The OTP | OTAs Report

in Montana and I actually officiated their ceremony. That's right, I married somebody and they're still married as we record this edition of the OTP. It is still married, and it is still legal as far as we'd know. But really had a great time at that and that was a very special experience for our family. Told them, and I was missing football practice, this better be important. Of course, a wedding is kind of important, so even a destination wedding.

And while we were out one night, we were talking about what I do this time of year, because there is an assumption among most people that what most of us on this end do this time of year is nothing. Well, that's probably true. It's not as busy as the season, but it is busy because we're in the process of OTAs right now. We record a lot of things that we will use later in the year because we have access to the players and they're not on as tight

as schedule. And then obviously we watch practice. And one of the people in the wedding party ask me, what do you actually watch it practice? Because I describe OTAs

as Pro Football's answer to spring practice. There's no pads, but it is spring practice like in that you get ten OTAs and then you get a three day mini camp, and I think college football, I think they do fifteen total practices, So it's almost the exact same thing for me when I watched practice, I watch it quite differently from Dave McGinnis because I don't understand all of the schemes and I don't understand all of the techniques and

things like that. Just before we released the last OTP we had the Titans Foundation dinner, and by the way, it went really well. On May the eighteenth, we raised two hundred and fifty five thousand dollars for the Titans Foundation. So a great job to everybody who took part, A great job by our friends at Pinnacle and our friends at farm Bureau were kind enough to be there, and we appreciate Randy Wilmore and everybody, everybody who came out.

One of the neat parts of the night was John Robinson showed the crowd tape of Harold Landry when he was at Boston College. Because I asked him, I said, what do you watch on tape? And how is it different? And then how we watch a practice or we watch a game, And he showed six plays that really illustrated the difference in what he's looking for and what we're watching while we just basically watch a game and watch the ball. So those are things in practice I don't

watch because I don't know to watch that. I don't understand how all of that works. I'm doing basic things. The main reason that I go to practice is to learn players names and numbers and their body types, so that recognition is the most important thing. You say, well, that's essentially a memorization game. It is. I actually play memorization games when I prepare for broadcast, because the most important thing that I tell you on Titan's Radio is

who does what and who handles the ball? And being able to identify people quickly is the number one thing, And you say, well, that's kind of basic, but it's pretty much a basic job if you get down to it. So I go to practice because I want to see who's playing what position, who's starting, who's getting used in different packages. When they go three tight ends, when they go five defensive backs, when they put two backs in the backfields, or go four wides, what does that look like.

And you're just reinforcing the names and the numbers for the quick recognition and the body type thing too is a big thing because I could see from having watched practice day after day certain players and recognize them immediately from what they look like in their pads. So that's number one. And I know that doesn't sound very exciting, but that's the job, you know, That's the number one

part of the job. The other thing that I try to do is I try to watch a specific position group, and I've spent several of the days that I've gotten to watch practice really focusing on tight ends. I think tight end is a position that took a step back last year from twenty twenty, and I I think that factored in the offense taking a step backwards and statistically Ryan Tannehill taking a step backwards Jeff Swain did just fine. Anthony Ferkser did not develop the way the Titans hoped,

Michael Pruett and Tommy Hudson got hurt. And I really believe the departure of John U. Smith because of all these other things showed up more than maybe even I thought it would entering last year. And so I've been really interested to watch this twenty twenty two group because, ay, I wanted to see Austin Hooper. You know, he went to Pro Bowls with the Falcons, he played two years

for Cleveland. The Titans bring him in and you feel like Austin Hooper can give the Titans that tight end who can stay on the field in any situation because he can and will block, and he can certainly catch. He'll be a huge help on third down. He'll be a huge help in the red zone. And the point about Austin Hooper two is he's big. This is a big, big guy. This is not an undersized tight end. This

is somebody who gives you a formidable nature. Ashley Farrell yesterday at practice referred to him size wise like Anthony Fasano that you remember who played for the Titans. After being a Miami Dolphin and a Dallas Cowboy. Size is a big factor at tight end, and Swain is a good sized guy. Austin Hooper is bigger, and so Swam continues to do nice things. I think the Titans were right to bring him back again, a good player, certainly

