Someone once said there is no time quite like the present, and perhaps there is no one better than Aaron Rouse to testify to that.
Rouse, whom the Packers took in the third round of April's NFL Draft, started the last two games in place of safety Nick Collins and he's had little choice other than to learn on the job.
Like anybody getting his first extensive amount of work, the results have been mixed. But fortunately for Rouse and the Packers, Sunday's performance was certainly more up than down for the 6-foot-4, 223-pound free safety.
Coming off his first start in last week's victory over the Vikings, a game in which Rouse was credited with four stops, but also a few missed tackles, he seemed to settle in nicely against the Panthers.
And that jump start came on Carolina's opening drive when Rouse read the play and intercepted Vinny Testaverde at the Panthers' 37-yard line.
Though the Packers failed to capitalize on Rouse's big play with any points of their own, it allowed him to gain some confidence that he not only carried with him the entire game, but also plans to take with him in the upcoming weeks as well.
"Each game I'm improving and getting more comfortable," Rouse said. "I just think you get better with experience."
For Rouse, his work earlier in the week translated to Sunday.
"Last week I said my first start was good, but I wanted to get better," Rouse said. "I came in, watched film, did some special things after practice (to prepare)."
Making perhaps his first big play in the NFL was something Rouse was understandably excited about in the locker room after the game.
"We were in zone coverage," Rouse explained. "I jammed one receiver, looked back inside, made a great break on the ball, and came up with it."
This experience will undoubtedly help Rouse and the Packers in the long run. At this point, it's unknown how much longer Collins will be out, but it doesn't hurt to have two guys who can play the position effectively.
And while it's never an easy task to start in the NFL, it becomes even more challenging when you miss much of training camp and you're a rookie. But that's exactly what Rouse was faced with as he suffered a hamstring injury that lingered throughout the early weeks of the regular season.
{sportsad300}According to Rouse, however, missing time allowed him to sharpen his skills from a mental standpoint.
"The whole time I was out, I just studied my playbook and watched film," Rouse said. "So that when I came back, I could just make plays."
Still, some young players seem to go into the tank a little bit when they face adversity but Rouse tried to make the most of his opportunity because he knew he was only one injury away from being forced into duty.
"I just stayed positive the whole time," Rouse said. "Obviously missing so much time when you come back, you want to be on the same page as the other guys, especially when you're team is doing so well and the defense is playing great.
"When you show up, you don't want to see any difference. When you come in, you want to take the team to another notch. That's all I wanted to do, to come in and contribute."
That's exactly what Rouse did Sunday as he had three tackles, three defended passes, and of course, the interception. He nearly had a second interception in the fourth quarter in the end zone, but it was still a good day for the rookie.
"It was huge," Rouse said. "It was something where I watched film and studied their routes. My second start, I definitely think everybody can see a great improvement.
"I had my hands on a lot of balls this game. The first pick definitely did do a great thing for my confidence and I'm just happy I can go out there and make plays."
Second NFL start or not, Rouse proved it's never too soon to make an impact.
