NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -Kenny Britt is keeping the ball from his game-winning touchdown catch in a safe place.
A day after his catch sealed Tennessee\’s amazing 99-yard drive, a fan gave the rookie receiver a glass case for the ball at Britt\’s weekly radio show. Britt placed the souvenir right next to his own framed jersey and a photo of his son.
Only 11 games into Britt\’s first NFL season, it sure looks like the Tennessee Titans\’ luck drafting wide receivers finally may have changed.
Britt is the Titans\’ youngest player and didn\’t turn 21 until Sept. 19. But he leads all AFC rookies and is fourth among all rookies with 521 yards receiving. That tops the Titans, and he also is tied with Chris Johnson for the team-lead with 33 catches.
Coach Jeff Fisher called Britt a mature football player considering his age.
oes all those types of things. The more opportunities that are presented to him, the more plays he\’s going to make. I think last week was really an indication of the types of things he can do.\’\’
The 6-foot-3, 218-pound Britt left Rutgers a year early and declared for the NFL draft. He became the first player from Rutgers ever drafted in the first round when Tennessee nabbed him at No. 30 overall. It was a rare move for this franchise with Britt just the third receiver ever selected in the first round and the first since Kevin Dyson in 1998.
Tennessee needed to gamble on drafting a receiver in the first round. The Titans had drafted four receivers combined in 2007 and 2008 with little luck at finding someone who could contribute almost immediately.
The Titans thought Britt could be that player because Rutgers ran a pro-style offense that required Britt to run pass routes downfield and work hard at getting in and out of breaks.
“We felt it would be a learning curve, but it wasn\’t going to be as long as somebody who wasn\’t involved in a pro-style offense,\’\’ Fisher said. “It takes time to learn how to get in and out of breaks and drop your hips and do those kinds of things.\’\’
im, but has managed to catch a pass in all but two games this year.
He has started three straight games with veteran Justin Gage recovering from broken bones in his lower back.
But last week\’s 20-17 win over Arizona was Britt\’s best yet.
The Titans unveiled a new way to use the rookie. He returned two kickoffs against Arizona with a long of 35 yards that was the team\’s best this season.
“He was explosive and covered a lot of ground real quickly,\’\’ Fisher said. “He\’s been working at it the last few weeks. He was excited about the opportunity.\’\’
Britt caught seven passes for 128 yards and proved he can quickly dismiss mistakes like being stripped from behind after a 51-yard catch in the fourth quarter. Britt came back on the final drive and caught the first of the Titans\’ three fourth-down conversions by jumping up and grabbing the ball over a defender.
His best catch came on the final play, something the Titans hadn\’t practiced this year. Britt was at the back of the end zone when Vince Young tossed a 10-yard pass to him. The rookie caught it, holding on despite a crunching hit by Cardinals safety Matt Ware.
Britt wouldn\’t let go of that ball for a while either.
“I actually wanted to go into the shower with it, but everybody started laughing. I put it in my locker and took the shower where I could see it while I was washing up,\’\’ Britt said.
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