as part of a group. Jeff Swain. Tommy Hudson has been back and it's good to see him getting some work. Briley Moore was the player out of Kansas State last year in training camp, second day of practice towards ACL was lost for the year, so you're wondering what he may be able to give. Thomas Odou Koya from Eastern Michigan is the Titans international player. He's originally from the Netherlands. He's got a long way to go to kind of

figure out how this thing sort of works. He had a couple of fumbles in practice yesterday, but again, you know he's a player getting a shot. And we'll see. The guy who intrigues everybody in the group is Chigaconquo. Now we got a guy who works here in the office who's a Maryland graduate and he was like, oh, Chicka Cockquo got a draft Chickacoquo Chigacquo maybe the steel of this draft class in the fourth round, in large part because he didn't play in twenty twenty and he's

the fastest tight end in this draft. He had a nice year. If he had put together two or three good years in a row, then I think he would have gone a lot higher. But he comes back. He has a good year at Maryland. He runs four five two. He's built a lot like John U. Smith. He's not the biggest tight end, he's roughly two hundred and forty pounds, but he can really really run. And the myocarditis which sidelined him for all of twenty twenty, has totally cleared up,

and so everything is good to go. And he has been fun to watch at this point for his athleticism. Much like Malik Willis is fun to watch, Chicka Coquo has been fun to watch. Is he doing everything right? Probably not. Is he ready to take on a massive load, probably not. He's a rookie, but he is really really

talented and he gives them a different element. I had a chance to visit with Chickacoquo a few days ago, talking about what he went through in twenty twenty and talking to him about what it means to be a Tennessee Titan. He has said he thinks this is a great fit for him. Let's listen to my conversation with Chickacock two years ago. Did you think did he sitting here? Did I did? In spite of the my carditis and everything you were going through, you still believe? I always knew.

I just kept my faith and I always knew I would come through. I know God would have let me down and I was gonna make it through. How scary was that? Oh, it was very scary, you know, just sitting there just not knowing like what the future holds. But it's just it really helped me back then, just keeping my faith and just keep knowing that like just keep going, just keep going, keep believing that you're gonna

get back. And then ended up getting back and got to have got to play my senior year with all my teammates, make a lot of great memories, lead that team, you know, to our first Bowl game in like six years. So, yeah, that year is very special for me. I was very happy about it. What's the most important thing you learned from that experience? The most important thing I learned from that is don't take you don't take life for granted, because it was like having that happen, just everything was

taken away in the moment like that. And then when I got back, every single day I lived was like, I want to live this day fully because I don't know if it'll be the last time I'm playing football, because I remember when it happen and I would think back, I was like, wow, what if the last time I put those pads on was the last time I put those pads on? So for me, it was just don't take nothing for granted, to live every day to the fullest and make every moment count. Your faith got you

through it. Where they're specific people that also helped to get you through it. Yeah, definitely my teammates, my close teammates definitely encouraged me. My family, those guys, my coaches, everybody was always encouraging me to just, you know, just keep my head on straight and just keep going. And I don't stop believing. Why did you come back actually a better football player? Like what I said before, like just not taking anything for granted. I felt like I

had to catch up. If I had to catch up, I had a lot of stuff to do. You know, I lost a whole entire year. You know, that's a lot of That's a whole entire year of film. So for me, it was just like catch up. I took everything. That's when I start taking everything extremely serious, like film practice, the way I worked out, the way I took care of my body, all those things. I took it extremely serious, just knowing like, because you can be in great health.

I was in one hundred percent great health. I was, you know, young, twenty year old, complete great health, and out of nowhere I got my acarditis. Is it more fun now? It is more fun now? It is more fun now from the standpoint that you think back to when you were seven and you think about what you went through and now is it that same feeling? Do you feel that again? Do you recapture that in a way. Yeah, That's that's why I say what I was talking to my family about, it feels like it feels like when

