NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Things won't get any easier for the Tennessee Titans. After traveling to Jacksonville to face the Jaguars, the Titans play host to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, Fox). It's always special facing the reigning champions, but for tight end Jonnu Smith, this week's game has added meaning.

Smith grew up an Eagles fan in Philadelphia before he moved to Ocala, Florida, when he was in 10th grade.

"I loved the Eagles," Smith said. "Brian Dawkins, James Thrash, Freddie Mitchell, Brian Westbrook. Man, that defense was stacked. Lito Sheppard, Duce Staley, Jevon Kearse ... who else was on that team? Jeremiah Trotter, Michael Lewis, that was my squad."

Smith grew up in the Germantown area of Philadelphia also known as "Uptown" and spent a lot of time at his grandmother's house in North Philly. He is the youngest of six children raised by his mother, Karen.

Smith said his family didn't have a lot, but being raised in those circumstances made him the man he is today.

"When you're young, you think it's normal," he said. "We lived in a crazy neighborhood, rough. Some kids didn't eat at night or had to wear the same thing for days. We got what we got, it was minimal, but it was more than most kids had.

"My story could be a horror story to some people, but it could be a fairy tale to others. I don't try to make it seem like I had it the worst growing up. It was normal to me, but it made me a lot more humble and grateful."

Losing a parent

Smith experienced his first exposure to tragedy when he was 4 years old. Former Philadelphia mayor John Street initiated a campaign to get abandoned vehicles off the streets. Smith's father, Wayne, was a tow truck driver attempting to tow one of the abandoned cars when it accidentally slid and crushed him.

The devastating turn of events deprived Jonnu of his father and left his mother to shoulder the responsibilities of both parents.

Said Smith: "I didn't really have that man to tell me no or get into me when I needed it. There were some things I got into, but they probably wouldn't have happened if I had a man around because I would have been more fearful. I wasn't the worst kid, but I hung out with bad kids. My mom, she raised us with morals."

Even though he started playing Pop Warner football when he was 5 years old, Smith never took to any of his coaches as a father figure. Fortunately for Smith, he moved to Florida to live with his Aunt Daria and her husband, Mike Kirkland.

The decision to move south came after tragedy once again found its way into Smith's life as the violence in Philadelphia seemed to be escalating. According to information provided by the Philadelphia Police Department, 306 homicides occurred in the city in 2010.

Two of those homicides hit home for Smith.

Moving to Ocala

"It got really rough when I was, like, 14 years old," Smith said. "During the summer of 2010, Philly got out of pocket. My brother had gotten locked up. He was charged with a homicide. The money that my mother had was used to get my brother a lawyer. At the same time, one of my friends got killed. This all happened in about a month's time. My sister's boyfriend, he lived next door to us. He was like family, and he got killed. My mom wanted to send me to Ocala. That was my chance to get up out of there."

"My story could be a horror story to some people, but it could be a fairy tale to others." Titans tight end Jonnu Smith on being raised in Philadelphia

Smith's relocation from Philadelphia to Florida wasn't quite the same as that of Will Smith's character on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," who moved from West Philadelphia to California. However, it was still an upgrade over his previous environment.

In Ocala, his aunt and uncle made sure he had everything he needed. Smith's Uncle Mike became the male role model that was lacking early in his life.

The relocation happened when Smith was a sophomore at New Media Technology Charter School in Philadelphia. New Media didn't have a football team, but it was the school Smith's mother wanted him to attend because it provided a better academic situation.

"I was mad because my mom didn't let me go to a school that had a football team," he said. "She didn't really see my vision and wanted me to go to a school that was decent. I always loved football. That was my thing, and everybody knew that."

No escaping the violence

Smith started playing football for Ocala's West Port High School and earned a scholarship to Florida International University. Former FIU head coach Ron Turner was the only Division I coach to give him an offer. Smith committed after going on a visit before his senior year.

Smith started as a 17-year-old freshman for FIU in 2013, and his best friend from Philadelphia, William "Quasim" Jefferson, took the train to visit him. They remained close even after Smith moved to Florida, and the visits to FIU were a getaway of sorts for Quasim.

"He was getting shot at in Philly, and he'd call me to say he was coming to see me," Smith said. "Quasim used to stay for months. Some of the students thought he [attended FIU]."

One of the last things Smith told his friend was that he had a son on the way. Smith got a call from his mother a week later, in October 2016, after FIU's first win of his senior year.

"I probably wasn't an hour out of the locker room," Smith said. "I was celebrating the win with my homies, and that's when my mom called me to tell me he got killed."

Smith's son was born March 2017. His first name is Jaiyen, and his middle name is Quasim.

A new chapter

Smith finished his FIU career with 178 receptions for 2,001 yards and 18 touchdowns. He drew comparisons to Titans tight end Delanie Walker before the 2017 draft. Titans general manager Jon Robinson and the Titans selected Smith in the third round (No. 100 overall).

"We spent quite a bit of time with Jonnu when he came out of Florida International," Robinson said. "He had gone through some things in his personal life yet still worked hard to be a good student, a good football player and, most importantly, a good person. Jonnu continues to be a hard worker, football is important to him, his teammates are important to him ... and he still embodies the characteristics we liked so much about him when we drafted him."

Smith caught 18 passes for 157 yards and two TDs as a rookie. A season-ending injury suffered by Walker in Week 1 against Miami has thrust Smith into a more prominent role in his second season. He has two catches on five targets through Week 3 but is expected to become a bigger contributor.

Giving back to his family

The four-year, $3.10 million contract Smith signed as a rookie helps him ensure that his family won't experience the hardship they endured in the past. Doing right by each other is one of the lessons he learned growing up.

"We had family members' houses we stayed over [at]," he said. "I mean, we struggled, but we made do. My mom, she made us go [stay with family] while she stayed in the house with no hot water or heat. She stayed there. I don't know how she did it. As I look back on it, it makes me feel good to be able to do what I can for my family. My son, my nephews and nieces will never have to experience what I did at times."

Although Smith spent a good part of his life in Florida and now resides in Nashville, he has remained a Philly guy at heart. It wasn't just the Eagles who got hyped before games by listening to Philly artist Meek Mill.

Mill's song "Dreams and Nightmares" got national recognition because it was the pregame anthem for the Eagles during their improbable Super Bowl run last season. The connection runs a bit deeper for Smith.

"The reason why I like him so much is because everything he talks about I can relate to. That dude, I have to run into him. We are both from Philly," Smith said. "The way he relays his message, man, I've seen him battle rapping on the corner of my grandmom's block. I saw him grow up on the same streets that I grew up. I was in middle school when he was in the streets battle rapping. I have a lot of respect for that dude."

Life is good for Smith, and Sunday's game will be his first opportunity to play against the team he rooted for as a child. But what he's most excited about is fatherhood.

"I don't remember calling anybody dad," he said. "When I can hear my son call me that, it's going to really hit me. Don't get me wrong, when my dad was alive, he was a father, but I lost him at a young age, so I didn't really get to experience that. To be able to give my son what I didn't get to fully experience means a lot to me."