Tennessee Titans safety Shyheim Carter has been released eight times during his NFL career. But on Sunday, the former Alabama defensive back played in an NFL regular-season game for the first time.

“It was a fun experience,” Carter told Jim Wyatt of the Titans’ official website in the Tennessee locker room this week. “Working so hard, staying down, and just to be able to get this opportunity, having the players and the coaches trust in me to get the job done and for it to be my NFL debut, man, it was fun.”

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It was also emotional, maybe even spiritual, for Carter.

“A lot of guys in the DB room knew this was my first NFL game,” Carter said, “and a lot of guys, they were just saying, like, how happy and how proud they were of me. And, man, it went a long way. A few tears were shed, but, man, it was just so surreal. …

“Just watching God work. Just seeing him unfold everything. It was able to bring tears of joy and just, like, put a big smile on my face seeing him work, seeing him flourish.”

Carter is a member of the Titans’ practice squad. Each NFL team can elevate two members of its practice squad to active status for each game.

Tennessee elevated Carter for Sunday’s game, and he got on the field for 11 defensive snaps and 11 special-teams plays. Carter registered one tackle on special teams in the Titans’ 27-3 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

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Carter understands there’s no guarantee he’ll get another opportunity.

“I’ve been here for the last two years of my career, and it’s just been a grind every day,” Carter said. “I come in to work every day not knowing if I’m going to be elevated, if I’m going to be on the practice squad or if I’m going to be released. I come in with the mindset that I’m being evaluated every day everything I do. Just come in keeping my head down working every day just to be able to get a chance like that. Hopefully, I did some great things, and, hopefully, I created a role on this team and still will be able to create a role.”

Carter came to Alabama as a prep cornerback and, in 50 games and 23 starts with the Crimson Tide, mainly played the star position, a hybrid spot that’s something like a strongside linebacker who can cover wide receivers.

Carter entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie with the New York Jets in 2020. Since then, he’s participated in training camp and preseason games with the Jets, Houston Texans and Tennessee (twice). Carter has been on the practice squads of the Texans and the Atlanta Falcons as well as the Titans.

After the 2020 season, Carter spent the spring as a graduate assistant on the Alabama staff. But in May 2021, he went to Houston’s rookie minicamp as a tryout player, earned a contract with the team and was back in the NFL.

Carter joined Tennessee for the first time on Dec. 30, 2021, as a member of the practice squad. Although the Titans have released him four times since then, Tennessee always has brought back Carter.

The Titans play the Indianapolis Colts at noon CDT Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1