I first started playing football again. It's like when I first played football, that was probably the most fun I've ever had in my life. And then you know, when you're going through all the stress of you know, high school, worrying about getting offers in college or worrying about getting into the NFL. But now that I'm here, it's like I feel like a kid again, Like I get to really enjoy football for what it is, but just just football. What are Titans fans gonna see when they see you

on the field. Oh, they're gonna see a lot of energy, a lot of energy, a lot of fun. I'm always gonna be smiling. Oh, they're gonna see a lot of energy. I'm gonna see a hard worker, super tough guy. When I get the ball, I don't want to go down. I want to punish people. So they're gonna feel like we're gonna have a lot of fun together. Why did you feel like the Titans were eight spot for you? Honestly,

it's so close to home for me. And then it's like the fan base was was awesome when when when I got drafted, they were just awesome the way they like reached out and like they were just congratulating me and just welcome me in. So that and so close to home. And honestly, the role I can I can play on this team, I feel like that's also a big thing. I feel like, can I can help this team a lot with the role that I'm bringing to the offense. And you have a couple of connections with

the draft class. Yeah, Chance Campbell played with you at Maryland before he went to Old miss. What kind of player is he? Oh, man, he's a dog. He's a dog, I tell you, Like, he's relentless, he's he's a very smart football player. Like wherever the ball is, he's gonna be. He's gonna be flying around with his hair and fire. He's a dog. And did you know Malik Willis in high school? Yeah? I did when he was so he was really close. He went to Roswell. We played in

the same classification. We actually played as his team in the playoffs one year. And yeah, so I remember him from back then. I remember they went to a state championship again his grace, and I remember that's when I really started taking notice and I was like, Oh, this guy is really good. Chickaca Quo one of the rookies Titans fans are most excited about. F obvious reasons. Back to what I watched in practice. Always watched the new guys.

Titan's got a new guy yesterday, Juwan Greene, wide receiver who's been on the Falcons practice squad and was on Detroit's practice squad for a short period of time. Played his college football at Albany for the Great Danes wide receiver. We'll see what he's able to do. I've been watching Aja Moore, the safety from Houston. He has shown up some and certainly we feel like he'll show up a lot more in pads because that's what he's known for.

Justin Lawler and outside linebackers a player I'm really intrigued by. Justin Lawler went to SMU. Good pass rusher at SMU. He's six four, two sixty five is really good size. He's drafted by the Rams late in eighteen, and he's part of their plan in eighteen and he actually played an all night team games including the Super Bowl, and so they're thinking going into nineteen he's going to take a bigger role. Well, then he starts having foot problems.

Breaks his foot I think three total times miss nineteen and twenty. Came back last year, made the team. The Rams are excited to have him. Starts the season Week two, they're playing Indianapolis. He breaks his hand. He needs surgery and he spends more or less the rest of the year on the practice squad. So you watch a guy like Lawlor who has potential and you say, man, could he be that fourth or fifth outside linebacker that plays teams? I don't know. We'll see, but staying healthy will obviously

be his trick. Jamarco Jones in the offensive line, the free agent from Seattle, is he going to have a chance to be the left guard to take Roger Saffold's place. He certainly is an experienced looking player that you see and when you see him get work, you're like, okay, he can do it. Now we'll see. Is he able to win that job? I don't think an Aaron Brewer is going to give that up easily. I don't know. You know, is Raidens going to move to left guard

Dylan Raidens? Or is he going to play right tackle? Nicholas petit Frere the third round pick? Does he end up dropping in there? But Jamarco Jones certainly going to be part of the conversation. The other guy that's really gotten me peaked though, is DeMarcus Walker. Now, DeMarcus Walker is a defensive lineman. He's from Jacksonville. He originally committed to Alabama and then he flipped and went to Florida's State, has a great career in Florida State. Second round pick

of Denver. He goes to Denver and they try to make him a stand up outside linebacker. Oh that didn't work. I mean, he did very little his first two years. And then you know when Vic Fangio gets a hold of him, Vic Fangio says, Okay, you're going back in the defensive line, putting your hand in the ground. And the thing about DeMarcus Walker is he is similar in terms of what he has done the last three years, not just two years in Denver, but also last season

with Houston. He played well for the Texans a year ago and he can line up anywhere. So with the Broncos, once they got him moved around again, he started making plays. He had four sacks one year, four and a half sax another year. But it's that Denico Autry thing about hey, we're playing this opponent, we need you to line up here. We're in this game situation, we need you to line

