NASHVILLE – Branden Leston’s had to prove himself before. The safety transferred from FCS school Presbyterian to Western Kentucky during his college career and fought to carve out a role on the team.

Leston took over as a starter halfway through the 2014 season and helped the Hilltoppers to Conference USA titles in 2015 and ’16.

Now Leston is trying to prove himself at the next level. He worked out Friday at the Tennessee Titans’ rookie minicamp as one of 27 invited tryout players.

Leston, who tried out last weekend with the Kansas City Chiefs, is trying to break into the NFL the same way he broke into WKU’s starting defense.

“It’s similar to walking on at Western,” Leston told the Daily News. “It’s the same thing.

“Everybody’s got to earn a spot. You’re not given anything. I’m just out here working and giving everything I’ve got every day.”

Leston was an active defensive back for former Topper defensive coordinator Nick Holt. He totaled 255 tackles over his three seasons at WKU, including 96 in each of the last two years.

Leston finished his career with six interceptions – three of which came in the first half of a 2014 win at Marshall.

Some of Leston’s best work came on the Hilltoppers’ special teams units. The Clearwater, Fla., native was honored by Pro Football Focus as an All-American special teamer after the 2016 season.

Leston hopes his special teams work last season under coordinator Tony Levine makes him an asset to an NFL team.

“We had coach Levine, a great special teams coach who taught me a lot,” Leston said. “He was in the NFL. A lot of things we’re doing here are things he taught me.”

Leston and his fellow tryout players are on the field this weekend with nine Tennessee draft picks and 17 other prospects who earned free agent contracts.

Coach Mike Mularkey said the evaluation process for tryout players is about more than what they do just when they’re on the field.

“It’s about the first step they walk in the building to when they walk out at night,” Mularkey said. “We’re going to be watching everything they do. …

“We can get a lot out of this weekend and find out about these guys that are here for tryouts.”

Leston said he’s embracing the process of trying out with the Titans.

“It’s tough,” he said. “Everyone wants to be on the team, everybody wants to play. I’m just doing everything I can to get a spot on one of these teams.”