"Practice?"
"We talkin' 'bout practice?!?!"
You're damn right we're talking about practice, specifically rookie safety Kenny Vaccaro. If you don't think this kid gets it, gets the big picture about fine tuning his game and making the players around him better, then you need to take another look. Despite being a rookie amongst veteran defensive leaders, Vaccaro is leading with stout physical play and brash fearlessness in the early days of Saints training camp.
Here are some of the observations of Kenny Vaccaro at camp via Twitter:
This one above had me thinking that the assistant coach likely told Kenny to keep it up as opposed to taking it easy.
Maybe "not smart" but you've got to appreciate the hustle and determination, Kenny just gets after it.
Kenny Vaccaro is starting his career with the Saints not just by learning from the veterans, but by being proactive and aggressive in his play and his mindset. This is exactly what the Saints were looking for in making him their first overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. You've got to be encouraged and excited by what's been seen from Vaccaro after such a short period of time. Maybe now it'll be the Saints' opponents who become the "no-catching **ers" for a change.
Maybe it's Rob Ryan being channeled through the young safety or maybe this is just the way Vaccaro's always been. Either way, this type of fire and passion is just what the 2013 Saints will need. Let's hope this fire continues to spread and the coaching staff can keep it stoked. Vaccaro clearly understands that through practice not only will he make himself better, but he will make his team better as well.
In recent years the New Orleans Saints have been known for striving to "Finish Strong", but you can't finish strong unless you begin equally strong. The Saints veterans, the ones who've stood as World Champions get that, it's good to see that young stars like Kenny Vaccaro get that too. Thank you Kenny, Who Dat Nation can't wait to see you face the competition.