up here. That's the thing about Denico Autry is so successful and you have DeMarcus Walker now who has done the same thing, and that flexibility was a great thing for the Titans down the stretch last year as they played good defense. So you know, I don't know if any of those guys make the team. I don't know what happens, but you're interested to see how those pieces might fit when we put pads on going to training camp. I'm always interested to when you bring in a rookie

kicker and a rookie putter. That's something that I watched because I try to ascertain do either one of these guys have a legitimate chance to kick in the league. Some years you bring in a kicker and a punter and all they're there to do is take reps off your regular guys so they don't basically burn themselves out. I think the two guys the Titans have in camp both have an unbelievable shot to be in this league

at some point. Ryan Stonehouse, the punter out of Colorado State, averaged forty seven point eight per punt in his career with the Rams. That's the NCAA record, that's his career average. Now you're saying, okay, he kicked in Fort Collins, Colorado, which means he kicked at altitude right, the altitude of Fort Collins, Colorado in case you're wondering, is three hundred feet under a mile, So they are the three hundred feet under a mile high city. Four nine hundred eighty

two is the elevation in Fort Collins. Still pretty good elevation. Here's the stat on Ryan Stonehouse that gets you though. Away from Fort Collins. He averaged forty seven point five per punt, so he averaged three tenths of a yard less on the road than he did at home, So the elevation doesn't matter. Here's the other weird thing about him. These punters today look like defensive ends. They're six five, they're two fifty. There, you know, they're these massive dudes.

Ryan Stonehouse is five ten one ninety three, may not even be quite five ten, but man, what a leg and what hang time? And this guy is This guy is interesting to watch. Speaking of not much size. Caleb Shodac out of Iowa five to seven, one seventy seven. He's the kicker. Stonehouse is the punter. Shodak is the kicker five seven, one seventy seven. Here is a story of perseverance. He waited until his sixth year at Iowa to become their regular kicker. He was the kickoff man.

At one point in year four he was gonna transfer, he was gonna leave, He was going in the transfer portal, and he chose to stay because they finally gave him a scholarship. Last year for the Hawkeys, twenty four of twenty eight on field goals, four of six from fifty plus thirty six of thirty six on pats. Of course, that's just a twenty yard pat. That's not the NFL's thirty three yarder. Nonetheless, still, you know, really, really really

a good kicker who's a good kickoff man. So Stonehouse the punter and shoot Act the kicker are both guys to watch. I don't know if they're gonna have a shot at the jobs here, but you you like what their talent appears to be. Then you're looking at returnees. That's another thing I'm watching at practice. Caleb Farley. I've been saying on radio shows and the different places that I've been that I think he looks great. He's recovered

from his surgery. He certainly, unfortunately, has had this experience. In an interview that you'll hear later that he did with us just recently, he talks about, you know, having to go through some of these processes before and understanding what it's going to take to come back. But you know he has returned and you see the athleticism. He still believes he's the fastest player on the Titans team, and he may be. I mean, this is a guy in the pre draft or run up before some of

the back things came up. He had run in the four twos at nearly six three, two hundred pounds. I mean, he's an unusual athlete. And so if you're up on Farley, I can't tell you that he's better in coverage or that he's better in a back pedal or you know. I do think he makes clear and it would make sense that he has seen his football IQ improve a lot because he's gotten to be meetings and spend time with the d backs and all of those sorts of things.

But what I can tell you is athletically he looks like Caleb Farley and probably to a certain extent, more comfortable than a year ago, staying with returnees and staying in the secondary. Amani Hooker in Wednesday's Ota had just a fabulous practice and continues to improve. When he was drafted in the fourth round, like Chicka co Quo. I referred to him in twenty nineteen as the steel because he was a guy that the Titans had their eye on and most people thought they would have to take

him in the second round. And just because of you know, those weird circumstances that come up there, runs on positions, or you know, not everybody has the same evaluation of a player, and so he falls because of the needs. The Titans got him at number one sixteen overall. This is still twenty three years old, and year he started twelve games, sixty two tackles, a forced fumble, an interception in the playoff game against Cincinnati, seven tackles and an interception.

