Hey everyone,

I know I have not been on in forever! I hope everyone is well and been enjoying the football off season a.k.a basketball (college hoops, the NBA, Tiger woods, etc....).

I have been enjoying this off season myself. I have taken trips to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic to see the wedding of my childhood friend Krystina Jackson and Gerald Alexander. I also visited Orlando, Florida for the Pro Athletes Outreach that Matt Hasselbeck and Krystina both told me was a great retreat. It was a great experience hearing from these different chaplains and church leaders! The fiance and I learned a lot and will be going every year. We even got Re-Baptized in our union through Christ. Awesome stuff...

I have also been picking up on my golf game which I started on January 17th. It is a very difficult sport, but I actually enjoy playing. I am awful right now but I will keep practicing. If anyone knows of some good places in Nashville to golf, you can let me know!!!! Also, I attended my first movie premiere as a "Celebrity" with my fiance. It was such a cool event. We got very spoiled with free popcorn and drinks, a walk on the red carpet, and interviews after the movie. The reception after was crazy. Other notables present was Ving Rhames, Michael Jai White, Arnold Sch., Tim Tebow, and others.

Other than that I have been just working out close to UCLA and around getting ready for the OTAs and offseason program in Tennessee! I am so excited for my third year and I am ready to contribute in any way the team sees for me this year. We have potential to be a great team and I will do my best to contribute in special teams, corner, nickel, reserve role.

We have been dealing with a lot of moves and actions in free agency. I will not comment on the actual transactions that have taken place, but I will see I am 100% confident with our QB situation and look forward to them leading us to the playoffs this year!

But now I want to get to the main point of this whole point of this article was to ask people for the opinion about a logo I will be using for now on for my camp and my website that I am currently working on. I have three choices that all play off of ATV and the cross! Please vote in the poll section! Thanks

Appreciate everyone for their time and continue to support the team in the future! Much love always.

Sincerely,

Alterraun Verner #20

Dear MCMers and Titan Nation,

This has been an overdue blog. People been asking me to make one and I am sorry for not putting some up more regularly. Been really busy these few weeks trying to help this team and to get some other personal stuff together. But since we are on the bye week and I am at home, I got a little more time to write! Well try to give a quick overview of the first quarter of the season!

The first game of the season against the Jaguars was a big wake up call. We got physically dominated to say the least. Defensively we missed a lot of tackles and were not too strong at the point of attack. Offensively it took us a little while to get going. I think a little rust and the new players made it difficult this game, but we did have some bright spots. I thought Kenny Britt played awesome as he usually does. He’s just a great talent!

The second game of the year against the ravens was probably our best team effort I feel. I thought defensively we showed up big and I think it helped out that we had Jason Jones and Derrick Morgan return this week. We got pressure on Flacco and made it a tough day for him. We contained ray rice and their receiving corp. Offensively once again another slow start, but when they got going they got going. Nate Washington and Kenny Britt once again just went to work. They made great catches and made the defensive secondary scramble everywhere. Javon also had a nice touchdown as well. This was the game I recorded my first int of the year. Hopefully it will not be the last. Jason also records his first of two ints this game. Overall I thought we played well.

The third game against the Broncos was a close affair that we pulled out at the end. It wasn’t an impressive win, but a win nonetheless. The big plays in the game were the goal line stance, Jason interception, and Craig big catch towards end of the game. It was great seeing my UCLA colleague Rahim Moore during this game. Was like my little bro at UCLA and I was super excited to see him starting for them!

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Dear MCMers and Titan Nation,

Sorry for such a long delay in my blog. I have been wanting to update everyone, just been busy with football due to the lockout.

Well we have finished three preseason games as of now. I will start back from the start of camp. I am so relieved that we are back to playing football and being back at Baptist Sports park with all the guys and the rookie. It has been a blast being around all of them as well. I didn’t realize how much I miss this whole atmosphere until I came back to it. We really are a tight brotherhood and I am very impressive by the rookies as people first and foremost. The first couple days were a little weird, but I quickly adjusted to the routine and grind of training camp.

