Jake Locker has imagined being introduced for the first time as a starting quarterback in the NFL since he was a child.
His moment's finally here. Locker debuts as Tennessee's starting quarterback Sunday in the season opener against the defending AFC champion New England Patriots and two-time NFL MVP Tom Brady. Locker said there's a little different feeling knowing he's the starter, but insists his preparation and approach remain the same.
"The great part about the game of football, - the rules are still the same," Locker said. "The field's the same size. You're playing with the same amount of guys on it. It's meant to be fun. "
The Titans sat Locker, the eighth selection overall in the 2011 draft, last season using veteran Matt Hasselbeck to ease the transition with a new coach in Mike Munchak. They responded by going 9-7 and missed the playoffs on a tiebreaker.
Now, it's Locker's time, and Munchak said his young QB helps give the Titans their best chance to win the AFC South.
The Patriots won their sixth AFC championship since 1994 last season with Brady but missed out on a fourth Super Bowl trophy with a 21-17 loss to the New York Giants in February.
This will be Brady's 13th season opener.
