blacksaint

By Brett Martel / Associated Press Writer

JACKSON, Miss. — As a rookie, Usama Young has to carry a veteran's equipment off the field after practice.

On Sunday evening, he had starting cornerback Mike McKenzie's shoulder pads and helmet in tow.

That seemed fitting for several reasons.

For one, Young and McKenzie play the same position. They also look similar from afar since they both wear dreadlocks.

And in his first day participating in practice since arriving at training camp with a left quad strain, Young looked a little like the experienced McKenzie on the field.

During a scrimmage-like portion of practice, with the offense running plays against the defense, Young stepped in front of Jamie Martin's pass and took off the other way for what would have been a touchdown in an actual game situation.

So much for rookie jitters.

"It was good to see him full go," head coach Sean Payton said. "I think he's done a good job with the rehab and it was encouraging."

Young hurt himself earlier this month while pulling a sled during a workout at home with an old coach. Until Sunday, the injury had limited him to riding a stationary bicycle on the sidelines.

"I was worried about being behind," Young said. "They go through so much in the meetings and you get out on the field it's different. It's nothing like being on the field and taking reps."

Young was taken in the third round of the NFL Draft, 66th overall, out of Kent State, a relatively low profile Division I-A program in the Mid-American Conference (MAC).

Last season, Young, a Largo, Md., native, was in on a career high 60 tackles, made a pair of interceptions, forced three fumbles, blocked a punt and was named a second team All-MAC selection.

NAME GAMES: With the influx of Latino workers in post-Katrina New Orleans and all those sometimes controversial mobile taco stands, it seems only fitting that two players on the current Saints would have nicknames that would appear on most Mexican menus.

New safety Kevin Kaesviharn, whose last name is of Thai origin, is often called "quesedilla" by teammates who either have trouble with his name or simply enjoy butchering it.

Kaesviharn, who has played in the NFL now for six seasons, said the nickname dates back to when he was invited to Green Bay Packers training camp in 2001.

Current Saints cornerback Mike McKenzie played for the Packers at the time. He remembered the nickname and immediately used it when Kaesviharn showed up in New Orleans.

One player who can relate is Scott Fujita, whose adoptive father is Japanese but whose last name also sounds similar to a popular sizzling Mexican entree.

"Now we've got (quesedilla and) fajita, and neither one of us have any Hispanic origin, so it's kind of funny," Kaesviharn said.


INJURIES: Reserve receiver Jamal Jones, who normally played special teams last season but also had a touchdown catch in the blowout at Dallas last December, sat out both Sunday practices with a sore knee. He rode a stationary bicycle along with defensive tackle Brian Young, who has a broken right foot, and reserve defensive end Jon Hamm, who has a strained quad.

Meanwhile, reserve defensive end Anton Palepoi twisted his ankle during the Sunday afternoon practice. Head coach Sean Payton said he was not sure how serious Palepoi's injury was.

saint4life
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FireVenturi

like the part about the mexican naMES FUNNY