NASHVILLE, Tenn. – As Mike Vrabel and his staff inserted 91 players into their lineup over 17 games, the coach talked to every available player each Wednesday.

If you are here, on the 53-man roster, on the 16-man practice squad, you may play, we need you to work this week as if you will play.

Mike Vrabel

Pool photo/ Donald Page, Tennessee Titans

He was taken seriously as evidenced not just by the numbers called into action, but the contributions made by them in a 12-5 season that earned the Titans the No. 1 seed in the AFC and an automatic spot in the conference’s final foul.

The psychology of getting guys amped up for chances is one thing, but there have been come-downs to follow. Vrabel has had a good touch, too, with the human nature involved with that.

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Paul Kuharsky has covered the Tennessee Titans since 1996, first for The Tennessean, then ESPN.com and now independently at PaulKuharsky.com. He served on the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee for 11 years and is the longest-tenured Titans beat reporter in the franchise's history.