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Tennessee Titans Monday Training Camp Notes

By Jimmy Morris

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The Titans coaches, according to Mr. Kuharsky, spent some extra time after the morning special teams practice working with Chris Henry at being a gunner on the punt team.  Why is this significant you are asking?  Well, because last year Calvin Lowry held that position.  Why isn't Lowry the gunner this year?

"We are in need of somebody at that position with Calvin probably going to be our starting safety," (Titans special teams coach) Alan Lowry said. "As we've watched how strong and fast Henry is, we thought he could do that so we're going to look at him. That was starting from scratch right there with the basics."
This is the beginning of the end for Lamont Thompson as a Tennessee Titan.

Rob Bironas is being pushed in camp this year.  Bironas, who had two surgeries in the offseason, is getting some competition from John Vaughn.  Bironas had knee surgery and another surgery that the Titans would not disclose in the offseason.  I am really curious to what that surgery was.  Fisher called Vaughn the strongest second kicker the Titans have ever had in camp.  This makes for nice talk, but in the end, if Bironas is healthy he will be the kicker.

The play of the day at camp yesterday was when Jesse Mahelona picked off a Tim Rattay pass.  It would be fun to see the 311 pound Mahelona trying to return that one.  I really hope Mahelona can get on the field more this year.  He was a strong run stopper in college.  That is an area where the Titans desperately need help.

On the injury front, Gage (toe) and Amano (ankle) missed both workouts yesterday.  Benji Olson had to leave the afternoon practice early with some back issues.  

As Zack mentioned in this diary yesterday, Bill Walsh passed away.  It is hard to put into words the influence Walsh had on the game.  How many times a year do you hear the term "West Coast Offense"?  That was Walsh's baby.  I heard this morning that 20 of the 32 current NFL head coaches coached under Walsh at some point.  That is amazing.  Fisher is one of those coaches.  He had this to say about Walsh:

"I'd have to say this: He's (Bill Walsh) probably impacted 90 percent of the coaches in this league. A lot of what we did today was influenced by Bill Walsh and my experience with the 49er organization. It's a sad day for pro sports and specifically the National Football League.

"Very few of us will leave legacies like he left in this game. He brought professionalism to the sport from ownership all the way down to the security people in the front door of the building. He taught people to treat people with respect. What he wanted people to know was that everybody meant something."

Everybody's role is important -- players, staff, everybody's role was important towards winning as everybody else's. He'll surely be missed."


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