A Monie Hooker can play, and in year four, I think everybody is really excited to see if he can continue to take the steps just like he has done since he got here. Here's my talk from earlier today with the stealer number thirty seven himself. A Moni had an interesting run up for year four, rookie year kind of learning growing second year of the COVID year twenty twenty, you find a role on the team. You're certainly part

of the defensive package. Last year you become a starter, and now you're one of the established parts of this defense. You're one of the guys that they bring out to talk in front of the media and have all sorts of that presence that comes from being one of the guys.

What's that been like, It's been awesome. I was just talking to my parents, you know, the other day, about about my journey and know how I was saying, like when I was a rookie, like watching Kevin and adoring them come out, you know how you know they're they've been in the league for a while and established and have some years of starting under their belt. And you know, I was like, one day, I'm gonna be at that point, and I just it's gonna take a while. It's gonna

take time. That's gotta be patient. But you know, if I could just learn from guys in front of me and older guys and just take as much as I can, then it's gonna make right now as best as it can.

It's it been an experience almost like college at Iowa. Yeah, I mean that's kind of what I referred to all the time, Like my freshman year, it wasn't you know, it wasn't started special teams kind of played a little bit on defense, and then sophomore year started a couple of games, and then my third year I was the start of the whole year and then I left. So it's kind of like that same kind of routine as

it was in college as well. What's the most important thing that you've learned that you've been able to apply

to get you to this point. I think it's never being satisfied and always always wanted to learn, always being able to take information in whether it's someone doing something negative I can learn from it or a positive thing, and just slowing the game down, and you know, not making it as big as you know they make it seem you know, when you're younger, it seems like it's huge and all this, and then you know when you get here you just kind of have to you know,

I can play at this level. I can't do the certain things that you know I've seen other guys do. So start A twenty twenty one Monny Hooker is the starter at safety opposite Kevin Byard. Here we go. You get hurt, hurt your foot in the Arizona game, You're put on ir. You come back against Buffalo, you have nine tackles, and you force a fumble, and then you miss the Kansas City game, and from there you came back, the defense got better and better. You were a catalyst

in all of that. Take us through that experience for a second. What was it like? You know, like the injury was tough. You know, I always obviously wanted to play the whole season and stuff, but I knew that if I could just get back on the field and fast as possible to help the team, and then from there I would just I didn't want to miss a beat, you know, I didn't want to make it seem like

I missed, you know, five games. I try my best to, you know, stay in the a book and the game plans for the weeks that I wasn't playing, so that when I did come back, I was ready. Why do you and Kevin Byard buying together so well as the safeties. I think we both love ball, We both have a knowledge of the game. We both just compliment each other.

We understood. We talk with each other all the time about like what we want to disguise and what we want to do here, and then you know, we both ball there if we both just make plays, we both just find a way to help the team win. You claim to be the best basketball player on the team. You've claimed that before. I mean, I haven't still be seen the rookies yet, but I'm gonna hold that's okay now. But you and Kevin are like a backcourt in basketball. Yeah,

complimenting one another in that way. Is that a good comparison. Yeah, it's like two point guards out there. It's like literally, like we want to get guys lined up if we can. If someone makes a mistake, we'll well, we'll hopefully we can help them out and communicate and you know, get

guys lined up. And that is kind of how it's like a basketball you know, just making sure that you know, not technically given assists as like passing the ball, but you know we're assisting by you know, giving help to where it needs to be an assistant, by helping guys out. So twenty nineteen, you're on the team, twenty twenty you get a role. Twenty twenty one, you become a starter

and really start to take a bigger role. What's the goal for twenty twenty two to keep improving and continue to you know, be the best player that I can be. I mean, I feel like last year, towards the end of the year, I was just starting to get into a groove. So I just want to make sure that carries over it. I don't want to feel like I missed a beat or when declined to any form of way. I just want to make sure that I keep improving and keep learning. Do you have a more specific personal

goal super Bowl? Honestly, I mean that's I mean, that's personal for me. I mean, even though it's a team goal, but like that's always been a personal goal. One more thing, what was your welcome to the NFL moment? Now that you've had it in the rearview mirror year in year four. I'm always interested to ask this question when a player gets to the age you are, which is still you're still just twenty four, twenty three. Yeah, my birthdays in thirteen days. Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah. For me, I had

