NASHVILLE – At some point in the next few weeks, if you see a big guy behind the wheel of a 32-foot RV who looks like Titans coach Mike Vrabel, well, it might just be him.
The family trip to Atlanta is on the agenda again this summer during a break in the action.
"King of the road," Vrabel said of his driving style. "Right down the middle. They'll go around you."
The Titans wrapped up the offseason program last week, and most players have now gone their separate ways until training camp kicks off on July 25.
Coaches also get a break, but not for too long. There's prep work as the team gears up for the 2019 season, and in anticipation of players returning. But after a long stretch that included the NFL Combine, pro days, private workouts and visits, the NFL Draft, and then the offseason program, with OTAs and minicamp in between, this is the last quiet stretch for a long time.
The season – and the September 8 opener against the Browns – is now closing in.
Vrabel, for one, plans to spend a lot of time at baseball games over the next few weeks. His youngest son, Carter, plays during the summer. He'll spend more time with his wife, Jen, who gave the thumbs-up on this year's RV trip.
"I did a good enough job (driving) last year to Atlanta that I talked Jen into doing that trip again," Vrabel said with a smile.
But the second-year Titans head coach admits it's tough to keep football off his mind.
That's life as a coach.
"I think about it all the time," he said. "You are always thinking about a play or player throughout the course of your day or night or time off, thinking about the schedule. Is it right? Are you doing the right thing with the schedule? How are we going to structure practices? What are we going to install? There's a lot of things that go through my mind."
The Titans finished last season 9-7 in Vrabel's first season as head coach. It marked the franchise's third straight winning season, but only one of those years included a trip to the postseason.
This offseason, Vrabel has stressed going from good to great.
As the Titans enjoy their break, Vrabel doesn't want his players to lose sight of that approach.
So if you happen to see that same guy driving the RV on foot at an amusement park, well, watch out.
"I just believe that winners carry themselves with a bounce in their step, they move a little quicker," he said. "You go on vacation and you go on a roller coaster ride, be the first. Beat the guy next to you in line, you know what I mean? My wife is always like, 'Why are you 20 yards in front of everybody?' I'm like, 'You've got to catch up to me. I'm trying to beat this guy in line.' She's like, 'What's the rush?' 'I don't know, but it's something that we have to do. We have to all get up here and beat this other family in line.'"
