DB Tracy Porter participated in his first training camp practice Sunday afternoon in the Saints Indoor Practice Facility.
Porter missed the start of training camp while he was rehabbing from a left knee injury.
It hasn't been determined whether Porter will play in this Saturday's road game against the Texans but the veteran defensive back said he is just happy to be back on the practice field.
"I just want to take it day to day right now," said Porter. "Today was just the first day of practice. When you go out and do something it's not how it feels that day, it's how it feels the next day. Things are steady getting better and there wasn't any hiccup in what I was doing today and I keep going, keep progressing. Who knows, they may call me to play on Saturday."
It has been a good last few days for Porter. Along with getting back on the practice field and watching his team defeat the 49ers 24-3 Friday night, he celebrated his 25th birthday last Thursday. Porter said his mom, Virginia, came in town to take him to dinner.
Below are more quotes from No. 22's post-practice presser:
Can you discuss the decision to return to practice?
"The training staff, the coaching staff saw the way I was progressing and they liked the results they were getting, I was feeling pretty good. They wanted me to come out and give it a shot and I was ready, and that's what I did."
Do you consider yourself ahead of schedule?
"That was the initial report, but they were seeing that things were coming along, it wasn't too much pain, there wasn't any swelling, they wanted to give it a shot, running out here, get the juices flowing to get back at it and I was more than ready."
How does it feel right now and was there anything out there that you felt you couldn't do 100%?
"No, there wasn't anything. It was more of the psychological than anything. Being sidelined for two to two and a half weeks, not doing anything, running around with the guys, just doing drills on the sideline; that's one thing, but getting back out there, reacting to the receivers running routes. You're going to have that little doubt in your mind, but I went to the sideline and talked to one of the trainers and he was like, man you look good, don't think about the knee, just go out and play and that's what I did."
Is the first contact you get on your knee what you are thinking about?
"Definitely, because rehabbing on the sideline, doing drills on the sideline is one thing, practicing that's another thing. But getting out there to game speed that's a whole other monster to tackle. Definitely getting back out there, flying around at game speed, that's going to be a test and the sooner I can get back out there and t test it out, the better."
Do you personally feel a sense of urgency to get out there as training camp starts to wind down?
"None whatsoever. The coaches know what type of ability I have, they have confidence in me. The last thing that they want to do is have me to have a sense of urgency, or those guys having a sense of urgency in rushing me back out there too early and something goes wrong. We took all these steps forward and we go back and take all these steps backward, that's not something we want to do."
Did you hear when Gregg [Williams] joked with us about how Johnny Patrick's performance wasn't going to rush you back?
"Yeah, I head the ad-libs that Gregg was giving and that's what he's known for. That's what a coach does, you have other guys who are competing for the same position that you're playing at. But at the end of the day it's all fun and games. Gregg's going to put the guys out there that are going to play and that produces. Him saying that, that's just the way Gregg is."
I know you're relieved in terms of seeing that Darren Sharper had to deal with a similar procedure last year. It seems you're back a lot quicker than he was.
"Well, with any injury, it's all about that person and how they heal. The procedure that Darren had, he progressed at the rate that his body could progress. The procedure that I had, it's all different. The body reacts to things differently, regardless to what procedure you had. "
If you do come back Saturday, is your hair on schedule, do you have that set up for the due?
"No, nothing in the preseason. Everything is predicated toward the regular season and the post season. The Mohawk is just the canvass of what's to come."
Even though Gregg Williams is bringing all these pressures in the first preseason game, you'll keep the vanilla haircut for the preseason?
"Of course, of course. Right now I'm brainstorming. I have 20 weeks in regular season and the postseason to have something each week, so I figure I can take a four week break in the preseason."
Do you carve the new Superdome or the old Superdome in the side?
"That's yet to be determined. We have a long road ahead of us. Hopefully I'll be carving a new dome in it on our way to Indianapolis. But as of right now I'm just eager to get back out there and get this chemistry going with my guys right now."
Do yo remember the date of your surgery?
"I don't remember the specific date to be honest. It was quite a few months ago that I had it. Right now I'm just trying to put that behind me and when that whole process happened, because right now I'm just looking to get better."
Can you pinpoint a month?
"No, it was after the season, sometime soon after the season. I don't know the exact pinpointed date. I would have to go back into my files and check that out."
Was is a couple of weeks after the season?
"Oh, yeah, you guys can make me look even better, you can put July and I'm out here now, it wont matter to me."