Training camp has been over for a while, but I will give a quick recap. I felt this was a pretty good camp for us considering new coaching staff and this lockout happening. I felt most people came in sharp and was ready to go. I am actually loving the new defensive scheme and style and I believe we will be able to make a lot of plays on the ball in this new scheme. People I have been impressed with:

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Sorry for the long delay. been busy with a few things, but i am ready to finally answer these questions from you the fans!

Lets begin

Fan: What ya think about Kenny Britt?

Me: I am not too sure what to think. i am upset things keep happening to him. I want things to be ok so he can play this game of football and help this team. He needs to try to avoid trouble though. Hopefully these incidents make him realize that he needs to take more precautions.

Fan: what do you think you need to do to win the AFC South this season? (besides slow Manning down)

Me: We need to be more consistent. Not have a great game here and a terrible game there. We have the tools to make some noise. We need to rally behind our QB Jake Locker and play to our potential. 

Fan: So u finally sold ur Explorer? What u driving now?

Me: yes i got a new car. i am driving a 2010 yukon now.

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Friend of the site Alterraun Verner is putting on a football clinic for kids in California. Click through the jump for all of the details.

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Dear MCMers and Titan Nation,

I am sorry I have not been keeping everyone up to speed with my life. I have been concentrating on school, so I hope you forgive me. I would like to talk about some highlights of things that have happened to me for a brief moment.

First of all, I am officially a graduate of the mighty University of California Los Angeles. It is such a relief to be done with my degree and to get it done so fast, due to the unfortunate events of this lockout. I am ready to put away ideas such as a ring, congruent classes, normal distributions, t-statistics, etc. away and get to what Cover 2 and cover 1, and firezones are for now on. I will ultimately miss my time at UCLA and I was sad to let it go, but I am also excited for the future to come.

This lockout is definitely putting a strain on things with the team. With us having a new staff on both sides of the ball, I feel it is essential for us to get together as a collaborative bunch and get some chemistry brewing. I dislike how the free agents have to wait, the rookies got to wait, and most importantly the undrafted rookies have to wait before we can get on with this 2011 season. We all want it to happen and no one wants to miss any games. I am confident we will get something accomplished sooner than later, but please keep your prayers open for the league.

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Dear MCM/titan fans,

This will be the last write-up during the 2010 season.

This will be a reflection of the season as a whole. It has been a season with many ups and downs. We started off so fast and then fizzled out and started to lose. Not all bad losses, but losses all the same. I will break down the season in the next 4 paragraphs.

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Sorry for the long wait, I am going to try something different for this blog. Will try to illustrate the past couple weeks in a poem setting.

These past few weeks have been a struggle to deal with

Anyone who thought losing was fun, was simply telling a myth

We been working real hard but just keep coming up short

But we are still holding our heads up high with all your support.

We got three more games left to make something happen

But we need to start winning, so losing streaks start snappin’

Rewind three weeks to when we played the Texans,

Most people just remember the fight between Dre and Finn.

Rusty was our QB and poised is what he showed

He made some mistakes, but stood in the pocket very bold

Defensively we had a hard time stopping #23

He ran in and out of holes and easy as can be

We made adjustments and found a way to limit their success

But At the end of the day, they ended up winning the contest

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Dear MCM/titan fans, 

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, remember to count your blessings! However, it is another glooming week in Titan land. I know many people are frustrated that wins aren’t happening. As a team we are disappointed at some of the miss opportunities. But we assure you that the season is far from lost. We still have a great chance to shake things up. 

The Redskin game is a tale of the same story for these past couple weeks. We haven’t been making enough plays to win the game as a team. I must commend the Redskins and their game plan. They executed very well and responded well after their Monday night debacle. I felt like all areas could have improved a little to make the result so much different. 

Positives from the game were obviously Marc Mariani’s, who was named the AFC special teams player of the week, first punt return for a touchdown! That was an exciting play and not surprising from such an exceptional athlete as himself. I am starting up his Pro Bowl campaign today and I truly think he belongs in Hawaii already. Chris Johnson once again ran the ball really well. I believe that Rusty Smith came into the game and managed well. He looked poised and confident as he was playing. Defensively, we had our struggles but everyone gave much effort and we just got to start helping the offense out a tad bit more by getting off the field with turnovers. 

