Eight months removed from a torn Achilles' tendon suffered during the first padded practice of training camp last year, Tennessee Titans cornerback Ryan Mouton started sprinting last week and is on the fast track to competing again for a job in the secondary.
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He had surgery on his right Achilles last August and spent the first eight weeks on crutches.
"That first step, after being in a walking boot for (14) weeks, I really didn't have the confidence to even put my foot down," Mouton told The Tennessean. "The first step was a weird feeling. It was like learning to walk again as a child or something.
"Now I feel like I am moving in the right direction. And I am definitely as hungry as I have ever been. I want to get out there and show what I have."
Wide receiver Kenny Britt, who also has spent a lot of time in the training room in recent months rehabbing a knee injury, said he believes Mouton will be a factor again this fall.
"I can't wait for people to see him," Britt said. "I have seen his determination. He hasn't been on the field in so long, and he is anxious. He has a lot of talent, and he is going to step up and show everyone what he has."
Mouton was a third-round draft pick of the Titans in 2009. The 5-foot-9, 187-pound cornerback started two games as a rookie in 2009 out of Hawaii. Through three seasons, he has played primarily on special teams. In 2010, he was the team's fourth-leading special teams tackler.