blacksaint

By SHELDON MICKLES
Advocate sportswriter
Published: Nov 1, 2007

METAIRIE — The New Orleans Saints’ injury list has grown dramatically going into Sunday’s game with the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Superdome.

Two weeks ago, cornerback Jason David, who has since returned to action, was the only player listed with a fractured left forearm. On Wednesday, the Saints, who have a chance to reach the .500 mark for the season with a win Sunday, were without five players as they began preparing for the Jaguars.

Center Jeff Faine continues to nurse a strained pectoral muscle and defensive tackle Brian Young again had fluid drained from his injured left knee. Also sitting out practice were defensive end Charles Grant, weakside linebacker Scott Shanle and backup linebacker Alfred Fincher.

Grant (sprained right ankle), Shanle (hamstring) and Fincher (concussion) were injured in Sunday’s 31-10 victory at San Francisco. Young and Fincher will likely play against the Jaguars, but Faine, Grant and Shanle will have to be monitored throughout the week.


Getting better

Grant, who has not missed a game in his six-year NFL career, said he expects to be ready for the Jaguars. The 6-foot-3, 290-pound Grant has played in 87 straight regular-season games and two playoff games since being chosen in the first round of the 2002 draft.

“I’m gonna play,” Grant, who was injured in the first quarter against the 49ers, said emphatically.

Grant returned to the game late in the first half and also played in the second half, but said the ankle tightened up on the long plane ride home. He said he had some swelling on Monday, but it has gone down with treatment and is “getting better and better.”


Trash-talking

The impending LSU-Alabama clash on Saturday created some good-natured ribbing between Saints teammates Devery Henderson, a former Tiger, and Roman Harper, a former Crimson Tide standout, on Wednesday.

Henderson and Harper engaged in a little trash-talking on the sidelines at practice and spent part of the post-practice media session trading barbs to the amusement of reporters.

“We’re probably not the best team on paper, but we’ll be the better team Saturday,” said Harper. “We’re at home, it’s on national TV and the crowd is going to be juiced. It’s set up perfectly for us.”

“Roman’s scared,” a smiling Henderson said. “We were throwing it around a little today, but it’s early. It’s going to be a long week. I just put a bug in his ear today.”


Johnson to join hall

Former Saints defensive end Joe Johnson, a two-time Pro Bowl selection and the NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2000, will become the 35th member of the Saints Hall of Fame during a noon luncheon Friday at the Airport Hilton in Kenner.

The team’s fans will be honored with the Joe Gemelli Fleur De Lis Award, which goes to the person or persons who contribute to the betterment of the organization, for their undying support of the team after Hurricane Katrina.

Tickets are $40 per person or $400 for a table of 10. For tickets or more information, call (504) 471-2154.

Three Saints on ballot

Former Saints linebackers Rickey Jackson, Sam Mills and Pat Swilling, three-fourths of the famed “Dome Patrol” of the early 1990s, are included on the preliminary list of nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2008.

Jackson, Mills and Swilling are among 124 modern-era nominees. Hall of Fame selectors will choose 25 candidates to make up the semifinalists list, which will be announced later this month.

2theadvocate.com | LSU Sports | Saints' injury report getting bigger — Baton Rouge, LA

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