Titans rookies got one hell of a welcome from the NFL

Tennessee Titans receiver Kenny Britt was one of the 2009 draft picks featured in a preseason show called, Hey, Rookie, Welcome to the NFL. The TV show was fine, but it was nothing compared to the real learning experience Britt and his Titans draft classmates went through as the season unfolded.

To say the least, it was an eye-opening welcome, and it goes far beyond Britt's 42 receptions and a team-best 701 receiving yards.

Britt and his fellow rookies had to learn everything in a hurry — from the Titans playbook all the way to how to treat your newfound lucrative career as a professional.

"I learned so much, everything like time management, and the things that I put first in my life, especially coming in from college as a 20-year-old with millions of dollars," Britt says. "All you want to do is have fun. It's like I get out of practice and I want to go play games, or go to the mall and run around, and things like that.

"But you learn fast that that's not going to happen, especially in camp when you've got to learn a whole new system and a whole new offense — the playbook. You've got to be a professional."

The team's first-rounder also learned he had to polish and protect his hottest commodity: himself.

"When you get through with practice, you've got to get in the ice tub and take care of your body. You've got to do this for several weeks, because that's something you don't do in college. You don't go 16 games and then the playoffs," he says. "So I've learned to rest my body and take care of my body."

Britt showed enough for the Titans to believe he has a bright future, and that his upside is high.

"Kenny had a productive year. He's got a long way to go and a lot of room for improvement," Titans coach Jeff Fisher says. "He showed flashes throughout the year of why we drafted him. I think he's got the potential to be a good receiver."

One of the toughest things for any rookie, sometimes even a top draft choice like Britt, is simply getting the opportunity to take that knowledge acquired on the practice field and apply it in game situations. For Britt, the opportunity was readily available. As a first-round pick, he quickly settled in as the Titans' third receiver, but also made six starts — including the season opener at Pittsburgh — because of injuries to Nate Washington and Justin Gage.

As he settled in, Britt says his confidence, and the feeling that he really belonged in the NFL, grew.

"I made enough plays to get my confidence up. I've got coaches that stand behind my back and give me another confidence boost," Britt says. "It lets me know I belong here. Consistency is everything, and that's what I'm going to be working on next year – catching balls and running the right routes, and getting in and out of my breaks."

As simple as that might sound, confidence is one of the key traits the rookies talk about in their evolution process from college standout to professional contributor.

Linebacker Gerald McRath, a fourth-round pick from Southern Miss, saw his confidence grow as he was thrust into the lineup starting five games for an injured David Thornton. It was McRath who sealed the season finale at Seattle for the Titans with a fourth-quarter interception.

"You hate the circumstances that caused you to play, but the experience has allowed me to almost grow up and kind of get your confidence up," McRath says, speaking of injuries to Thornton and Keith Bulluck. "That's the biggest thing. You can practice as much as you want, and it's good — practice makes you better — but getting in the game and actually being able to carry over the stuff in practice is real big for a guy's confidence and self-motivation."

Britt and McRath were the Titans' two biggest contributors as rookies, and they enjoyed their fair share of early success. Not all Tennessee rookies were so fortunate. Especially cornerback Ryan Mouton, a third-round pick, whose tumultuous first season included such lowlights as two fumbled kick returns that cost the Titans a win against the New York Jets, and getting a fiery baptism (along with fellow rookie cornerback Jason McCourty) as David Garrard, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady took turns shredding the Tennessee pass defense as the team sank to 0-6.

Certainly it was the low point of the season, but Mouton remains optimistic that he is on the right track long-term, despite his rookie problems.

"We got thrown into the fire early. We learned a lot, playing Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. Now, we're just preparing for the next time we're thrown in there," he says.

Even the hurt of his role in the loss to the Jets is something Mouton has been able to put into perspective.

"Of course, it was tough in the Jets game. But guys here told me, 'You've got to put that behind you and get ready for the next play, really,' " he says. "I've learned a lot from that, and hey, hopefully, I can get another shot to return, because I still feel like I'm capable of doing that.