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.
*Fourteen weeks into the season, I'd have to say that the year isn't really wearing on me physically as much as a lot of people say it does for rookies. I think my senior season at Eastern Kentucky was actually harder on my body than this season.
However, it is more mentally tough in the pros. I would have to say the biggest reason why is consistency: You have to pay attention to detail in every little thing, and if you mess up, it's big no matter how small it may seem. I think that's the difference.
The days are a lot longer in the NFL. We spend about five, six hours a day just in meetings paying close watch to details and things of that nature, then we practice for two hours. So you have to be focused for a lot longer than when you were on a daily basis in college.
As the season has gone on, the best way I've found to keep myself focused is just to weed out all the distractions away from the field. You have to ask yourself, "Is this particular thing in my life, at this moment, helping me?" And if it's not, then just weed it out. I think that's what's brought me along thus far, and I'm going to continue doing what got me here.
I've definitely picked up some tips from veterans on how to keep fresh physically, too. I watch a couple of players like Demarcus Faggins, Andre Johnson and Jeff Zgonina, try to see how they keep their bodies fresh and just how they're in the training room. I watch their stretching, their water intake – how much they get in a day. It really helps me to see how you've got to be focused at all times.
You have to be more consistent with a healthy diet at this level, too. If you eat one bad meal, you can throw your body chemistry off as far as your nutrition goes. You're taking so much out of your body in practice, you can definitely tell if you missed a meal or if you've got McDonald's in you as opposed to a healthy meal. I'm not saying McDonald's is all bad for you, because there are some good things on the menu, but you can definitely tell if you put junk in your body.
{QUOTE}In my free time, I always try to figure out what I can do to make an impact in somebody's life, whether it's a simple conversation or whether it's giving through some type of community service. The biggest thing I do besides that is rest. I think that's a key part of making it through the long season.
It's been a lot of fun lately with the three-game winning streak. If you watch the games, we've played at a level that we were capable of playing, and it's exciting.
I've heard some people say that this could be a statement game for us against the Titans. I wouldn't necessarily agree with that, because we as a team already know we have the potential to do anything we want. But it is a big game for us. They're 12-1, and I think that we're all looking forward to this. It's just a good opportunity against a tough division opponent that's playing as well as anybody in the league this year.
We battled them in the last game but ended up hurting ourselves with too many mistakes. I think the crowd could make a big impact this time. Family, friends, uncles, aunts, nieces, come to the game, because it's going to be a nice one. Like I said a couple of weeks ago, bring your popcorn, because it's going to be a show.
ANTWAUN MOLDEN DIARY ARCHIVE
12/5 - My perspective on kick coverage and special teams
**11/30**- My Cleveland experience; getting ready to play on Monday night
**11/21**- *Going back home to play at Cleveland
**11/14** - Preparing for another shot at Indy
**11/8**- Losing Zac Diles; trying to be a positive role model
**10/31**- *Riding a three-game winning streak; thoughts on trick-or-treating
**10/24** - Visiting local schools; making plays on special teams
**10/17** - Making my first tackle; Dunta Robinson's return
**10/10** - Moving past Indy; facing my old friend Teddy Ginn
**10/3** - Looking forward to my first home game
**9/26** - Contributing in any way that I can
**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
Post a comment or e-mail the editor at **nscurfield@houstontexans.com* if you have a question for Antwaun that you'd like to see answered in his next diary entry.*
