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It's good to see Gregg Williams back in the NFL and with the Titans. The passion and knowledge that he brings to the game have made him one of the NFL's top defensive minds for over a decade and should help the Titans make major strides going forward.
I believe everyone deserves a second chance, and Gregg certainly paid his dues after being out of the league for a year. I think it will be therapeutic for him to be back in the league. At the same time, he's going to have to change some of his tactics and prove to players that they can trust him.
I would encourage Gregg to be himself, which means bringing that same edge to the defense he did when the Titans had the NFL's top defense during the 2000 season.
With Gregg, whether you're the defensive captain or the last guy on the totem pole, everyone is going to be held accountable. I think you'll see the Titans play with more of an edge and be more physical. Anybody that plays the Titans will know they're going into a battle. Opponents will know if they don't bring their 'A' game, they're going to get beat. The defense will play with a purpose. That's the mentality Gregg is going to bring to the table.
I think the Titans can use his type of personality and approach on board. I've said all year the Titans' defense played hard, but they didn't play with purpose -- and that's a difference. As defensive guys you have to swarm to the ball. It's all about hustling and swarming like bees, and then it becomes contagious. It's almost like you're racing to get to the ball before the next guy -- after you do your job first. It looks like chaos, but everyone will be disciplined in their assignments and then they'll play fast.
It's about read reaction. That's what Gregg brings to the table. He's proven time and time again that he's one of the best defensive coordinators in the league. He'll bring an aggressive attitude. They'll probably blitz a little bit more, get after the quarterback and make him uncomfortable.
Many of Coach Munchak's coaching moves have involved bringing bigger personalities to the staff. Munchak is more of a calming force and I think the head coach should be that way. But you've got to have some assistant coaches that do the dirty work, the ones who can get after the players. This is a young team that needs that, so I like what Munchak is doing. He's gotten guys that will pay attention to details.
You want a fundamentally sound, aggressive football team that will play smart, study film and play fast. I think that's what Munchak is trying to accomplish, but also get back what they had before when I was there. You can't always recreate exactly what you had, but you can bring back that same type of atmosphere and culture to the practice field and that leads over to games.
I think Gregg's mentality will carry over to the defense. He always told us to be a man of our word and a man of character, but to also have composure. True players stand out when the going gets tough. The real players keep going. You've got to have some leaders on the team to get the other guys going. When things get tough, you have to fight through it. Gregg will find out who his leaders are on the defensive side. He's going to push them, then ultimately they will push their teammates.
It's good to have him back. He's a great guy, a great person who cares about each individual player. He knows the players inside and out and will find the right buttons to push them to become the best they can be, without a doubt.
It's really the perfect situation for Gregg to come back to. He'll have a level of comfort working with a
staff he is familiar with, and it's the best way for him to ease back into the league, gain trust and show again why he is one of the NFL's best at what he does.
*A four-time Pro Bowler, Blaine Bishop retired following the 2002 season, capping an outstanding 10-year NFL playing career. The hard-hitting safety spent nine seasons with the Titans franchise, originally drafted by the Houston Oilers in 1992. Bishop can be heard on the afternoon show, 3HL, weekdays (3-6 p.m., CT) on Nashville's 104.5 The Zone. Follow him on Twitter: @bbishop23
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