NASHVILLE, Tenn. ? Kenny Britt's lucky streak is showing no signs of easing up.
The Titans receiver stayed in the news during the NFL lockout by being arrested twice in his home state of New Jersey over what he called being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He also turned himself in on June 29th over warrants back in Tennessee due to an investigation into his driver's license application.
A Tennessee man also filed a civil lawsuit against Britt on June 27 over a bar fight last year.
Thanks to a sit down conversation with new Titans coach Mike Munchak, none of those problems are following Britt into Tennessee's training camp because Britt's boss gave the receiver possibly the best news he's heard all year.
Britt's getting a fresh start.
"New team, new coaches, new plays, new playbook. That's my worries now," Britt said.
"Weight lifted off of my shoulders and definitely things happen to you, you feel like everybody's going to come down on you and say things to you. But he came in, cleared my head up, made me feel like I'm a rookie again getting a start here with a new team, and that's how we're going to do it."
Being patient with Britt is easy considering his talent on the field. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound receiver was Tennessee's first-round draft pick in 2009, the first player ever drafted that high out of Rutgers. He's already caught 84 passes for 1,476 yards with 12 touchdowns, and his performance Oct. 24 with 225 yards receiving and three TDs against Philadelphia wound up as the best receiving day of 2010 in the NFL.
Munchak, who replaced Jeff Fisher in February, has had only a few days to talk with his players. He talked with Britt after the lockout was lifted for the first time since the end of the 2010 season, and Munchak wants Britt on the field.
"We have big plans, and he's a part of them. ... Good meeting. (We'll) see how it goes from here," Munchak said.
Britt led Tennessee with 775 yards receiving in 2010 and tied for second with 42 catches. His nine TDs were the highest by a Tennessee receiver since Drew Bennett had 11 in 2004. He ranked seventh in the NFL, averaging 18.5 yards per catch.
But the receiver also has had seven different incidents with police since being drafted in April 2009.
Outstanding traffic warrants from two different New Jersey towns in January 2010 led to Britt's arrest and a fine of $865. Nashville police officers ticketed him for driving without a license in August 2010 during training camp, and he was accused but not charged in connection with a bar fight Oct. 22 in Nashville.
Britt started off 2011 facing a theft-by-deception charge for failing to pay bail he helped secure for a friend. On April 12, Britt was arrested by Bayonne, N.J., police who clocked his Porsche at 71 mph in a 50-mph zone. Felony charges were downgraded to motor vehicle violations, and Britt paid the fine.
A day after his lawyer appeared on his behalf, Britt was arrested in Hoboken and charged with obstructing the administration of the law, resisting arrest and tampering with or fabricating evidence. Those charges were downgraded to disorderly persons offenses.
Britt said he couldn't talk about the past and is focusing on starting fresh.
"Wrong place, wrong time. You could say it as that. Maturing at it. Becoming a young man going through changes and stuff like that," said Britt, who doesn't turn 23 until late September.
Pressed on whether he had marijuana on him when arrested June 8 as detectives first charged, Britt declined to talk that.
"Just staying out of New Jersey period I guess," Britt said.
Whether Britt faces discipline from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell remains to be seen. Those issues are being negotiated by the NFLPA and the NFL, but Titans' player representative Jake Scott said he doesn't see the union softening on a stance that players cannot be punished for anything that went on during the lockout.
"We all got a legal document, a letter of separation from this team," Scott said. "They said they wanted nothing to do with us, and nothing means nothing."
Now Britt has to get up to speed. He watched the first full practice of training camp because of a tight hamstring. He played only 12 games in 2010 because of an injured hamstring, and Munchak said they are being careful with players with histories of injuries.
Receiver Nate Washington said a lot happened to Britt in the offseason. They just want him to focus on playing.
"He's a great player and besides the off the field things that have happened to him, he has the ability to go play the game of football. He's ready to play. He's been through so much he understands that no matter from here on, all he can do is believe in himself."
resume builder marley and me owen wilson facebook announcement labradoodle airplay picasso
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.