McAllister plays well in finale

• By SHELDON MICKLES
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Dec 29, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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NEW ORLEANS — Mike Karney didn’t want to think about good friend and backfield mate Deuce McAllister possibly playing in his final game for the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

When asked if he thought McAllister, one of the Saints’ most popular players in the locker room and the community had carried the ball for the last time with the team, Karney started to get emotional following a 33-31 loss to the Carolina Panthers.

“I’ll stick with the word ‘possibly,’” Karney, a fullback, said as he held out hope that he might again lead McAllister into the line of scrimmage. “You never know. But if it is (the final game), we had a heck of a time today.

“I had a lot of fun blocking for him today,” he said. “The touches he got when I was in there, he got positive yards. It was like old times. He had a great game today, and I was proud of him.”

McAllister, an eight-year veteran whose surgically-repaired knees and $7.2 million contract for next season might be problematic for the Saints, started Sunday’s game after getting a loud ovation from the Superdome crowd in pregame introductions.

The team’s all-time rushing leader and touchdown maker carried eight times for 40 yards and caught five passes for 41 yards. He was serenaded by the crowd of 69,999 with the familiar cry of “D-e-u-u-u-c-e” every time he touched the ball.

The only thing the Saints didn’t do was win the game for McAllister.

While he was on the field for most of a furious fourth-quarter rally in which the Saints scored 21 points to take a 31-30 lead, he could only watch when the Panthers drove down the field for a game-winning field goal.

Like Karney, McAllister declined to speculate about whether he’ll be back with the Saints next season. But McAllister, 30, said doesn’t want to retire when asked if he envisioned being with another team in 2009.

“There’s a possibility that may happen, but I can’t control that,” he said. “All I can do is get myself prepared and ready to play a season. Hopefully, it’s here. If it’s not, then it’s not.”

McAllister did talk about what it’s been like to play for the Saints and to perform in the Superdome through the highs and lows over the years.

“It’s pretty special,” he said, “just having an opportunity to play for the New Orleans Saints, just being able to play eight years, playing here through the tough times, the knee surgeries … winning, being close.

“Then the high of being able to win a playoff game, and experience it here and being one game away from going to the Super Bowl (in 2006).”