a couple like that my my rookie year. But I'd probably say it was Odell Beckham first, the first game of the year. We end up blowing them out, actually, but it was Odell. You had Baker, they had Nick Chubb and I'm and then you have Miles Garrett. I'm watching them. It was crazy. It was pretty sweet playing against Cleveland. YEP, in Cleveland, you forced Baker Mayfield to hold the ball because Gotta Waite got the safety. So that's a Mony Hooker. Best basketball player on the Typhan's

roster according to him. Also excited about the Prince channel on Serious XM Channel one oh five because he's from Minneapolis, so loves the Purple Man himself Prince. A couple of other notes. As we wrap up this edition of the OTP, two players from the two thousand and five draft have retired. Finally, the number sixty five pick in that draft, Frank Gore, who I think is a running back on his way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, he

has decided to give it up. The most impressive high school back that I saw on tape, and I saw when I saw him on tape, I saw sophomore film. That's when I was still covering recruiting. He was a guy who forced Willis mcgaye and others to go ahead and turn pro because they knew that once he came back from his knee injuries, he was going to be the guy at the U. So Frank Gore giving it up the number two fifty pick in the two thousand and five draft, Ryan Fitzpatrick. He was drafted originally at

number two fifty overall by the Saint Louis Rams. Of course, he made, you know, starts for thirty seven NFL teams and probably the Canton Bulldogs and the team in Hammond, Indiana, and all of that. He played with everybody. He played twenty thirteen with the Titans and played some good football on what was not a very good Titans team, a really poor Titans team, to be honest. One of the most interesting players I've ever covered. Went to Harvard, had

a forty eight on his wonderlick. Some guys go to great academic universities and play football, and you meet them and you say, the only reason they went to that great academic university is to play football, that they're kind of you know, this was not one of those guys. This guy is super super smart to the point that it makes him eclectic or eccentric or however. You see him wear all the crazy sunglasses and the shirts and all of the stuff that he does. That is really

who he is. Fitz Magic is really that person. I always liked him lalat very streaky player could get hot and he could go cold. But seventeen years in the National Football League as pick number two fifty, he's made a lot of money. I think he's turned it into a lot more money based on how smart he's been. There's talk that he's going to end up in Amazon as part of not taking care of your packages, but

as part of their Thursday night coverage. I think he may be really really good, really really good, because I think Ryan Fitzpatrick, if he decides to really delve into it, which I think he probably will, I think he will be good based on the fact that he will say something. He will have opinions, he will have comments on things. You probably won't like some of them. You probably will

like some of them, but he will say something. You know, a lot of these former players go into broadcasting and they think that just because they're a former player, they can give you the same lines that they gave you at their press conferences and that that's going to be okay. Unfortunately, I think that's what happened to Drew Brees at NBC. Now. Hopefully as he goes into his next broadcast opportunity, he will do that. But if you look at Tony Romo.

Tony Romo says something, He's given you an opinion, He's given you a thought. He's doing it enthusiastically. He's having a good time. It's not that well. We're gonna take him one at a time, and you know, when it's second and six, you know what you need to do is get six on the next two downs to be able to keep moving the change that doesn't work. You know why was John Madden so great because he was having a good time and he was telling you something.

Why is Dave McGinnis so fabulous on Titan's radio because he does coach mac stuff. It's interesting. I think Fitzpatrick may be really interesting because listen, he's an interesting dude that I've never met anybody like him in my entire life. So if he does go to television, I look forward to watching him. That's the comeback edition of the OTP.

We're gonna have a lot more to come in the coming days as we continue to work through these OTAs towards the mini camps and excited to be back with you, excited to be back in the groove, and headed toward training camp. If you can believe this, As we record this today, we are fourteen weeks away from the first

regular season game on September the eighth. Yeah, I mean it's not that far And I think we're at this point eight weeks away from the very start of training camp when the rookies, the injured players, and the quarterbacks come in. So it is not that far away and we are going to have a lot to do. Thank you to our friends at Farm Bureau Health Plans who reminds you need great healthcare coverage and an affordable price tag like Farm Bureau Health Plans coach you through it.

They've been protecting Tennessee in for seventy five years for Ashley Farrell. I'm Mike Keith, and you have been listening to the team. Welcome to the Big Soo where the legends call never got a nose, our house, fighting for Tennessee, making history. Greenness is meant to be