Saints’ McAllister takes first practices

• By SHELDON MICKLES
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Jul 26, 2008 - Page: 1C - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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JACKSON, Miss. — It would be wrong to assume Deuce McAllister reached a personal milestone Thursday by participating in both practices when the New Orleans Saints opened training camp.

Because as far as McAllister is concerned, it wasn’t even a start.

“I haven’t done anything yet,” said McAllister, who’s become known over the years for being brutally honest with reporters. “Yeah, I made a practice. But I practiced during the organized team activities (in the spring).

“It’s not like it’s live (tackling) or anything,” he said. “Once I go through a session where it really matters, then I’ll count it as a milestone. This was just another day for me.”

Just another day?

For most players, maybe. For McAllister, just another day is still an opportunity to prove the doubters wrong as he continues his comeback from a second torn ACL in less than 24 months.

McAllister actually had double-knee surgery in late September. In addition to repairing a torn ACL in his left knee, doctors performed microfracture surgery on McAllister’s right knee — the one he injured in October 2005.

So while McAllister considers the first rigorous practice he goes through in camp a milestone, the ultimate test will come six weeks from Sunday in the regular-season opener against Tampa Bay in the Superdome.

“Playing. Playing against Tampa Bay. That will be something that really means something,” he said. “Even in preseason, it means something. But it doesn’t really mean anything as far as statistics counting for a win. That’s when it will start meaning something.”

As if to tell everyone he’s not ready to go away as he approaches his 30th birthday, McAllister pushed himself this spring to be in the best shape that he could after missing 24 games between 2005 and 2007 because of injury.

As a result, he checked in for training camp Wednesday weighing 227 pounds — nine fewer pounds than he usually carries on his 6-foot-1 frame.

Quarterback Drew Brees joked that McAllister looked so good, he probably weighed what he did in his senior season at Ole Miss.

“I haven’t gotten down that low,” McAllister said with a laugh, “but I’m probably about four or five pounds away from where I want to be as far as the season is concerned. I’m just trying to make myself as light as possible to take off as much pressure as possible on the knees and then get some of that quickness back.