My performance was pretty decent overall. It is just really overshadowed since we lost and I gave up my first legit touchdown. That really sucked, but hey you slip sometimes and Santana Moss is an established receiver. My run support was ok; coverage was pretty good except for that td catch and the penalty, which I had to create to prevent a td. Wish I could have pulled down that interception in overtime. Would have been big for us. But the referees made the correct call. So hopefully I can get back on the interception streak again this week. It has been quite a while.

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Dear MCM/Titans fans,

Two straight losses is never a good thing for any team. I would have never envisioned losing two straight at any point in this year. A very disappointing loss, which we should have won. But I am tired of saying the word "should" because that doesn’t count for anything. We got to get back to "winning" which we plan to do this week.

 Yes, this game was a very strange game. This time the Dolphins just made bigger plays than we did on both sides of the ball. Their offense on crucial times got big chunks of yardage. Their defense came up with big turnovers and third down stops. So they played a very good game. There were bright spots. Marc Mariani continued to be a force on returns. I felt Chris Johnson had one of his best overall days. I think Cortland played his best game against an elite receiver in Marshall. So there were some positives. I feel we need to stop making the silly mistakes that we make that allows the other teams to get out of jams.

 My performance was so so. I mean anytime we lose I feel that I could have made one or two more plays that could have directly affected the game. So to me, I didn’t come through for the team. I really needed to get that INT for the team on the tip pass on the reverse pass, but it was out of my range. Missed a tackle that was crucial down the stretch. All things I definitely need to correct going forward. I did have a few good tackles, especially on the screen play. Also, I was happy I was able to help down that punt inside the 5-yard line. I believe that was the first time I actually did that in my life. Positively, I am continually learning and trying to figure things out. Truly blessed as usual to be able to compete and play. But it is time to "man up" for this home stretch.

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Dear MCM/Titans fans,

Sorry once again for not doing one last week, but with the bye week being upon us, I was definitely preoccupied. But I will start out with the bad, which would be the San Diego game.

 The San Diego game was another heart-breaking loss, much similar to the Broncos game. A game we should have won, but did not make enough plays to win the game. I was personally not too pleased with my performance. I didn't get beat bad, but felt there were some opportunities to make some plays. But that is the way I feel after every loss. I thought there were some good though. Chris Johnson touchdown run was definitely spectacular. Thought Vince Young has continued his strong play. Defensively we did some good things, but felt we didn't make the big play at crucial times. The season is still young and this was a learning opportunity. We looked at the film and now we are on Miami and excited to get back out there on the field.

Speaking of the Bye Week, mine was jam-packed but relaxing all the same. I went home on Thursday night, which is in Los Angeles. First thing in the morning I went to my high school, Mayfair. They held two assemblies, which encompassed their annual fall sports assembly and incorporated my jersey retirement ceremony. The ceremony was such a grand event. It started off with a highlight video from my high school days when I won the city of Lakewood athlete of the year all the way to the two interceptions I have had with the Titans. I got standing ovations from everyone at the school. Then my head coach Mike Fitch, my counselor Ms. Burfurd, My friend/coach Darrell Turner, and principal Mrs. McKinley all introduced me to the school from a scholastic and athletic standpoint. Then the principal unveiled my jersey which is linked here. That was so exciting to see the covering drop and see my jersey next to Josh Childress. I remember being a senior in high school when they retired Josh’s jersey and dreaming of having that happened to me. Then shortly after that they played a message from UCLA Coach Rick Neuheisel giving his blessings to my high school and to their game to be played that day.  So it was a a privilege for my school to honor me in such a way. I did many autographs and photo ops, which I enjoyed. I felt bad because I wasn’t able to see some friends who came to support me due to there being limited space and I wasn’t able to sign everyone’s stuff.

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Dear MCM/Titan fans,

Apologize for being a day late in writing my blog. I finally got my bedroom furniture and was up all night yesterday putting it together so I can say my place is finally complete for the most part.

