|
Jenkins Battles Through First Practice in Searing Heat
by Doug Miller, NewOrleansSaints.com
Monday, August 10, 2009 - 12:00 PM
Fresh off a lengthy 10-day contract holdout, Saints cornerback Malcolm Jenkins eagerly hit this field this morning for his first official training camp practice as a member of the Black-and-Gold.
After joining his teammates in a walk-through and the normal stretching period, Jenkins joined his defensive teammates for 14 “up-downs” in the grueling heat. His defensive teammates, on cue, stopped after 14 but Jenkins was forced to keep going, with defensive coordinator Gregg Williams methodically counting to 40, the number Jenkins eventually would stop on.
“I knew all the defensive players had to do 40 of them on the first day of camp and that my time was coming,” Jenkins said. “They are tough to do and I think they caught up with me there a little bit in the middle of practice.”
Jenkins, though not alone, went though practice this morning on a day that Saints’ head athletic trainer Scottie B. Patton had registered at 124 on the heat index reader he carries with him during practices.
“I had been working out every day at Tulane,” Jenkins said. “But maybe just putting the pads and helmet on took its toll. I needed to catch my second wind midway through practice, maybe it was went the clouds popped up that it felt better.”
Jenkins, who weighed in at 204 pounds, one pound below his listed weight, said that he is not worried about his conditioning, or about catching up with the missed practices. “My goal is to be a starter, but I will do everything I can to help the team,” he said after practice this morning. “I have a lot of things to catch up on and will work on those things and continue to study and ask questions.”
The Ohio State product admitted that the holdout was a mentally taxing time, especially in light of the fact that he was so close to the Saints’ practices, but yet felt so removed. “It was always on my mind and I was pushing my agents to get it done,” he said. “Things really started to heat up last late last week and then I got the call to go to the hotel last night and check in and that the deal was done.”
Jenkins said he checked in after midnight and pretty much went straight to sleep in preparation for his first day on the job. “I’m just glad to get it done and behind me,” he said of the contract finalization.
“Now I can just concentrate on football,” he said. “And acclimating myself to the southern heat.”
|