July 28, 2010

Bulluck Never Expected Call From Titans Front Office, Fisher

Before and after he signed with the New York Giants this past weekend, former Titans linebacker Keith Bulluck said the Titans failed to call and acknowledge his plans to play elsewhere.

He never expected the organization to call, however.

"I haven't heard from the organization since February," Bulluck said in an interview with 104.5 WGFX-FM Monday. 

Bulluck said the silence from the organization fits with his prior experiences with other departed veterans.

"It's happened to everybody," Bulluck said.  "It's happened to Blaine (Bishop), it happened to Marcus (Robertson), it happened to Eddie (George), Steve (McNair), Derrick (Mason), Samari (Rolle).  The list goes on."

The 30th overall pick in the first round of the 2000 draft, Bulluck said he will miss the home crowds at LP Field, the only home stadium he's known in a ten year NFL career.

"I love the fans down there," Bulluck said.  "I remember those years when we were 4-12, or 5-11.  I remember coming off the field the last games of the year in those dismal years, but the fans would stay all the way to the end, (giving the team) standing ovations, and just the whole football culture down there in Nashville.

Bulluck's career with the Titans ended in week 15 of the 2009 season at Miami when he tore his ACL and missed the rest of the season.  Although he has not heard from team management, Bulluck said many of his now former teammates reached out to him during the offseason as he rehabbed from surgery.

"They've been a big part of my rehabilitation process too," Bulluck said.  "Just keeping my spirits up.  Bo Scaife called to check up on me.  VY called me, CJ called me, just to make sure that I'm doing all right as a person."

During his career in Nashville, Bulluck led the Titans defense in tackles six times.  In the 14 games of the 2009 season in which he played, Bulluck registered 118 tackles, three interceptions, eight passes defensed, plus a fumble recovery.

A native of Suffren, New York, Bulluck will now play twenty miles from his hometown. News of Bulluck's one-year, $2.5 million agreement with the Giants broke on Saturday. Reports indicated Bulluck would either sign with the Giants or the Arizona Cardinals.

Bulluck is scheduled to face his old team on September 26 when the Titans travel to face the Giants at the New Meadowlands Stadium in their first road game of the 2010 regular season.

Among the appeal regarding the opportunity to play professionaly in his hometown, Bulluck said that he purposefully looked for a chance to face his former teammates when searching for possible landing spots in free agency.

"Throughout this whole process, I've just been looking at teams that get a chance to get a piece of the Tennessee Titans," Bulluck said, laughing. "To be honest, the people that I want to hit prolly ain't going to be playing that day."

posted by Jonathan Hutton on 7/28/2010 12:38:37 PM