Anyways, what an incredible win we had this past weekend. I don’t think I really ever been a part of such a 4^th quarter turnaround like that before. It was almost too good to be true that we rallied together and came away with the victory. I have much respect for the Eagles and they are a very good team. I am a big Michael Vick fan and I think he is an exceptional player and I personally hope he continues to play for the Eagles. He is fun to watch. I wish DeSean Jackson was able to play, as we have met twice in college and it would have been fun to go against him again. So hopefully we can line up against each other another day. We were fortunate for the win and it was a huge us. Hopefully we can continue this momentum into this weekend’s game.

The most notable performer in the game was Kenny Britt of course. This guy really just decided to take the team on his shoulders and deliver for us. I mean there aren’t really words to describe how big of a game he had. That is his potential every week. He can be a very great player and I am glad it is starting to awaken within him. I thought Kerry Collins did fairly well in the game. I was definitely confident in what he could do. He put the ball in positions for our receivers to make plays. The defense played pretty decent again. We continued our mojo for not allowing people tds in the redzone. Jason Jones had a huge fumble force in a crucial moment of the game in one of those situations. Griff played well once again getting yet another interception. I have to give a big shout out to Cortland Finnegan for his first int on the season and taking it to the house in style. I got caught watching him run instead of blocking. Of course everyone else played decently.

I felt I had a pretty good day. I didn’t get that much action I would say. I didn’t have to make too many tackles, but I did feel pretty good when I knocked Brent Celek out the game for a while. Means I can hit a little bit for a 187 pounder. I was a little mad at really only one play and that was the dropped INT I could have had. It was a for sure pick 6. Just slipped out my hands. So hopefully I will get a few more chances to get one. But it would have been sweet to get it at LP field. But overall it was a decent day, which I need to get better from against this prolific offense in San Diego.

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Dear MCM/Titans fans,

 I would like to start off by saying that I hope all the people that got a concussion or head injury are alright. I would like to throw Vince Young in there with his injury. I hope everyone recovers healthy and have no permanent damage to them. This is a violent game, but you still wish for no one to get hurt. My prayers go out to all.

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A great win commenced in Dallas, Texas this week. I was so thrilled to beat this team for multiple reasons. So I will unveil some of those reasons. First, I grew up a Jerry Rice fan so they played the Cowboys a lot. I naturally didn’t like them in that point in time. (Ironically saw Mr. Hanks before the game also, which was pretty cool since I watched him growing up). Another reason was I remember seeing a draft board of theirs and they had me as a 5^th round consideration. So that was the highest they would consider me. So that obviously didn’t sit to well with me. Then lastly, I know way too many cowboy fans. From uncles, cousins, friends from high school and college, they are everywhere. So it was a great feeling to have them all upset for a weekend and to be a part of it was even sweeter.

The game was a thriller, and I was nervous, but excited the whole game. It was a game you wanted to be in and dream about. Going down to the wire and having to make big plays to win the game in dramatic fashion. We kept exchanging scores by the end of the 2^nd quarter to the end of the game. Something as a defender you don’t want necessarily, but acknowledge it happens and realize that we have to make a play sooner or later to allow our team an opportunity to win. So it was a marvelous game that I am still excited about winning.

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Dear MCM/Titans fans,

What a heartbreaking and painful loss we just suffered. I thought we had the game in our grasp and just misfortune struck us and it wasn’t meant to be. We have accepted that fate and have definitely moved on to this week's game, which I am plenty excited for. Also, please keep your prayers out for Derrick Morgan. What a catastrophic thing that happened to him and it is definitely a big loss for us. He was an explosive player for us and will be truly missed. He will get back stronger for us because that is the type of character he has.

I would like to talk about things that happened in the game that did get me excited. First and foremost, I was so excited to see Marc Mariani get that KO return for a touchdown. That was a big thing and couldn’t have happened to a better football player. Also thought Javon Ringer had a great run in the game and seems to show up big week in and out. There are so many people on defense that played so well. Once again, Michael Griffin balled out of control again, adding to his resume another INT. He has already done almost everything possible on the defensive side. The D-line has been playing well with Dave Ball being a sack machine so far, UCLA alum I might add. Then, linebacker's play has been consistent this whole year. So I am extremely proud of the D and everyone for the efforts this week. Everybody gave it there all and that is the most important thing.

