How do you feel?

* *"(I feel) Pretty stiff, but I'm making progress each day."

Were you able to do anything in practice today?

"No, I didn't do anything today. (We are) Just playing it safe for now."

What are your hopes or expectations of being able to play?

"To play? I have every intention of playing, yes. I'm just finding a way to support it and that kind of thing."

Was it a full tear or partial tear?

"It is considered grade two, but from what I have learned the planter fascia, it extends over a large portion of the foot, arch, heel and that kind of thing. So there are varying degrees of (tears) depending where it is and how much it is torn. Talking to guys on our team who have done it before, you know this and that, I think each one is different to be honest with you, and so you just kind of manage it as you can."

Where is your tear?

"Mine is in my heel."

Have you dealt with this prior to the Lions game?

"No, no. I have had planter fasciitis before, where you get up in the morning and you can't walk to the bathroom because you're so stiff and you have to sit there for 10 or 15 minutes to get it warmed up before you start walking. But I've had no issues prior to this happening in this game."

Does it hurt to walk or is it stiff?

"No, it hurts to walk. It is painful. It has it's challenges. We've come up with a good plan for this week and, again, how to support it and how to try to make it as manageable as possible."

Is distinction between you have 'every intention of playing'…?

"No. I'm going to play. I'm going to play."

Why is it in your best interest and the team's best interest for you to play while hurt? Why wouldn't you just rest and get better in the offseason?

"One reason only, I want to play for my guys. Bottom line."

What are the biggest challenges? What do you need to overcome with this injury?

"I need to see what it feels like getting out there, just executing plays, coming out from under center and just what I'm going to be asked to do. I think (we will) gauge where I am at as I begin to move. I really haven't moved a whole lot. The past few days have just been to calm it down and get the orthotics and different things that you need to try to protect it and support it."

Do you intend to practice tomorrow?

"We'll see how it feels tomorrow."

Could you go all week without practicing and then be a game-time decision?

"Yeah."

Does it concern you at all that this could affect your mobility and hinder your ability to escape the pass rush?

"That was pretty much most of last game. It is what it is, you just manage it."

Can it be worse than it was last game?

"We'll see."

Does it feel sort of the same as it felt in the game?

"Certainly coming off the game it was very sore, much more so than the game. I think as the week goes on and I treat it and calm it down and then find the ways to support it, I wasn't able to do that during the game. We just did a simple tape job just to kind of manage it, but then I'm just putting my cleats back on and there are much more comfortable shoes that I could wear and different things I could do to make myself feel better and probably move a little bit better."

What is the main thing you will do for treatment or will you shoot it up?

"No, you can't shoot it up. Again, there is a tape job, there is orthotics. As far as treatment goes there is calming it down, while at the same time you've got to get it moving to see what you are able to do and what you are able to tolerate and get blood flow so that promotes the healing process and just various things like that. So it's a balance between the two, just like any injury. It needs time to heal and at the same time you have to keep it moving so it doesn't get stiff."

Why can't you shoot it up?

"Just one of those you can't shoot up for some reason."

Drew have you been assured that this will not cause further damage?

"Yeah, I think with the planter fascia, from everyone I have talked to medically and guys on the team who have had it before, it's not something that gets better or worse. It is what it is and you manage it while you are playing on it and when you have a chance to rest it that's when it's getting better, but it shouldn't be something that gets worse. In fact, you'll hear there are varying degrees and different areas on the foot that this could affect, but some guys say that partial tear is worse than a full tear and that you want it to pop, you know, but how each guy would describe that feeling as something different. But once it pops it actually will heal faster and maybe it's less chronic. Again, this is kind of a learning thing for me. I just know the way it feels right now and what I'm going to have to do between now and game time to get myself ready to play."

Would it require any kind of procedure after the season?

"No, no. I have been told no."

Did it have that "pop" feel for you or do you not know for sure?

