NASHVILLE – Gunnar Helm is familiar with Nashville.
Leading up to the NFL Combine, the former University of Texas tight end trained in Nashville at David Lipscomb to get ready for the next level.
Something else he did to prepare himself for the NFL: Pick the brain of veterans.
Now with the Titans, he's still doing it.
"I talked to a lot of NFL vets throughout this process, throughout the combine, post-combine, post-Pro Day about just what to expect," said Helm, who was selected in the fourth round of the NFL Draft by the Titans. "All of them kind of said the same thing: The biggest difference from college to the National Football League is not only the speed, but it's really attention to detail. It's all mental at this level, so just grasping the new playbook and figuring out the concepts. … The chemistry, the timing all of it, just kind of falls back on that mental piece."
During his first few weeks in the NFL, starting with the rookie camp earlier this month, Helm has been spending time early in the day watching film with rookie quarterback Cam Ward and some of the team's other receivers.
He's also been working on the field alongside veteran tight ends Chig Okonkwo and Josh Whyle, along with returning tight ends David Martin-Robinson and Thomas Odukoya. Undrafted free agent Drake Dabney, who played at TCU, is also in the mix.
The Titans are hoping Helm can get up to speed as quickly as possible after finishing his college career on a high note.
At the University of Texas, Helm appeared in 54 games, with 25 starts and he totaled 79 catches for 1,022 yards and nine touchdowns.
After three years of playing behind upperclassmen, Helm (6-5, 241) was a second team All-SEC and a John Mackey Award semifinalist as a senior behind a career-high 60 catches with 786 yards and seven touchdowns.
Helm acknowledged he had to pay his dues in college at Texas, and he's willing to do the same in Tennessee.
"I kind of worked myself into a locker room guy, a culture guy," Helm said. "I like to pride myself in doing things the right way around the facility and off the field. … (Texas assistant) Mike Bimonte used to tell me every day to trust the process, and while it got hard at some points, some guys don't develop overnight and that always kind of lingered in the back of my mind – I had developed through high school, too. I didn't even touch the varsity field until I was a junior, and that's when I made the switch to tight end. So, it is not going to happen right away for everybody, it could be middle school, high school, college or the National Football League."
Helm said he plans to watch the veterans during his early days with the team, taking notes on their study habits, how they treat their bodies, and how they carry themselves on and off the field.
"And, asking a bunch of them for help," Helm said. "Seeing how they did it, asking how they learned it. And obviously, just doing the exact same thing."
Helm said he's ready to play wherever the team needs him, whether it's as a blocker, or as a pass catcher.
He takes pride in both.
"It's however Coach (Brian) Callahan wants to use me," he said. "I've always been super blessed to have great hands. It was like that in high school, and obviously when I got to college. I always had that trust in myself – I've been on the JUGS (machine) quite a bit, been on the JUGS since I've been here."