• By SHELDON MICKLES
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Aug 4, 2009 - Page: 1C

• Print
• Email
• Save
• Reprints
• Twitter
• Share

• Del.icio.us
• Digg
• Facebook
• Reddit
• 

METAIRIE — Jonathan Vilma couldn’t have been the most comfortable player in the New Orleans Saints’ training camp last summer in Jackson, Miss.

In fact, it wasn’t even close for a number of reasons.

First, Vilma was lining up for the first time with a team desperate to find a playmaker at middle linebacker — even if he was still running with a slight limp from knee surgery eight months earlier.

On top of that, the 2004 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year had to adjust to a new coaching staff and new teammates after coming to the Saints from the New York Jets in an offseason trade.

Yet, Vilma made quite an impression in becoming the centerpiece of the Saints’ defense, a role that will certainly continue this season under new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.

“It’s a lot different,” Vilma said of his comfort level in this year’s camp. “The biggest difference this year is I’m not coming to a new team and I’m not coming off a knee injury. Another big thing is I didn’t have to establish myself with new coaches and new teammates.”

But it wasn’t as if Vilma wasn’t as good as advertised.

He joined the starting lineup midway through training camp and quickly solidified the Saints’ linebacking corps, then went on to play every snap on defense during the regular season.

“When Jonathan got here last year, he was still kind of injured,” weakside linebacker Scott Shanle said, “but you could still see the talent that he has. He’s a real explosive player and he has a great understanding of the game. That talent can take him long way.”

Once he settled in, Vilma became the unquestioned leader of the Saints’ defense. He finished with a team-leading 151 tackles — including 100 solo stops — and had one sack and one interception. He also forced two fumbles and recovered three.

Those stats and all the intangibles convinced Saints’ officials they had to retain Vilma’s services and rewarded him with a five-year, $34 million contract early in unrestricted free agency.

“I think his leadership really came on at midseason once he became more comfortable and confident in what he was doing,” coach Sean Payton said. “He’s someone that plays with that intensity we look for. He’s the quarterback of the defense, if you will.

“He has good leadership skills and he works extremely hard. He had a great offseason. He was one of the guys that was 100 percent with the (voluntary) workouts and is truly one of the leaders of this team.”