Detroit Lions receiver Nate Burleson made an appearance on "NFL AM' on Tuesday morning and defended teammate Titus Young. The second-year professional was sent home during minicamp and again during the season for behavioral problems. Burleson said Young is misunderstood.
"Titus was like a little brother to me. He's a guy I've given a whole lot of energy to over the last couple years," Burleson said. "For a lot of reasons people might misunderstand what he does, I appreciate Titus. He's young, He's passionate. ... He wants to be the best. He wants to be the guy.
"Sometimes that gets in the way of his role on the team. I've got to kind of talk to him and say, 'Hey, we're with Calvin (Johnson).' For so many reasons, we have to be background dancers. We've got to be Tito (Jackson), he's Mike Jack. I think he has a clear understanding of that now. Being exiled, some suspensions, he's going to get back to where he needs to be."
Who wouldn't want a player that wants to be the best? But how does punching a teammate and ignoring coaches' orders accomplish that goal? And what does it say about Young's rational thought if he honestly wants the same opportunities granted to Megatron?
"He's a great asset," Burleson said. "He's one of the great route-runners I've seen and he's only a couple years into the league. Tremendous hands. If we can get him on the same page, he can help us quite a bit."
That's if the Lions bring him back. And if Young can act right.
Those are some significant ifs...
Follow Kareem Copeland on Twitter @kareemcopeland.
