Tennessee Titans fifth-round pick Fernando Carmona says he's learned and grown from an "embarrassing" incident that happened in Arkansas' 2024 bowl game.
In the 2024 Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Carmona was caught on video stomping on an opponent's ankle after a play. Carmona has since apologized for the incident and answered for it, an answer he rehashed when speaking to local media after being drafted.
"It's somewhere where I had to grow," Carmona said shortly after the Titans selected him No. 142 in the 2026 NFL Draft. "I crossed the line. It's something that was very embarrassing for me, my teammates and my coaches. That's not the kind of player I am at all. It was something I had to grow from and learn how to control my emotions."
Carmona added that he spent the last offseason working hard with "mental coaches" to figure out how to play without getting too high or too low and letting his emotions dictate his experience.
Carmona apologized for the incident shortly after it was publicly released. The incident didn't do much to change the way Carmona was viewed by his Arkansas teammates and coaches. Carmona was a team captain in 2025 and started all 12 games at left guard.
Prior to 2025, Carmona had three years of starting experience at left tackle between San Jose State and Arkansas. He bumped inside in 2025 at the suggestion of coach Sam Pittman.
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X @nicksuss. Subscribe to the Talkin’ Titans newsletter for updates sent directly to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Titans NFL draft pick Fernando Carmona explains Liberty Bowl stomping incident