NASHVILLE, Tenn. —Brice McCain has played seven seasons in the NFL, and been around thousands of players and coaches.
One man has stood out: Dick LeBeau.
"He is a good coach, and he is smart. He has a good vibe to him,'' McCain said of LeBeau on Wednesday. "He makes you want to run through a brick wall for him."
McCain, a defensive back who has played 100 games during his NFL career with Houston (2009-13), Pittsburgh (2014) and Miami (2015), signed with the Titans on Wednesday. McCain (5-9, 190) has nine career interceptions.
When McCain played in LeBeau's defense in Pittsburgh he registered three interceptions and 25 tackles in 14 games, including nine starts. LeBeau joined the Titans in 2015, and he'll serve as assistant head coach/defensive coordinator in 2016 under coach Mike Mularkey.
"With coach LeBeau, it is very stress-free,'' McCain said. "You know what you are going to get. He breaks everything down for you, and you know why he is calling what he is calling, and it makes you play faster because you know what is going on.
"Him being here, it was a big influence. Playing for him before, I know how good the defense can be and I want to be a part of it. I learned a lot from him. I think it was a good fit here because I have a lot of history with coach LeBeau, and he is a great guy. I had a very exciting and productive year with him in Pittsburgh. I think it was a good fit for me, and with coach Mularkey."
With the Dolphins, McCain played in 14 games with 11 starts in 2015. He totaled 39 tackles, eight passes defensed and one interception. Prior to joining the Dolphins and before his year in Pittsburgh, McCain spent five seasons with the Houston Texans after being drafted by the franchise in the sixth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He was a three-year starter at the University of Utah.
As a member of the Texans, McCain returned an interception 38 yards for a touchdown in a game against the Titans at Nissan Stadium in 2011.
McCain has experience playing on the inside and the outside, but he's expected to compete at the nickel position inside for the Titans. McCain previously visited the Buccaneers, and had another visit lined up before deciding to sign with the Titans.
"(I've played) mostly inside, but I could play outside as well. Whatever they want me to, I'll do it. But right now they really like me inside, like a lot of teams do,'' McCain said. "I am the kind of guy who can do it all. I want to be remembered as one of the best to play in the slot position. I pride myself as being the best in there. Right now I am the nickel, but there is nothing wrong with competing.
"But right now I am focusing on getting back together with coach LeBeau and learning the playbook again."
In addition to LeBeau and Mularkey, McCain met with general manager Jon Robinson and the rest of the team's defensive coaching staff, including secondary coach Deshea Townsend and assistant secondary coach Steve Jackson during his visit.
He's looking forward to meeting his teammates in the near future. He's very familiar with many of them, including Pro Bowl defensive lineman Jurrell Casey and linebacker Brian Orakpo.
Jason McCourty and Perrish Cox return for the Titans in the secondary, along with Blidi Wreh-Wilson and Cody Riggs, among others.
"I see a lot of them on film all the time,'' McCain said. "Casey catches my eye, chasing down a screen or making a play. He is so versatile. And Orakpo, I've seen him since he played (in college) at Texas. He can come off the edge and as a cornerback that's what you want, you want someone to come off the edge to make the quarterback step up and throw it faster than he wants to throw it.
"I know there's a good quarterback here, which is nice, and I like what I hear about the guys. There's a good vibe here. And I like what coach Mularkey is preaching. He is a family guy, and that is first before anything. If you are a family you are more comfortable, you win more games."
