When the Indianapolis Colts defeated the Tennessee Titans 31-9 on Oct. 11, 2009, at LP Field, an Alabama youngster saw quarterback Peyton Manning throw three touchdown passes in Nashville.

That youngster, Monty Rice, now plays linebacker for the Titans in the same stadium.

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“I remember it was Peyton Manning; it was Sunday night football,” Rice recalled for a video feature on the Titans’ official website. “Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, (Kyle) Vanden Bosch, (Keith) Bulluck, Cortland Finnegan, Michael Griffin, I remember it like it was yesterday. And I was like, I’m just sitting in the stands like, ‘Man, I’m going to be playing’ – I ain’t say I was going to be a Titan, but I’m like, ‘Man, I’m going to be playing in the NFL one day.’

“I just knew it since I was 9, honestly. It’s crazy to now be not watching but actually playing. You know what I’m saying? It’s crazy how it’s like just came a full circle like that.”

At James Clemens High School in Madison, Rice received second-team All-State recognition in 2015 and first-team in 2016, when he made 137 tackles and intercepted four passes.

At Georgia, Rice made second-team All-SEC in 2019 and first-team in 2020.

Rice joined Tennessee in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He played in 10 games, with four starts, as a rookie. But an Achilles tendon injury caused him to miss the final five games of the 2021 campaign and delayed his start to the 2022 season as he spent the first four games on reserve/physically unable to perform.

Injuries to the Titans’ inside-linebacker starters Zach Cunningham and David Long have open the way for more playing time for Rice since his return.

Rice has made six starts, including each of the past four games. He has set a career high for tackles twice in that span, with 12 in a 36-22 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Dec. 11 and 13 in a 27-13 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Dec. 29.

Rice said he had no Plan B when it came to what he wanted to be when he grew up.

“I know how hard I worked,” Rice said. “I know my capabilities. And I played at one of the best schools in the world for college football, and that’s Georgia. And I think we all know that. You see the players coming out of there.

“I know my capabilities, and it’s my mindset. That’s just how I roll. That’s just how I was brought up from kid to James Clemens to now. That’s just how it’s been.”

The Tennessee team that Rice saw play in 2009 needed to win its final game of the regular season to finish at .500. The Titans closed the campaign with a 17-13 victory over the Seattle Seahawks to reach 8-8 as Chris Johnson ran for 134 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner with 4:33 to play.

The current Tennessee team needs a victory in its regular-season finale to reach eight wins for the season, too. But this win would come with a bonus that the 2009 Titans couldn’t get.

If Tennessee defeats the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday night, the Titans will win the AFC South and play at home in the first round of the NFL postseason.

The Titans and Jaguars square off at 7:15 p.m. CST at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. ABC, ESPN and ESPN Deportes will televise the game.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.