 Yes, I made my first start as a Tennessee Titan. It was an exciting week and it was a true blessing to represent my university, coaches, friends and family out there. One of the most enjoyable experiences was to get introduced before the game since they did the defensive starters. My heart was racing and I just couldn’t believe that this was happening. I had all but a few minutes to figure out a routine to do coming out, but I just went with my old college sign. The X signifying my speed coach Erich Nall and then the 3s on my fingers to represent my family, aka my sister who’s favorite number is 33. But I will be changing it to just the X. My teammates gave me a warm welcome to the club by cheering as I ran out and I knew I have finally made it. It was a memory I won’t ever forget and hopefully have some more times to do in the future!

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Dear MCM/Titans fans,

It has been an interesting week to say the least. I would like to give my condolences to Kenny McKinley’s family. That is a tragedy to lose a life at such a young age. It really puts into perspective how short life is and the blessings we have waking up each day to experience this phenomenon called life. Also, I would like everyone to continue to pray for Jason McCourty as he is dealing with his injury to his forearm. I am wishing for him to have a speedy recovery as his presence on the team this year has been one of class, maturity, and consistency. I am sure he will be back as soon as possible and contribute to this team as much as he was doing before, if not more. Heard Stafon Johnson is making some more progress and is not of need of crutches to walk right now. That guy is truly a warrior and he continues to amaze and inspire me every day.

I will start off with talking about the week preparing for the Giants. We all knew that they would present a unique challenge for us on the perimeter because Eli Manning is a very good quarterback with capable receivers. I felt I actually got better through the weeks of practices going on the scout team and going against our receivers. So I felt improved going into the weekend. It still been tough adjusting to the time demands faced by us during the week with me having just football to concentrate on. But I am surely but slowly getting used to this change and learning how to manage my time and take care of things. 

On to the game we just played. I was very happy that we pulled off the win. It was a big game for us, especially against such a formidable opponent. I thought our offense came up with big plays when called for, highlighted with Kenny Britt returning home and not disappointing his family and friends. CJ was himself and Vince was efficient. I thought special teams were excellent. Marc Mariani continues to show his play-making ability on returns, just waiting for him to take on to the house, which I am sure he will do at least once this year! Rob Bironas and the coverage teams were great as well. Limiting their returns and converting on the field goals we needed at that time, especially with their kicker missing crucial field goals. 

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Dear MCM fans,

This weekend was a very tough weekend for the Titans Nation. We lost to a very good team that we still had the capabilities of beating. We basically beat ourselves starting from the opening kickoff to the last pass Chris Johnson caught. I believe that through losses, you gain lessons, and from those lessons, you gain growth, and from growth, you find yourself becoming a better person/player. So that is the formula we will use this week in preparation for our next game.

Like I said the previous week it was pretty sweet going against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Two historic teams and I knew it was going to be a war between the sidelines. It was a very physical game, which I took my share of punishment, which is the bare essence of football, so that made me so excited to go out there and show my stuff. Once again I contributed mostly on special teams. I was in a "track meet" the whole game, avoiding double teams and trying to make tackles. I showed improvements from last week and that is all I can ask for myself. So I was somewhat pleased with my performance. The loss outweighs any of that good, because I dislike losing due to my highly competitive nature.

There were some bright spots in the game. Defense played extraordinary considering what we went against. Felt like the Steelers played real conservative once they got their lead. So as a defense we know that we have to play much better still when teams decide to open up on us. Secondary continues to be impressive to me and I learn every day/game from those guys. I felt Chris Johnson ran hard and special teams, and although inconsistent, had some good things also. So there were things we could definitely build on and gather to finally try to achieve another complete effort game on all phases.

Personally, I have been getting adjusted well to Nashville. Still having to take care of little things here and there due to very tight work hours. Getting my apartment together still and handling important documents. Most of this stuff is fairly new to me since my family pretty much spoiled me in California and took care of a lot of my stuff. But it is all good stuff that I need to learn. Especially when it comes to cooking. Which makes me say that I truly do miss my family and friends. The times that I just sit to myself I realize it. So those are bitter times for me, but we all know that it is for a good cause. 

