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Deuce McAllister's return 'a beautiful thing' for New Orleans Saints
By Nakia Hogan, The Times-Picayune

It was almost like old times again Saturday at the Superdome.
Deuce McAllister was back in the locker room, providing advice to teammates and serving as the team's captain.
By Nakia Hogan, The Times-Picayune
January 16, 2010, 9:56PM
It was almost like old times again Saturday at the Superdome.
Deuce McAllister was back in the locker room, providing advice to teammates and serving as the team's captain.

Moments before the kickoff of the New Orleans Saints' 45-14 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in an NFL divisional playoff game, McAllister, the Saints' career-leading rusher who had been waived in the offseason then re-signed Friday, caused a raucous cheer in the Superdome.
Although McAllister was inactive for the game, he led the Saints out of the tunnel and onto the field as fans cheered loudly and serenaded McAllister with the familiar chants of "Deuuuuce" throughout the game.
"That's crazy, " McAllister said. "Just to know they have that much respect for you is definitely special."
The role wasn't unique to McAllister.
Throughout his eight-year career, McAllister said he provided similar motivation for his team as he battled knee injuries in his final three years.
"Unfortunately with the knee injuries I have had over my career, I've been in that position before, " said McAllister, who earned a $21,000 game check for his role. "But the biggest thing was I was a part of it. I wanted to be available to those guys as much as possible, whether it was just making adjustments or telling them what I saw, just keeping those guys positive. That's what I tried to do."
McAllister, who turned 31 last month, hasn't given up hope he'll return to the NFL next season. But he has had a total of six surgeries on his knees since the 2005 season, including an arthroscopic procedure to clean up cartilage last January.
McAllister joined the Saints as a first-round draft pick in 2001 and became one of the most popular and productive players in franchise history.
He rushed for 6,096 yards and 49 touchdowns on 1,429 carries, not counting his two playoff appearances. All of those totals are franchise records. He also caught 234 passes for 1,720 yards and five touchdowns, and he returned one fumble for a touchdown.
Along the way, he became one of the most revered players in Saints history.
"To a man it was just a beautiful thing to have him back, " Saints offensive tackle Jon Stinchcomb said. "He's been one of the best teammates that any of us have ever had at any level. Just to have him back in the locker room and the presence that he brings, it stuck with us all a little bit."

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