blacksaint

By Brett Martel

METAIRIE, La. (AP) - Marques Colston was being coy about how majoring in psychology at Hofstra might have given him insight into consoling a struggling teammate.

Still, no one had to prod the Saints' second-year receiver to call first-round draft choice Robert Meachem after Colston noticed Meachem struggling through the opening sessions of rookie camp.

"That major (psychology) doesn't help with this heat, so I just try to give him some words of encouragement because you can never have too many playmakers on your team," Colston said after an offseason training session.

Colston began participating in voluntary workouts for veterans more than a month ago. During one of those sessions he decided to take a peek at how the rookies were doing in their first minicamp. He saw Meachem breathing heavily and getting yelled at by coaches - an experience Colston remembered well.

"I saw him struggling a little bit, and it's not like I don't know that feeling," Colston said.

After spraining his ankle during the second day of rookie camp, Meachem sat in a room with reporters, berating himself publicly for being out of shape and generally performing below his expectations. He also mentioned that Colston called him twice to advise him on how to deal with it.

Colston said he alerted Meachem that "there's going to be ups and downs. You just try to keep an even keel. It's a long season. It's a rough season."

"You've got a good group of guys around (Meachem) that's going to keep him straight, so he should be all right," Colston added.

When Meachem got to practice with veterans for the first time several days ago, he leaned on Colston for advice of a more technical nature.

"I ask him a lot of questions," Meachem said. "When I don't understand something, sometimes coach will be yelling at somebody else, so I ask one of the veterans, 'What should you do on this certain route?'"

In brief moments of reflection, Colston seems mystified by how quickly he went from a virtual nobody to taking a leadership role in the receiving corps of what was the NFL's best passing offense last season.

"This business goes so fast it doesn't really give you a chance to look at things in retrospect, but it has been a pretty good journey," Colston said.

Last year at this time, Colston showed up at Saints headquarters as a seventh-round project out of a Division I-AA program on Long Island. At 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, he had the right build for an NFL receiver, but his coaches had little idea whether he had the requisite ability.

Coach Sean Payton often said that if he knew how good Colston would become in such a short time, the Saints would have drafted him well before the seventh round.

Payton also recalled during last month's draft, when the Saints picked several more small college prospects, that Colston needed a few months of offseason work before his potential began to reveal itself during training camp.

Anyone who watched the spring rookie camp in 2006 "would have been selling their Colston stock," Payton recalled.

Colston said no one called him when he labored through his rookie camp, but he wouldn't have expected that anyway.

"Our situations are kind of different," Colston said, comparing himself to Meachem. "Coming in as the first-round pick, there's a 99 percent chance he's going to make the team. In the seventh round, you're kind of straddling the fence."

Meachem, the 27th overall pick out of Tennessee, is not only nearly certain to make the team, but also is expected to compete for a starting job. Like Colston, the 6-foot-2 receiver gives quarterback Drew Brees another big target with speed.

"They definitely look alike, and just from what I've seen and heard about Meachem is that the speed's there to run after the catch," Brees said. "Now it's just a matter of getting him comfortable with this offense and really finding out where his strengths are."

Payton said he was pleased to see Colston help Meachem adjust to the NFL.

"We've got players that aren't selfish and that want to help the team. So whether that's a guy like Deuce (McAllister) helping a young running back or Marques helping a young receiver or Brees helping a young quarterback, I think that exists on our team, and that's something that's important," Payton said. "And certainly, the leadership on your team doesn't just have to come from players with a lot of years in the league."

And if Meachem has the kind of season Colston had, the Saints could be even more prolific through the air.

Colston, despite missing two games with an ankle sprain, caught 70 passes for 1,038 yards and eight touchdowns. He caught another touchdown pass at Chicago in the NFC championship game.

Then there's the additional weight of responsibility and expectations that comes with being the No. 1 receiver. Colston said he's not feeling any pressure in that regard.

"We've got a great mix of guys in our receiving corps to the point where everyone can kind of be themselves," he said. "We have more vocal guys ... and guys that go out and kind of lead by example."

Including himself.

(Can you say starting 2008 PROBOWL WR?)

saint4life
(504)

hagan714

gotta love the kid. he still has alot to learn.

saintsrule

Happy to hear Colston is helping the other WRs. But I always thought that the leader thing was overrated.

blacksaint

Leaders are very important to all teams in all sports, because without leaders you have a bunch of followers. Let's say you have nothing but followers on your team and T.O. is your receiver, what kind of team do you think you'll going to have.

biloxi-indian

A team of prima donas with little regard for authority and accountability!

hagan714

Wish it was Henderson that took that job as a team leader. Sorry, nice of a second year guy to do that but he is just that a second year guy. He can start to learn the in outs of being a leader. Lets call him an apprintist leader.

mighty12

I don't care if your a 2nd year starter or a 20 year vet. leadership can not be learned (i.e. sending Brooks to leadership camp helped alot didn't it.) If you have been a leader your whole life, then you are a leader, and regardless of how much experience you have in your particular job you can still lead a group into hypotetical battle. Colston IS our #1 reciever he IS the leader of this corps. he NEEDS to pick up the leadership role. I for one am happy to see a star reciever who is not selfish, and who is willing to help a guy even if that guy could VERY WELL take his position.

papz

Colston... the perfect Saint. I'm so glad he's going to be a part of this team for a long long time. We should consider giving him an extension sometime during or after the season. If he continues to play the way he plays, it would be wise to lock him up earlier before his stock goes out the roof.

blacksaint

When the Saint drafted Colston in the 7th round I have to admit, I didn't even pay attention to him, then when he came to mini camp outer shape I thought, that's a rap, he's a gonna. And when the Saints parted ways with Stalworth and anointed this kid the starter, I thought the Coaching staff lost their minds(shows you how much I know). But when this kid showed the work ethic and professionalism of a 10 year vet, and his pure athleticism, knowledge, and domination in his rookie season, I really knew this kid was special. And now in just his second season, he's showing the leadership skills of a seasoned 10 year vet, I think if this kid stays healthy and consistent he has the making of a great one. Oh yeah, one more thing, I learn not to question this Regine about the moves they make, even if it seems a lil weird, I will trust in them no matter what it may look like on the surface, they proved to me they know exactly what they'll doing.

saint4life
(504)

BoudinSandwich

The first half of the season, you couldn't find Colston jerseys because they didn't make any.

The second half the season, you couldn't find Colston jerseys because everyone already bought them.