“I had guys I knew on the team already, with Calvin Ridley being another South Florida native I could look up to, then just being able to compete with guys like DeAndre who was here at the time,” Oliver said. “Being able to be led by those two leaders would be the ultimate blessing. That’s ultimately why I chose to come to Tennessee, because I wanted to be able to compete with the best of the best and be able to learn under those guys as well.”

After signing the deal with the Titans, Oliver reported to rookie minicamp in mid May, where he received his first taste of life in the NFL.

Organized team activities (OTAs) then progressed throughout the summer and culminated with mandatory minicamp in June, before training camp began at the end of July.

It was a whirlwind experience for Oliver, as he slowly began to acclimate himself to the next level.

“It was very difficult — it’s a big learning curve from college to being a professional,” Oliver said. “The playbook is tremendously bigger than my one in college, even though some of the terms and stuff are similar, the depth of the playbook is way more. The details are much more spot on. In the NFL, you have less room for error.”

While Oliver went through drills and received reps on offense at receiver, the Titans’ coaching staff also tried him out on special teams, despite not having had much experience there previously.

“It’s good to be uncomfortable,” Oliver said. “I put myself in very uncomfortable situations with doing some of the special teams stuff that I really wasn’t accustomed to doing when I was in college just because Coach (Doug Phillips) never really had me on special teams.”

By the end of training camp, Oliver had the chance to showcase himself during the Titans’ preseason.

In three preseason games, he had eight receptions for 90 yards and two touchdowns. In the final preseason game against the Saints, his 5-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Malik Willis in the final minutes proved to be the game-winner for the Titans.

But Oliver’s strong showing during the preseason games was just representative of how he had captured the attention of the coaches and scouts during camp.

He picked things up quickly, steadily improved and demonstrated consistency during camp to the point where he was right on the cusp of possibly earning a spot on the Titans’ 53-man final active roster, according to multiple media reports on the team’s training camp.

By the end of training camp and preseason, the waiting game for Oliver began.

“I was actually very nervous because I was one of the last people they brought in,” Oliver said. “So I was thinking the whole time that I had made the 53.”

On deadline day, the Titans waived Oliver, but almost immediately, they signed him to the practice squad.

“They called me in and told me to bring my iPad, so I was thinking the worst at that point,” Oliver said. “I felt like I played very well in the preseason games and was doing well in practices, so I wasn’t really mad. I was sure I had played well enough to at least make the practice squad.”

Oliver spent the first half of the season on the Titans’ practice squad, where he bided his time, waiting for his opportunity.

The day before Tennessee’s Week 9 game against the Patriots, Oliver finally got the call, as he was promoted to the Titans’ active roster.

“At that point, it was just all about taking advantage of my opportunity,” Oliver said. “I knew that most of my role was going to be on special teams, and I just tried to take pride in that. This is how I’m going to be able to stay on the 53-man roster.”

Oliver spent the rest of the regular season on the Titans’ active roster, hauling in six receptions for 95 yards and tallying five tackles and three kickoff returns for 113 yards on special teams.

“It’s just about the opportunities you’re given,” Oliver said. “You want to use them all, you don’t want to leave no stones unturned.”

Now that his season is over, Oliver has already set his sights on trying to keep his place on Tennessee’s 53-man roster for next season.

“Every year, I want to have the same approach I did when I was coming in as a rookie,” Oliver said. “I want to make the 53-man roster. Ultimately, I want to have a pivotal role on this team, whether it’s being on special teams or whether that’s being a starter on offense as a receiver. It really doesn’t matter, I just want to be able to contribute.”