Friday, November 6, 2009
First off, did you see the Titans game last Sunday? A heavy weight was lifted as we put a mark in the win column, and it felt great to finally put 60 minutes of play together for a victory. I thought this season was going to be much different than it has been – and I know many players and fans felt the same. After some should’ve-been wins, some close losses, many injuries, an unimaginable snow game and every other reason in the book, we were able to piece together a game on all sides of the ball. I’m not sure what the answer was, but I know it was a much better feeling as November rolled into town. September and October were tough months of football in Tennessee – the kind I hope we don't ever see again – but through all the adversity, we knew we were a better team than our record showed. We went out and played the Jaguars with everything we had.
On offense, Vince stepped in and managed the game well. It was a big game for him, and he did what he had to, regardless of any added pressure. The offensive line opened gaps and blocked well for Chris Johnson, who set a new franchise rushing record, and the receivers caught everything thrown their way. On defense, Cortland Finnegan and Vincent Fuller got back into action after sitting the past few games out from injury. Rod Hood also used his past experience as he started at cornerback opposite Cortland. The D-line brought constant pressure and collected sacks and quarterback hurries. It was a great game to watch, as the we played this one all the way through. (Of course, we'd have liked to tackle No. 32 two more times before he scored the Jacksonville’s only points on two long runs, but we'll make those corrections and move on to this week’s game in San Francisco.)
For me, it was much the same, yet different again. I did my thing, kicking off and making field goals like usual, but I had a new holder for the night. We picked up Brett Kern off waivers after Denver released him, and he stepped in and did well – after all, we made all three field goal tries and three extra points. Brett is my third holder this year, and I hope it's the last change we have in that position. After just a few days of practicing together, we found a pretty good rhythm. Working with Craig Hentrich for the past 5 years, I was spoiled by possibly the best holder in the NFL, but everything is coming together and the ball is still sailing through the uprights. Plus, Brett stepped in and punted the heck out of the ball! I think he downed three balls inside the 20, and his average was nothing short of impressive. I hope he can string together a lot more games like that and make a name for himself this year.
Each year, we have Titans Tuesdays, where different positions spend time with patients at the hospital. I was joined by a few other players as we took a few hours out of our day off to go around Baptist Hospital and add a little extra to the doctor's orders. We visited with many patients – taking pictures, signing autographs and just talking about whatever was on their minds. It’s always nice to be able to give back to the community and to bring smiles to those people we meet. This is something I've done each of my five years with the Titans and will continue to take part in while playing in Tennessee. Before leaving the hospital, I also try to stop by the prenatal department and visit with the proud new parents and their newborns.
A couple of weeks ago, I spent another Tuesday morning visiting with students at Genesis Academy here in Nashville, a nonprofit school for children in the Nashville metro area, and this day came together under different circumstances than any of my other visits in the community. Genesis founder Terry Adams was sitting in the north endzone during our game against the Houston Texans, and he caught the football I kicked after we scored our first touchdown. It’s not very often that a football I kick makes it way to the stands, but in this case the net was tangled and didn't get raised correctly, allowing the football to fly right into his hands.
After the game, Terry reached out to me and asked if I could sign the ball as a motivational piece for his students to see in a display. I was more than happy to stop by and sign the ball for him, then spend my morning meeting and speaking to many of his students. They made cards and posters for me, and most of them had a question or two before we took a few pictures and got autographs for each of them. It was a meaningful trip for me, because I always like to give back – and there's no better way to do that than to give back to the kids of our community. I hope each of them enjoyed the day as much as I did! It meant a lot to me to see the kids’ reactions and excitement as they walked into the classroom to hang out with me for a little while. I hope I was able to touch their lives and teach them what hard work and determination can do when applied in the right direction.
~RB2