"I'm not quite sure how to describe it. From everyone that I have spoken to, mine seems to be a bit different than others that I've heard."

When did you have plantar fasciitis?

"That was years ago. Maybe four or five years ago."

Did you find that to be hindering at all?

"It takes a while to get warmed up. Once you get warmed up, then it is OK. It is just the process of getting loose. It's not like you can just go out and start running. It took a while to get loose, and then there were things that I could do from a rehab standpoint to try to get it where I could work through that. I ended up working through it and it was fine. I think the plantar fasciitis is something that each year you have guys battling that to varying degrees. Where do they feel it, do they feel it in their arch or their heel. There are different areas."

That is a different sensation than you have now?

"Yes. I wish it was something where I could just get warmed up in 15 minutes and then I'd be ready to go. It's going to take a little bit more than that."

Have you consulted with Dr. Anderson?

"I have not spoken to him directly, but yes we did send him my MRI."

Will you be game-plan limited? Is the read-option out?

"Yes, unfortunately, we had to toss that out this week. The game plan is as extensive as it usually is."

Where does this season rank in terms of physical adversity for you?

"You always have something that you're battling but I've never had this happen before and I've never had to miss a game because of my shoulder. I had a dislocated shoulder 10 years ago, which I guess is about as bad as it gets when it comes to a shoulder injury, I didn't have to miss any games. I guess I am no stranger to having to rehab and do different things to get yourself ready to play, or to get back to playing. Any time that you are facing something that you haven't faced before, it's a learning process."

* *

In the last game, (Willie) Snead and (Brandin) Cooks each had career-high receptions; what do you see as the significance of two young guys having games like that?

"It makes me look forward to the future. Those are two guys that just continue to get better with each game. The more opportunities we have to play together and to practice together, and just to continue to build this offense around their strengths, I think that's great. When you can have guys that are not only really talented players, but they both work extremely hard, they both love football and they both want to be great. They're great professionals for being such young players. I appreciate that as an older player, to see young guys like that come in with that type of attitude. I'd say that is a little more rare these days."

Is that one of the reasons why it is important for you guys to continue being on the field together the rest of the year?

"Absolutely. I think somebody asked last week why are these games important. For exactly that reason – so that you can have the opportunity to build that rapport with guys that you're, hopefully, going to play with for a very long time. You just don't know what could happen in these next few games that could be maybe be the turning point or the tipping point to something greater down the road. Just like you said, both of them coming off of career-high catches. (They had) 10 each in this last game. That is a huge confidence builder for them. They know how much confidence I have in them as a result of that."

(Travaris) Cadet is a unique guy; what does he add to a team?

"Travaris has a great skill set as a running back. He played a bunch of different offensive positions in college, including quarterback. He is a smart guy who can certainly run the ball in the backfield as a running back, but, man, he can catch the ball out of the backfield. You can split him out and you can treat him like a receiver at times. I think that is a rare combination for a running back, to be able to have that type of skill set."

You're speaking to a church tonight; have you ever done that on Christmas Eve?

"I have not spoken at a church on Christmas Eve. I have for Easter services or other services. It's for Vintage Church and it is right over here at the Jefferson Parish Creative Arts Center. The new one which I haven't been to yet. I hear it is a great facility. It'll hold a lot of people and Pastor Rob Wilton is actually our team chaplain so that is his church. He asked me to do that and I am really excited about it. I hope that a lot of people show up. I know it seats one thousand and hopefully we'll pack it full. It's just to share my faith and what it has meant to me in my life. Hopefully, it'll bring others along as well."

Any thoughts on the passing of Jerry Romig? Did you know him?

"Absolutely, he was the voice of the Saints for so long. I just heard that actually today. That was the first time I had heard that. I hadn't had a chance to see Jay (Romig) yet, but he is a guy that I know is very loved throughout this community and certainly the Saints community. (He's) a guy who will be missed, but he certainly left a great legacy behind."