Baptist Sports Park busy as offseason program begins

 

! Center Leroy Harris gets in his lifting session before joining teammates outside for conditioning drills.

The fact that training camp is still four months away had little bearing on Titans players, who officially returned together at Baptist Sports Park for the first time in over two months. A large contingent arrived early, taking part in weight lifting and on-field conditioning activities with strength and conditioning coach Steve Watterson and his assistant, Jason Novak.

"It's good to be back with my teammates, working toward accomplishing our goal that we didn't get to finish last year," said defensive end Jacob Ford. "I think it's very beneficial — not just the workouts — but the camaraderie and bonding with your teammates."

While not mandatory, over half the team has been training at the facility since the end of the season, according to Watterson. Defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch was the first to report, showing up at 5:15 a.m. on the Monday following Tennessee's playoff loss.

! Strength and conditioning coach Steve Watterson starts his stopwatch as players sprint across the field.

Although off-season training is considered a voluntary program throughout the NFL, the Titans perennially are one of the league's top teams in player participation.  Head coach Jeff Fisher strongly encourages the players to workout at Baptist Sports Park as illustrated by his annual presentation to the team that shows the direct correlation between athletes that achieved a high level of  participation in the off-season training program and their reduction in significant injuries throughout the season.

"We have built it to be a five-day program with the expectation that the players will attend at least four of the sessions," Watterson said. "We're very fortunate and appreciative of the fact that the majority of the team will attend all five days per week."

Monday's time and volume intensive workouts left Watterson impressed.

"There is a certain level of expectation we have of the players when they come in," Watterson said. "From watching the workouts today, it's obvious that all of them have been training to some extent. The players will say it was challenging, but for the most part, they were able to handle the workload and intensity of the day's workout."

While players enjoyed their time off, they said it felt good to get back into the swing of things.

! Conditioning drills make up an important portion of the team's offseason program at Baptist Sports Park.

"I think everybody enjoyed that time, but we know it's important to get back here so we can prepare to have a good season," quarterback Kerry Collins said. "As a starter and a leader of this team, I need to show how we can set the tone and utilize this time to try and get better every day."

Titans players that have been through the program before know first-hand how effective it can be.

"Guys know what we did last off-season got us better, so  hopefully we'll get even better than last year," defensive tackle Tony Brown said. "Everybody has a sour taste in their mouth after what happened in the playoffs, so guys are coming in a little earlier, staying a little longer and it's going to be beneficial."

The off-season program takes on personal meaning for some players, including running back Rafael Little, who missed his entire rookie season in 2008 while recovering from a torn ACL suffered his senior season at Kentucky.

! Pro Bowl defensive backs Cortland Finnegan (left) and Michael Griffin stretch before their run on Monday.

"For me personally, it's very important. Having missed all of last year, I'm just trying to get back to 100 percent so I can at least show off my talent a little bit," Little said. "It's coming along well. I'm in the training room trying to get back to being 100 percent healthy. Training camp is going to be the key for me this year because that will tell me where I'm really at." 

By mid-afternoon, another wave of Titans had reported to the training facility, each arrival being mentally noted by the team's veteran players.

"You can't watch everybody, but the more guys you have, the more guys become accountable and accounted for," Hope said. "People look around and they see an older guy like a Kevin Mawae pushing it to the limit and being here every day in high attendance, and you see what it takes to become a Kevin Mawae, a guy 14 or 15 years in the league with the respect he gets from the rest of his peers. When you have guys like Kyle Vanden Bosch pushing the sled, it's almost impossible for a guy like myself or a younger guy who hasn't done half of the things Kyle's done not want to be a part of it."

! Wide receiver Paul Williams was part of a crowded weight room Monday morning at Baptist Sports Park.

Beyond building team chemistry and camaraderie, Hope said the off-season workouts train players for the physical demands that become more intense as the season draws closer.

"It shows the guys that it's not just going to happen on Sundays," he said. "It's a year-round training program and you've got to continue to build your body and prepare yourself mentally for what's coming up ahead."

It's not hard to tell which players are on board, and which ones aren't, Hope noted.

"This is the time of year when you get an opportunity to weed out the guys who come just to get a checkmark," Hope said. "You find the guys who really want to get better and you group yourself with those guys. It's not a guarantee that you're going to have a great season because you had a great off-season, but it at least starts you in the right direction."

For the Titans, who are looking to get past the divisional round of the playoffs, getting off to a strong start is exactly they'll need to take the next step in 2009.

"It's hard to look too far ahead, but my approach has always been to try to get better each day and hopefully we'll get in that position again where we're in the playoffs," Collins added, "and this time we'll take it a step further and get past that first game, which we haven't been able to do the past couple of years. There's an ultimate goal in mind, but you have to take care of everything each and every day before you get there."

Watterson said he'll continue to use his favorite motto throughout the offseason program: "Those who sweat more in peace bleed less in war."