By Chad Garner
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff
(FFS will bring you an up close and personal look into the football life of Tennessee Titans 7th-round draft pick Ryan Durand on a weekly basis in his quest to make the team as a rookie guard.)
Tennessee appears to be Ryan Durand's home for the near future as the 6-foot-5, 305-pound guard from Syracuse officially checked in with the Titans on Sunday for the start of Organized Team Activities (OTA's).
Durand and his Titan teammates have participated in OTA's on Tuesday, Thursday and again today.
"They are two hour practices in just helmets," explained Durand. "There's a lot of team, lot of individual, just basic practice."
But don't be fooled with the players just wearing helmets, these practices can get heated.
"We're going at each other," Durand said. "We pretty much should just have pads on, it's physical. The defense is just going all out and we're going all out. It's full speed and full tempo."
In a telephone interview last night in his hotel room in Nashville, Tenn., where Durand is rooming with Titans rookie guard Ryan Schmidt from South Florida, Durand is quick to point out that he's in perfect health.
"Definitely 100 percent," he said.
Durand, who played right guard at Syracuse, has moved over to left guard with the Titans.
"There's not much difference," said Durand, who is listed as second-string, behind Eugene Amano, at left guard on Tennessee's Web site. "It's a little different technique-wise."
Durand has also been pumped about learning the art of offensive line play from Hall of Famer Mike Munchak, Tennessee's offensive line coach.
"You get to sit down with coach and watch film and he coaches us up," Durand said. "He's spending a lot of time with us, it's really fantastic. He motives us, but he's really laid back. He's a real coach, he coaches you up."
The laid back approach goes all the way up to the head coach with Jeff Fisher, according to Durand.
"He's a laid back guy, too, but when it's time to get down and dirty, it's time to get down and dirty," Durand said.
Sixteen-year veteran center Kevin Mawae has also impressed Durand.
"Kevin Mawae was helping the young guys out and was going over plays," Durand said. "They've all been really helpful."
Over the years, under Fisher, the Titans have been known for toughness on both sides of the ball. You either play that way, or there's no spot for you on the Titans.
"On the field you get your hard hats out and go to work," Durand said. "I feel like that's the way I am. I respect that."
How confident is Durand at the early stages of his professional career?
"I feel there's a learning gap, there's definitely a speed gap," he said. "But I feel very confident. I feel that I've improved a lot from the first practice to the second."
Durand is still trying to get used to calling himself a pro athlete.
"Sometimes I think I'm just with a different football team, but other times I'm like, 'Wow, this is my job,'" Durand said.
Football is the only thing on Durand's mind at the moment, however.
"It's 100 percent on football now," he said. "It's kind of funny, it's my job. That's where I am in my life. Now I'm in the NFL and it's just football."
It's football, but in completely unfamiliar surroundings. Let's face it, Tennessee is a lot different from Massachusetts.
"I think it's a great city from what I've seen," Durand said. "There's a lot of country roots, it seems like a pretty laid back city. It's like a country city in atmosphere and lifestyle."
It's also a place Durand could see himself living as a member of the Tennessee Titans.
