Center/guard Shane Lemieux looks to put new training methods to the test after recovering from an injury as he heads into his first season with the New Orleans Saints.
Lemieux signed with the Saints after recovering from a torn bicep, something he was waiting to heal before he went to workout with teams.
"Saints was the first team on my docket to go visit and work out for and I just really just clicked at the workout." Lemieux said on the New Orleans Saints podcast earlier in the offseason. "Going in, I really had no intentions or anything and I just walked away loving the team and the organization, the city and everything."
The offensive lineman joined the Saints after spending the first four years of his career with the New York Giants where he appeared in 18 regular season games with 12 starts at left guard. Lemieux suffered several injuries during his time with the Giants limiting his ability to play.
"In college, I don't want to beat my chest too much, but I had 52 consecutive starts. I set a record there. Pride myself on availability and going into my rookie year, I was healthy," Lemieux said. "Going to second year, I hurt my patella, and so on."
Lemieux said he made several changes in the offseason, doing more "pre-hab" work like stretching, mobility work, and treatment, as well as not doing as much weight lifting as in the past.
"I changed my offseason routine completely, went to a different trainer, tried a lot of different things just to make my body durable throughout the year," Lemieux said. "So, I'm really excited to put that to the test."
Lemieux rejoined some familiar faces in former Oregon Ducks teammates tight end Juwan Johnson and safety Ugo Amadi and well as former Giants teammate Niko Lalos in the Saints locker room.
"Seeing familiar faces is really nice, and kind of just teaching me the ropes around here, where to stay, where was easiest route to get here in the mornings."
The lineman said picking up all the nuances in joining a new team is like learning a new language
"People call it different things," Lemieux said. "There're some similarities, some crossover. But at the end of the day, it's like learning a new language, you know, and I'm trying to learn everything all at once."
Lemieux said it's been easier picking up the offense as there is some similarities to some things he did at Oregon on the offensive line. Also with this being offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak's first year with the team, he's not the only one adjusting to a new offense.
"It's nice having the fact that it's a whole new offense so, everyone's on the same page, everyone's coming from different systems or the system that was here before," Lemieux said. "So, it's definitely nice because a lot of times I feel like when you're coming into a place where there's a system that's been in place for five, 10 years … it's almost just like a refresher when you're going over the installs and stuff. But now everyone's opening a new book and opening new page and learning stuff from ground zero."
Lemieux was eager to bond with his fellow offensive lineman and develop a strong report.
"I think it's is really important getting to know guys outside of the building and what their interests and hobbies are, their family, if they have kids," he said. "I guess just offensive line is really different position than any other position on the field where five guys have to be in one way of going. So, it's crucial that you understand the way people think."
Lemieux said he is most exited about turning that bond into results on the field.
"I'm excited to win some games. I'm excited to have success and excited to get the O-line camaraderie going and the chemistry going because that's so crucial."
