Saturday, January 10, 2009

Ability means one thing; availability means everything

Great quote in the NY Times from Titans assistant Dave McGinnis about 31-year-old veteran LB Keith Bulluck, who this article describes as "the soul of the Titans’ defense."

Bulluck, whose TEN team hosts BAL today in a divisional playoff game, has started 113 consecutive games for the Titans.

Says Coach McGinnis:

“Players who have that type of longevity with this type of success, it doesn’t come by accident. To be able to do it that long, at that level, at that position, it takes something. Something deep inside. Ability means one thing in this league. Availability means everything.”

[By the way, Bulluck's durability is likely due to his upbringing, which the NY Times article goes into detail about. It's worth reading.]