 But this is a new week, Week 3 against the NY Giants. I have been waiting to play them. Another Super Bowl champion team. A very good opponent once again. So we will have our hands full, but we will be up for the task. I can’t believe we are already on the third game. This season is already going by so fast to me. But I am enjoying every moment of it. Wish us/me luck for this week as we try to come back home with a win and get to 2-1!

God Bless everyone

 Sincerely,

Alterraun Verner #20

Dear MCM fans,

The regular season has officially begun.

Before I start I want to send my condolences to my big bro Will Witherspoon. He is the ultimate trooper to battle through his ordeal and still play in this game. He is a true team player and he made that great sack which we needed in that situation. I would like everyone to continue to pray for him, as he will stay strong because that is the type of person he is.

I am so happy to have gotten through all the preseason games and cuts to actually make it to the final roster. Most might think it was automatic, but nothing is ever guaranteed in this business and I am truly counting my blessings. So I am happy to be a part of this team and now it is time to put it on the line every week to make it not only to the playoffs, but also to the Super Bowl!

First off, I feel obligated to address the much-heralded competition between all of us corners for the open spot. I do not know if Jason is now the official official guy or anything but he did start this last game. He did a great job in the game in coverage and run support. He definitely was very deserving of the spot and proved it by his play. It definitely was hard to sit there and not be able to go in at corner in the game. I wanted to play so bad. But it is the nature of the business and the guys out there were playing great. So I have no hard feelings or remorse towards anyone. I look to it as an opportunity to improve my craft and maybe one day get another chance at it.

Speaking of the play Saturday, Did the Titans dominate or what. In all phases!!!!

I mean I can go on and highlight many for the performances but I have to say special shout outs to Michael Griffin and Chris Johnson. Their performances all were impressive to me for different reasons. Griff got robbed on his touchdown, but he made plays everywhere. Chris Hope also had a nice interception too. The offense was unbelievable as a while, but Chris Johnson was being Chris Johnson again by demonstrating his speed and play making ability.

While my role in the game was pretty limited to coverage teams, I had so much fun. Flying around and trying to get to the ball first before everyone else. I thought I could have made a few more plays out there, but I will learn and make those in the following weeks. I was only disappointed with me missing a tackle on McFadden in a crucial situation on one of my few opportunities on defense. So I can’t allow that to happen again, so in practice I will focus on taking better angles. But overall I thought I was solid and definitely enjoyed myself out there! 

This week we got the Steelers and this is a team I have liked growing up in the ranks. So it will be fun playing them! It will be a physical game that both defenses will try and control. It is another game we can send a statement with. I will be putting in the hours to help us get this win this week, but I am definitely looking forward to another opportunity to go out there and fly around again! 

I believe we have something special this year and it is something I have said since the beginning and we can only get better. So Stay tuned and enjoy the show. Because there will be plenty of excitement this week against the Steelers!

Sincerely,

Alterraun Verner #20

Hello MCM and Titan fans, 

Sorry for my long hiatus, I have been very busy with the team and getting ready for these past games. 

So camp has been finished for a while and I am excited to finally get through it. It was definitely a grind, but I enjoyed every minute of it. Through the pains and the gains, I learned a lot from it and I think I have been preparing well for the season. I was very fortunate going against the stable of receivers that we have which prepared me for the receivers I faced in the games. I played against some speed, strength, and route running through our guys. So that is what helped me adjust. 

Surprises of camp have to be Marc Mariani, this guy is a football player and he has performed in practice and every time he touched the ball in the preseason. We got to find a way to incorporate him on Sundays! I think Javon ringer has been solid as well. On defense I believe almost everyone been consistent and capable. I have really been impressed with Stephen Tulloch, Jason Jones mostly. They show up and make plays everywhere. Our secondary has been excellent. It is a pleasure watching our safety play. The rookie safeties and I been working hard trying to get down the plays and been working together to try to help this team. I believe the corners been playing pretty well especially due to the amount of reps we have to take. It was great seeing Cortland get back out there at practice and in the game. He will be ready to go and be as exciting as ever come Sept. 12^th. I can’t wait to see it for myself. 

