EDITOR'S NOTE: Cornerback Antwaun Molden, a third-round draft choice at No. 79 overall out of Eastern Kentucky, is providing fans with a weekly diary entry throughout his rookie season on HoustonTexans.com.
To all my fans –
Some people are calling this Jacksonville game a must-win. I think every game is a must-win. I think that's why we play the game: To win. Heading into the game, the most important thing is that we can't beat ourselves, and that's what Coach Kubes stresses along with seizing the opportunity, taking care of what we need to do and taking advantage of every opportunity.
These first two games have been frustrating, but we're definitely capable of doing better things. I know fans are frustrated, too, but this is a walking process. You don't sprint in a marathon. Each step counts, and we're taking those steps to the finish line. We're getting closer and closer.
Every day, it's very competitive out here at practice. We're working real hard. Hard work pays off, and it's definitely going to show.
I've been fortunate to make some plays on special teams in the first two games. I think Coach Joe Marciano, first of all, has been putting all of us in good situations. Me particularly, he lined me up against the best on special teams and told me to go out there, man up and do my job. I look at it as a job and just try to have fun.
It's very important to me that I make plays whenever I'm out there on the field, but especially on special teams. When you think about special teams, it's one play. One play could easily impact the game, and so you have to go full speed. You have to give it 110 percent because it's a momentum swinger either way.
It doesn't bother me at all that I'm not in on defense as much as I was used to in college. I'm here for one reason: I'm here to contribute. Whatever the coaches want me to do, that's what I'm going to do.
{QUOTE}Whenever the coaches ask me to contribute more at cornerback, I've gained a lot of confidence from playing on special teams. I think that's where it starts. I think that's where the core of great players start. You ask any great player in the league, it starts on special teams.
As a defense, we didn't have a great first half last week. DeMeco really tried to get us focused at halftime in the locker room. He didn't say anything off the wall – he told us, 'It's a game. Let's go out there and have fun like we used to when we were little, because it's a game.' You know, for a second, we were missing that there.
We came out and did our job in the second half and played a lot better. I definitely think that's a stepping stone for the near future. Any time we're down, we want to fight. If our back's against the wall, we want to fight. That's our character.
Thanks for your support, and God bless. There'll be more from me soon.
- Antwaun
ANTWAUN MOLDEN DIARY ARCHIVE
**9/19** - Experiencing Hurricane Ike - my first hurricane
**9/12** - Anxious about the hurricane; playing on Monday night?
**9/5** - Answering fan questions; preparing for Pittsburgh
**8/26** - Watching Harry Williams go down
**8/20** - Looking back on a week in New Orleans
**8/8** - Excited for my first game; rookie hazing
**8/2** - Training camp - tiring, but not overwhelming
**7/27**;/1218232188794/) - Life as a rookie in a new city
If you have a question for Antwaun that you'd like to see answered in his next diary entry, post a comment, or send an e-mail to the editor at **nscurfield@houstontexans.com*.*
