John Glennon

jglennon@tennessean.com

Titans inside linebacker Wesley Woodyard recorded one of the best statistical seasons of his career in 2015, piling up 110 tackles, five sacks and nine quarterback pressures.

The last time he put up those kinds of numbers, Woodyard lost his starting job the following season.

Such is life for Woodyard, who has always seemed to be — take your pick — underrated or overlooked ever since he was passed over in the 2008 draft.

Woodyard did earn some notoriety last week, however, when the analytics site Pro Football Focus revealed that he posted the highest run-stop percentage of any inside linebacker in the league, edging out Carolina’s three-time All-Pro Luke Kuechly.

PFF explains run stops as tackles that prevent an offensive success (defined as gaining 40 percent of required yardage on first down, 60 percent on second down, and the entire required yardage on third or fourth).

“That was pretty cool to see,” Woodyard said. “But at the end of the day, that’s my job to stop the run and make plays.

“It’s definitely an honor anytime you are No. 1 in a category in the NFL. And anytime you can beat out Luke Kuechly, that’s a huge honor and something I’m going to keep pressing for.”

Woodyard, it should be noted, played only 507 snaps last season, a good bit less than Kuechly (965) and many of the other top-graded linebackers.

Still, the fact that Woodyard finished first in PFF’s run-stop-percentage among inside linebackers — not to mention sixth in run defense and ninth overall among inside linebackers — shows that he was very effective when he was on the field from an analytics standpoint.

“I think he is (underrated),” Titans coach Mike Mularkey said. “I see things about him. (Outsiders) don’t know who he is and what he brings to this team. He is a valuable player on and off the field for this organization.”

Accolades of any nature aren’t likely to swell the head of Woodyard, who originally signed with Denver as an undrafted free agent coming out of Kentucky in 2008. One of the main reasons Woodyard’s always had to deal with doubters is that his 6-foot, 233-pound frame doesn’t fill out a uniform the way other bigger linebackers do.

“I always get overlooked because of my size,” Woodyard said. “That’s the reason I always play with a chip on my shoulder. I have to go out there every year and prove that I belong on the field. To me, that’s the only way to survive in this league, that’s pushing yourself every day and challenging everyone to become better.”

The most recent affront to Woodyard’s pride came at the start of last season, when — coming off a career-best 134 tackles in 2014 — he was replaced in the starting lineup by the younger, bigger and more athletic Zach Brown.

That change lasted just three games, however, as Woodyard returned to the starting lineup following the team’s bye week.

“It was a good example of 'It’s not how you start, but how you finish,'” Woodyard said. “I was able to go in there, and my teammates still believed in me from Week 1 to the final week of the season.

“I always live by this and I always tell the rookies, `Never worry about what you can’t control. Just control what you can control.’ That just means whenever you get your opportunity, shine in your moment and don’t look back.”

Mularkey said Woodyard handled the temporary demotion — which came under former head coach Ken Whisenhunt — like a professional, noting that he maintained the same strong leadership presence that’s helped Woodyard be a team captain in each of his eight seasons.

“He’s the kind of guy who sits in on every special teams meeting, even though he’s not on every special teams (unit),” Mularkey said. “He’s vocal in them. He’ll call guys out if he doesn’t feel like they’re paying attention. He does everything you want in a leader and a guy of his stature you want to do in this locker room.”

The example he sets, it seems, has not been lost on his younger teammates.

“I get to see him work every day, so I get to see the tenacious attitude he brings to the room,” said outside linebacker Deiontrez Mount, readying for his second season. “We know he was a guy that coming into the league was very small, but he’s so resilient — he just keeps battling and battling.

“He keeps proving coaches wrong. Everyone knows that about him and admires that about him.”

Reach John Glennon at 615-259-8262 and on Twitter @glennonsports.