EDITOR'S NOTE:*Cornerback Antwaun Molden, the Texans' third-round draft choice at No. 79 overall out of Eastern Kentucky, will provide fans with a periodic diary entry on HoustonTexans.com to offer insight into his rookie season in the NFL.
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Training camp is non-stop football. It's tiring. We go straight to the hotel after practice and then we come back, so we have to stay focused on our book and our studies. We have to take care of our bodies. That's the thing in being a pro – it's every day, not 2-3 days out of the week.
It's not overwhelming, though. It's the norm now. I'm a professional football player, and this is one of the things I have to do if I want to have longevity in my career.
People talk about hitting the rookie wall, but I don't know what that means. I haven't hit that wall yet. I'm not looking forward to hitting that wall, and I don't want to hit it.
Coming into OTAs, first and foremost, I was focused on knowing my plays. It's a mental game. And I knew I'd have to take care of my body.
I think what I've shown the coaches in training right now is consistency, just being on top of my game. Again, it goes back to what I was saying before as far as taking one step at a time in this game.
I feel like I've shown the coaches and my teammates that I can make an impact with this team. I mean, just being a player, I have that competitive nature to be a key contributor and try and take that next step in the franchise and win the championship. I feel like I can be that key player or one of those things. That's the competitive nature in being an athlete. I feel like every single player on the field feels that way.
Some people have been asking me if I've caught up with the speed of the NFL yet. I really wouldn't say I've caught up to it, but I've adjusted pretty good. Now, it's consistency – coming down and being consistent, coming down and being precise on my technique.
When games start, I think first and foremost, I'll have to be prepared. I know there's going to be something I haven't seen yet that I have to adjust in the game. As far as practice speed, there's preseason speed and there's regular season speed. I have to take those steps in order to stay consistent and be on top of my game.
Every week in the NFL, there's no drop-off. Anyone can beat anyone. You've seen that last year with the New York Giants. Each week, again, you have to come prepared and do your job and study the playbook.
ANTWAUN MOLDEN DIARY ARCHIVE
**7/27**;/1218232188794/) - Life as a rookie in a new city
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Questions for Antwaun that you'd like to see answered in his next diary entry? Post a comment, or send an e-mail to the editor at *nscurfield@houstontexans.com*.*
