Released Deuce McAllister understands the biz better than anyone

I just found this great article by Don Banks at SI.com. There's a lot of new quotes from Deuce here:

I called McAllister Tuesday night to find out what the nascent stages of his life after the Saints was feeling like, and wasn't surprised in the least to hear not a syllable of self-pity or bitterness over the day of decision he had to know was coming.

"You can look at it a lot of different ways, but the way I'm looking at it and approaching it is to remove myself and my feelings from the situation,'' McAllister said. "I've been successful in the NFL just to play eight years at a position where a lot of careers don't last that long. I was able to last the past few years when my team drafted someone at my position [Reggie Bush in the first round of 2006, Antonio Pittman in the fourth round of '07].

"I have a lot to be thankful and feel blessed for. And I understand the business end of the game. They had to get under the cap. I've had my feelings about things over the years, about my playing time or whatever, but those will remain just that, my feelings. At the same time, it should always be about the team and that has to come first. You have to take yourself out of the situation and understand the bigger picture.''

McAllister gets it. He always has, and that's just one of the reasons why he has been among the most respected players in the game across the broad spectrum of fans, the media, fellow players and team management. He hit 30 in late December, had a cap number of $7.5 million this year, and with his history of reconstructive surgeries on both knees in recent years ('05 and '07), he knew the team coming first meant he was the odd man out in a Saints backfield where he was relegated last season to playing behind both Bush and former collegiate free agent Pierre Thomas.

"My best-case scenario is I want to contribute to a winning team,'' he said. "I've made Pro Bowls in the past, and I've been that belweather, No. 1 type of back. But that's not where I'm at in my career any more. At this point, I need some help and some other backs around me. I can't handle the entire load. I can see myself in a mentoring position with another younger back, but finding that right team and that right opportunity is the challenge ahead.''

It's a challenge that starts today, because McAllister said his agent, Ben Dogra, will begin the process immediately of shopping him to other teams at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, which opened Wednesday. Though the Saints have left the door open for McAllister to return to New Orleans at a greatly reduced salary, no one is saying that scenario looks likely.

"Earlier today I was thinking about having watched the movie The Pursuit of Happyness a couple days ago,'' McAllister told me. "And in the movie, Will Smith [the actor, not his former Saints teammate] thinks about the different stages of his life. There was the running stage and the redemption stage. And now I'm in the redemption stage of my career. I've had some tough breaks in recent years with my knee surgeries, but now I have this opportunity to go out and kind of redeem myself and my career, and show people I can still play this game.

"That's what I'm looking to go out and do now. But there's no animosity or ill will toward the Saints or Saints fans for me having to go this route. I'll always be a Saint. I saw some of our linemen today and I told them I want them to still block great for Reggie and Pierre, and I want them to protect Drew [Brees]. I'll be pulling for all of those guys. With the possible exception of when I play against them.''

 

That last sentence is a little scary. I totally foresee him getting an opportunity with another team. I have to admit, if he does somehow play against the Saints in a different uniform, it will be extremely hard for me to root against him. We will ALWAYS LOVE THE DEUCE!!!