Long before Ken Whisenhunt became coach of the Tennessee Titans, he was a journeyman tight end who played for the Atlanta Falcons, Washington Redskins and New York Jets.

-- Ap Photo/Vernon Biever

“Coach wants see you – and bring your playbook.” Those eight words will shatter many an NFL dream over the next few days, not only with the Tennessee Titans but around the league as rosters are trimmed from 90 players to 75 and, finally, to 53.

Sure, most of the names dumped on the waiver wire this week by the Titans are guys you barely know, a mere blip on the football radar.

For a few, the opposite may be true. It could be veteran player hoping to hang on just a little bit longer, but being told that his services are no longer needed.

Just like the real world, where layoffs and dismissals are never an easy part of the business, so it is in professional football. It’s tough to be told that you’re not good enough or that there just isn’t room for you anymore.

That’s where Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt himself can relate, even though it’s his job now to tell some 37 of the players he has had in camp and off-season work that suddenly football is over, at least with the Titans.

Whisenhunt himself traveled that circuit for awhile, playing for the Falcons, Redskins and Jets in a journeyman career spread out over seven seasons. That’s usually the life for a late-round pick or undrafted player, bouncing from this camp to that tryout and maybe, if you’re lucky enough, landing on a practice squad.

“You know, it’s not very easy. I’ve sat on the other side of the table and had that happened to me, and it’s hard,” Whisenhunt says.

“Everybody is at a different stage. I said to our guys, this game means different things to different guys. Some guys are trying to get on a team, some guys are trying to show that they can still do it, and some guys are on their last leg, so it’s always tough.

“When you have gone through a lot here, (whatever) period of time, since back in May, practices, workouts, battles, and whenever you have to tell somebody that they’re not going to be on your team, it’s tough.”

From the stars who are guaranteed rosters spots to the longest of long shots, they all know just how cruel the business can be – especially at this time of year.

Fate, and sometimes luck, can play as big a role as a player’s skill.

For instance, backup inside linebacker Zaviar Gooden appeared at the start of camp a good bet to retain a spot on the 53-man roster. After suffering a hamstring injury covering a kickoff, his situation is a bit more uncertain.

Gooden’s hamstring is getting better, but can the Titans afford to wait on him if he needs a few more weeks to get completely healthy?

A trip to injured reserve, which would end his season before it starts, is not out of the question.

The good news in that is at least Gooden would still be on the team collecting his salary if he heads to IR. The bad part could be losing a full season of work due to an injury that might fully heal three or four weeks down the road.

“It’s just part of life. You’ve just got to make the best out of your situation,” Gooden says. “I always take the positive aspect of things.”

And just as injuries have left Gooden in limbo, the flip side is it sometimes creates opportunities for someone else. For instance, injuries to cornerbacks Jason McCourty and Blidi Wreh-Wilson have helped undrafted rookie Cody Riggs open eyes and perhaps win a roster spot in the secondary.

Antonio Andrews, near the bottom of the running back depth chart entering camp, has played well on both offense and special teams and stands to get even more chances while rookie David Cobb nurses a calf injury.

For Andrews, an undrafted rookie in 2014 from Western Kentucky, it helps to be versatile.

“(I want to show) that I can play special teams and still have stamina to go on offense and be an every-down back,” he says. “The more you can do, the better it is for you.”

And while it will come down to the 53 players the Titans feel can give them the best chance of winning, even Whisenhunt isn’t averse to wanting to see some of the underdogs in camp buck the odds and create real competition.

“I think for a guy that was a 12th-round draft pick, that’s a free agent today, I mean for me, the opportunity to play in a game, to make a football team, that’s a big deal,” he explains.

“And as a guy that was an underdog, I pull for these guys. It’s exciting for me to see them get into a game and have a chance to make a play.”

Terry McCormick covers the Titans for TitanInsider.com and is a blogger for 247 Sports NFL Insider.