It has been more than two years since Deuce McAllister has played football, but the Saints career touchdown leader is still scoring in the Gulf south region.
McAllister runs the "Catch 22 Foundation," which is dedicated to enhancing the lives of youth in the region.
"Our primary focus has always been helping kids anyway we can," said McAllister. "Whether it is a shopping giveaway, Thanksgiving event or football camp – it always centered on youth."
Last November, McAllister and WR Lance Moore represented the team for a "Saintsgiving" event at a local Winn-Dixie, where meals were provided for families and the two fan favorites signed autographs.
"These meals might be the only thing these families have for Thanksgiving," said McAllister at the event. "Everybody should have a good Thanksgiving dinner and our goal is to help as many people as we can."
The foundation runs "Deuce's Holiday Shopping Adventure" where more than 100 children receive gift cards. However, the kids are required to spend 75 percent on family members and 25 percent on themselves.
"We want to give kids gifts for Christmas but we also want to teach them the importance of giving," said McAllister. "Hopefully, when they get older they will return the favor to children in their community."
Although he hasn't played on the gridiron in two years, he still stays close to the game. Last year, he joined CBS College Sports Network as an analyst on Southeastern Conference Tailgate, a live one-hour show that telecasts from the site of CBS Sports' SEC "Game of the Week."
The University of Mississippi graduate said he enjoyed covering the games and that his playing background, including extensive knowledge of the SEC, made it easy to fill the role.
"I am little more 'in the know' of what's going on when watching then the average fan just because of my experience," said McAllister. "I will notice different blitzes or if somebody missed a block or had a good read, I can spot that pretty quickly."
Along with covering college games, McAllister still keeps up the Saints and one player who caught his eye is rookie RB Chris Ivory.
"Ivory is a powerful back but still has surprising speed," said McAllister. "When defenders see him and his size, they don't think he can move as quick as he does. One thing he has to do now is continue to understand the playbook and keep injuries to a minimum. That will be important to whether he will last in the league."
Another way McAllister provides analysis is through his Twitter account. McAllister has built a strong following on social media and he has used it to voice his opinion on current events and engage in discussions with fans.
"Social media helps me continue to interact with fans and let them know how I feel about issues and what I am up to," said McAllister. "It's been a neat tool for me and I have enjoyed interacting with them and staying in touch with the Saints fan base."
McAllister said his philanthropy and television work keeps him busy, but that he hopes to one day get into coaching, just not anytime soon.
"I think I will eventually be (coaching), but right now I don't think I am there yet in my life," said McAllister. "I think I would do well with coaching and it's something I could really succeed at."
