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26 reasons to admire McAllister

By RYAN CHATELAIN
The Courier

Deuce McAllister is a special person, both on and off the football field. There’s a reason he’s a Saints fan favorite. Actually, there’s a bunch of them.

Here, in no particular order, are 26 reasons No. 26 is so respected in south Louisiana:

1. Unlike some other NFL stars, McAllister didn’t hold out from training camp before receiving his new contract last month. "I didn’t want to dampen anything by being a hold out or being disruptive and basically just messing up the whole flow of what they’ve been working on," he said.

2. He wants to retire a Saint. "I just have an awesome situation here in New Orleans, being from Mississippi and then having a chance to play in front of the fans," he said upon signing his eight-year, $50.1 million deal.

3. He’s only 26 years old.

4. McAllister wants to make the plays in crunch time. "I want the pressure," he said. "I want the ball because I want to get us in the playoffs, where we haven’t been."

5. It took him only 14 carries as a Saint to break a long run. Against Atlanta in 2001, he scored on a 54-yard touchdown.

6. McAllister is only 73 yards away from becoming the Saints’ all-time leading rusher, breaking George Rogers’ mark of 4,267 yards.

7. He even loses like a champion. After his overtime fumble cost the Saints a victory against Carolina in 2003, a dejected McAllister sat on the bench nearly a half hour after the game ended. "I let my teammates down," he said. "I let every Saints fan down. It hurts."

8. He has a sense of humor. Before the Saints went bowling last week at Rock-N-Bowl in New Orleans to break the training-camp monotony, McAllister told The Times-Picayune: "I’ll probably bowl a 240 or a 260. I’m real tired from practice. That’s the only reason I won’t be in the high 280s."

9. McAllister’s Catch 22 Foundation takes needy children Christmas shopping every year and picks up the tab.

10. Because of his charity work, The Sporting News named him one of 98 "good guys" in professional sports.

11. McAllister was part of the River City Relay, the most amazing bittersweet moment in franchise history.

12. He’s modest. For instance, after rushing for 127 yards on 16 carries in a win over the Chiefs last year, McAllister played down his performance, saying, "I had a fair game."

13. Unlike Terrell Owens or Kyle Turley, he’s not a cocky loudmouth who is detrimental to his team.

14. McAllister plays hurt. He rushed for 1,074 yards last season despite missing two games and being plagued by an ankle injury for nearly the entire season.

15. He’s the first Saints running back to rush for 1,000 yards in three consecutive seasons and holds the team record for most 100-yard games (22).

16. During the 2003 season, McAllister became one of only three backs in NFL history to rush for 190 yards or more in three consecutive games. The other two are Hall of Famers Walter Payton and Jim Brown.

17. He’s a two-time Pro-Bowl selection.

18. McAllister is a solid blocker and receiver out of the backfield.

19. He’s also an underrated team leader.

20. McAllister wants to make his home state of Mississippi a better place. For example, he invested money into restoring the abandoned King Edward Hotel, a national landmark in Jackson. "I’m looking at this more as a symbol, more of a pride deal than a profit," he said.

21. He guaranteed ticket sales out of his own pocket to convince the Saints to bring their annual Black and Gold scrimmage to Jackson. "I thought it would be a great opportunity for kids who might never get a chance to come out and see professional players," McAllister said. "When I was a kid, the only time I got to see an NFL player was on TV."

22. He donated $1 million to Ole Miss to build an indoor practice facility. Regardless what college you cheer for, you have to respect a successful athlete returning to help out his alma mater.

23. McAllister doesn’t suddenly retire on the eve of training camp.

24. He doesn’t conduct interviews while wearing a helmet.

25. He’s never tested positive for wakcy tobacky.

26. This one only applies to me: McAllister wears No. 26, and not No. 99, making a column of this nature possible.


http://www.houmatoday.com/apps/pbcs..../1037/SPORTS02