SmashMouth

Linebacker Parys Haralson tried to pretend that he didn’t know why a pack of reporters were waiting for him in the New Orleans Saints’ locker room after practice Wednesday.

But when he turned to face the group, Haralson knew exactly what was coming considering the Saints are preparing to go against his former team — the San Francisco 49ers — on Sunday in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

After seven seasons with the 49ers, five of which he spent as a starter, Haralson was dealt to the Saints on Aug. 27 for a 2014 draft pick when outside linebacker Will Smith suffered a season-ending knee injury.
It’ll be hard to go against his old teammates, Haralson said, but he knows it’s part of the business.

“I really look at it as a regular game, and I don’t say that because it’s probably the right thing to say,” said Haralson, who lost his starting job in 2012 when he was sidelined with a triceps injury. “You don’t want to go out and say something hurtful. But that’s really how I feel.

“There’s a bunch of guys I played with over there. I’ve got a bunch of friends in that locker room that will be my friends for life. But I’m a Saint now, and it’s one of those things you’ve got to be prepared for and go out and play your best.”

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