TODAY: The New Orleans Saints will take the practice field at Ochsner Sports Performance Center for the third padded workout of Training Camp presented by Verizon that is scheduled to last about two and a half hours, starting at 8:50 a.m. The practice will not be open to the public, but to invited guests only. The team will split the practice in location between the indoor practice facility and the outdoor fields due to the predicted high heat conditions.
NEWEST SAINTS: A pair of Saints with local ties from dueling universities joined the roster Tuesday and practiced. The Black and Gold re-signed wide receiver Travin Dural, who prepped at Breaux Bridge High School and played at LSU. Dural spent the last two seasons with the club on the practice squad in 2017 and on Injured Reserve in 2018. Running back Robert Kelley is a New Orleans native, who prepped at O. Perry Walker High School and played at Tulane. Kelley joins the Saints after playing for Washington in his first three NFL seasons. The club placed running back Javorius Allen and defensive back Chris Campbell on Injured Reserve.
MUSIC MUSINGS: Every day when fans enter the practice fields they immediately hear music coming out of speakers coming from the fields. The music also played during stretch and individual sessions for the players and during the post-practice autograph session for the fans. Among the songs on the ever-changing playlists are U2's "The Saints are Coming," Kenny Chesney's "Boys of Fall," a favorite of Coach Sean Payton, Jason Derulo's "Want to Want Me." Taylor Smith's "Shake it Off" and "Bad Blood" and D.J. Khaled's "We Takin' Over."
SPECIAL GUESTS: On Tuesday, former Saints linebacker Rickey Jackson, the first member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame to play the majority of his career with the Saints and the team's all-time leader with 115 sacks. visited fans and watched practice, meeting with various Saints staff, coaches and players.
WATERMELON: Watermelon is a popular postgame snack served by Director of Sports Nutrition Jamie Meeks, which would serve well for anyone engaged in outdoor activities in the summer. Watermelon has a high water content, so it helps begin the rehydration process. Having a cold and satisfying sweet sack right off of the field for hot players whose appetites are typically suppressed helps cool them down and stimulate their appetite so they are then able to eat a quality meal after practice.
KUDOS TO MEDICAL GROUP: With 90-player rosters in training camp, the club's medical staff also expands to assist with player needs during the most intense time of the year in terms of team activities and when the most intense heat is also present. This summer, the club has a staff of six summer interns: Gunner Wright (LSU), Wyatt Breaux (UL-Lafayette), Chris Stankiewicz (Quinnipiac University), Hannah Giles (Ohio State University), Josselyn Hernandez (Texas Lutheran University) and Bridget Graff (Marquette University). The staff of interns typically for an 8:50 a.m. practice day report to the Ochsner Sports Performance Center at 5:30 a.m., where pre-practice they tape players and prepare the fields with water, ice and Gatorade. After assisting the medical staff in-practice, they also help with player recovery needs post-practice, as well as assisting with rehab.
STAT OF THE DAY: Defensive end Cameron Jordan is the first defensive lineman in Saints team record books and only the second Saint overall, joining Jackson, to record at least 7.5 sacks in seven seasons and only the fourth player in franchise history to record at least five seasons with double-digit sacks. If Jordan reaches double-digits in 2019, he will join Jackson as only the second Saint to do so in six seasons.
DID YOU KNOW: As a youth, quarterback Drew Brees was a standout tennis player. In fact in the Austin, Texas youth tennis scene, Brees defeated 2017 International Tennis Hall of Fame inductee Andy Roddick twice. Brees, who is two and a half years older than Roddick, eventually lost to the future No. 1 tennis player in the world and concentrated on other sports. However, Brees' exploits in tennis can provide a hint to where his outstanding footwork developed.
FRIDAY: The Saints will return to action Friday, with a padded practice that is open to the general public at 8:50 a.m.