Me personally in the preseason, I have been extremely blessed this whole time. I have just been having so much fun and just being allowed to play football. What can I say? Had the privilege to start two games and gained some valuable lessons. Especially in the Carolina game when I guessed on a route and almost cost our team 7 points. I was so upset with myself, but I learned from that play to be more honest/disciplined because it can cost the team. I wish I were able to go against the starting receivers for the saints because they look really good and I think I would have gotten some good work. But I learned from the sidelines. I was glad I was able to start playing some special teams and making some plays finally, which made me satisfied. 

Now to the cornerback competition which most people would like to know. I have no report for you unfortunately. They have not made any decisions. But we have all played so well that the decision must be really tough and whichever man they go with will be a good choice. I feel we can all get the job done. It is not in my hands so I will let God show me the way like he ahs for the rest of my life. I am ready to do my part, in whatever facet that will be in because I sincerely believe we can make it far this year! 

Today is cut day for the team and I have no clue who will be here and who will go. It will be a sad day and day I won’t like too much for a long time to come. But I understand the business side of things. But this also signifies that the season is finally upon us and it is time to prepare for this first game against the Raiders. I can’t wait to see the real deal now. I can’t wait to see CJ2K play a full game and our defense a full time! Hopefully I will be out there numerous times as well. So all in all, been a successful and productive couple weeks being a Titan. I’m glad we got the win Thursday and finished out 2-2, but we are looking for a much better record to start out. Stay tuned to the Titans because we got some things in stored for the NFL this year. I can’t wait for opening kickoff at noon against the Raiders. What a better way to start it off but to beat a team close to my home! 

Also, follow me on twitter @alvern_1 or hit me up on formspring at http://www.formspring.me/atv1ucla 

Have a blessed day everyone, 

Sincerely, 

Alterraun Verner #20.

Hello MCM fans,

We had a long week of training since we played Saturday and then played again Monday, so it made for an intense week, especially for a couple practices. Things have been heating up with defense and offense looking to be so much more aggressive, especially the last few practices, but this is all making us better.

The past week of training camp has been interesting. Been taking my lumps against the offense, but it has been a constant battle between me and Kenny Britt mostly. I have liked it, and Nate has been good as well, always making me play tight coverage knowing his speed and quickness. I have been able to go with the first team in practice so i was able to get a little chemistry going with those guys and learning from them as I go along. Legs been getting tired due to camp, but I have been able to push through it and start to gear up for the season for what ever role I have to encompass.

The preseason game against the Cardinals went pretty well in the grand scheme of things. I think the offense and defense played extremely well in the beginning of the game with CJ2K and Vince leading the offense down multiple times. They showed some signs of some bright spots and I am liking the promise they are showing. The defense was swarming to the ball, stuffing the run and playing well against the pass. It was definitely unfortunate to not go against Larry Fitzgerald. I really wanted to go against him, one of the best in the game. But hopefully I will get another opportunity. I also thought Marc Mariani and Damian Williams were very productive this game, showing lots of promise in the return game and receiving game. I also felt the play of the game was Lavelle's reverse. His hurdle over the dude was classic. Big shout out to Nick with the interception at the end of the third as well.

As for me, I thought I did pretty well. I had the pleasure to start the game on Monday night and it felt so good! Playing with Tulloch, Griff, and everyone. They helped me out so much in me getting through the game and keeping my confidence up. I've still got a lot to learn and clean up, but overall had a great day. Another opportunity to play this wonderful game of football. The funniest play was when I got creamed by the offensive lineman. it was a reality check that this is the NFL and I can't be hitting all these guys high.

Special prayers go out to Stafon Johnson. I forgot to mention him last week and I feel truly bad. He is a great friend of mine since we went to middle school together and actually ran against each other for school president. Also want to send my prayers to everyone else who is hurt or got hurt this game. Last tidbit, I want to clarify that nobody is out of the running for this corner position and I think Mouton been getting unfair criticism. He is a great player and corner is a tough position. We all make mistakes, sometimes they aren't as visible to the public eye. So the competition is definitely still wide open and it will be exciting who will be getting it towards the end coming up! 

So I am excited to play this next preseason game against the Panthers. Another opportunity to showcase for the Bruins and have some fun. I don't know what my playing time will be or if I will start, but i know I will do the best I can to help the team out however I can. So stay tuned and enjoy this next game as we look to improve and develop even more to this Super Bowl contending team. 

Enjoy your week and God Bless

Alterraun Verner #20

Hello MCM fans and Titans fans. What an exciting week that just took place. I will give you the rundown on practices and my first impression on the team's performances and mine from Saturday.

First of all, week 2 of camp was starting to take its toll on many players on the team. We suffered some injuries including my ankle. But I have bounced back through rehab to still contribute even though it has been pretty tough. Cortland and Vinnie are unfortunately down, which is a shame when you are learning so much from those guys. So at corner it has been particularly rough on us this week with us taking so many reps in practice. But we all can use the extra reps. I think the offense has been looking good and Nate Washington has still be giving me a run for my money. His speed is pretty impressive. We have definitely been trying to be physical against each other. We started to welcome the return of Tye Hill and I can't wait to see him go out there and ball soon also! 

Defensively I have been liking our aggression in practice and I can just see the hunger in almost everyone's eyes. We are going to do something special on that side of the ball. I definitely feel that way! We still have some learning, especially from me, but we are excited about the process. 

Now on to the preseason game, which was just extremely exciting. Finally able to put on the official gear of the Titans!!!! Seeing the #20 jersey and the slick blue pants got me so fired up in the locker room. Seeing the equipment and everything was almost overwhelming. From the national anthem, which is the first time I have heard it before a game in a long time, till the end I was just having fun playing a game I love. I felt my performance was decent, but I still have a lot to build on from this game and I am looking forward to that challenge. 

I felt that our offense put up a great effort and they will be a force this year, mainly because of CJ. But Vince Young looked impressive to me as well. So I am definitely excited to see them more and more and when they start opening up their playbook as well. 

Defensively I thought we played well too, just had little assignment miscues that can be coached. but people were making plays. Mouton nice interception, J-Mac making plays all over the field, Tulloch was flying around. Everyone was contributing and we were flying around like in practice. 

Overall, a successful preseason opener despite the loss. You never want to go home with an L, but I think we showed "growth" (Mike Griff voice). That is all you can ask for. I am excited to play against the Cardinals next, but in the meantime, I got to go against our receivers a little bit more in an attempt to get both of our groups better! Hope everyone has a blessed weekend!

Sincerely, 

Alterraun Verner #20

MCM is very excited to announce that Tennessee Titans cornerback Alterraun Verner is going to be writing on Music City Miracles about his experiences throughout his first NFL training camp. Please join me in welcoming Mr. Verner, and here is his first post!

Hello MCM and Titan fans,

It is an honor for me to have an opportunity to speak to you about my experiences as a rookie so far in the NFL.

The first week of training camp has commenced and it had been a great experience just learning from all the guys on the team. Just watching how Cortland and Mike Griff and Chris Hope fly around to the ball and make plays. 

I have learned a great deal from recognizing certain routes and certain set-ups from how we play our defenses. The vets have been real instrumental to my development by instructing me as i go along, even linebackers Will and Gerald. 

It's been fun going against our receivers, I like going against Britt and Nate the most because of their two different styles of play but very unique capabilities. So I definitely find myself getting better everytime I go against one of them!

Overall, very successful first week of camp. My body feels good and rested. I have had my bumps here and there, but all of which have made me a better player. Been able to make a few plays for the defense and hopefully keep pushing for the starting job. All the corners are very capable of filling that role of starter and i think we have all grown from the competition. I am excited to see how he keep progressing trying to show why we deserve to be that guy. I feel I have a reasonable shot even with me being a rookie. I am confident i can get the job done and help this team get to a Super Bowl.

One more week to go till we get to our first preseason game and that is what I am anxious for. To finally put on the #20 Titan blue jersey and rep for Tennessee. Everything is just very exciting and I love being a Titan thus far!!!