Did anybody know we signed Zenon from LSU? there is an article on him in the advocate here in baton rouge.
METAIRIE — Three former LSU Tigers are among the 60-plus NFL neophytes trying to make a good first impression on New Orleans Saints coaches during the team’s rookie minicamp this weekend.
Cornerback Jonathan Zenon, linebacker Luke Sanders, and wide receiver Josh McManus are receiving tryouts during the three-day, five-practice camp that concludes today.
Their familiarity with each other, experience with south Louisiana heat, and proximity to their college campus gives them a level of comfort that their counterparts don’t have.
“Everything is comfortable for me here,” Zenon, a native of Breaux Bridge, said between practices Saturday. “It kind of makes me feel like I’m right back at LSU. You just feel comfortable with (Sanders and McManus) here.
“It’s in my backyard so I feel like it’s the best opportunity for me to showcase my skills. I have a lot of family and fans here supporting me. I’m doing everything I can to impress the coaches.”
Sanders said trying to learn a new system on the fly has led to some “overload,” but he thinks playing in Tigers coach Les Miles’ system and former LSU coach Nick Saban’s system helped him.
“It was like a four-year internship for me in college,” Sanders said. “They use some different terminology, but it’s a similar defense because there’s so much information you have to put in, then you have to go out and show it on the field.
“I’m happy to be here; the closer to home the better for me. I’m just happy to be in New Orleans, in my home state. I went from West Monroe High School to Baton Rouge to New Orleans.
“There’s not a better road than that for me.”
McManus, a New Orleans native, is in a similar position to the one he had when he arrived at LSU as a walk-on.
He said having played in the SEC and in the BCS Championship has prepared him for the minicamp, which features draft choices, undrafted free agents, and others with less than one year of accrued time in the NFL.
“Picking up from here is probably the same as going to LSU and Auburn and those schools and practicing, so the speed of the game is not that much different,” McManus said. “It’s still the same level of football.
“The lower-division guys, they might have to adjust to everyone else being a (fast) guy, but we were lucky enough to have that around us at a championship program where the speed of the game doesn’t really change too much.”
McManus said the three former Tigers also had an edge with the weather.
“We practice the same way with coach Miles,” he said. “He keeps us out there for three or 3‰ hours in the heat so we’ve been through a lot of tough practices up there.”
Payton said players that come in from top-flight programs such as LSU often have a clearer “vision” of how they’re going to find their niche.
“Those guys that come from a program like LSU, they come in with a swagger that they’re good enough to make this team and that’s a good thing,” Payton said. “They’ve been coached extremely well, they’re used to winning and being successful.
“Generally those guys have the best chance of making it — those guys that have the understanding that there’s going to be some bumps in the road, but they have a clear vision as to how they see their career going. They’ve been impressive.”
First-round pick Sedrick Ellis said his transition has been eased by being coached by Saints defensive line coach Ed Orgeron, his first line coach at USC, and several phone conversations with running back Reggie Bush, a former Trojan with whom he has been reunited.
Second-round pick Tracy Porter, who said he’ll be moving back home to Port Allen this week after graduating from Indiana, has been getting work as a punt returner.
The Saints have more players in camp than a year ago, which has prevented anyone from being sidelined by fatigue. Payton said Friday’s afternoon practice was “sluggish” as the team worked outdoors twice. The team worked indoors Saturday afternoon.
The newcomers are 32 practices behind the veterans participating in the team’s off-season program. Payton said he hopes those that stick around can start to catch up before the full-squad minicamp in three weeks.
Ellis is working at nose tackle and fifth-round draft choice DeMario Pressley is working at the “three-technique” tackle.
Other notable players trying out are former Southeastern Louisiana wide receiver Byron Ross, former Grambling cornerback Greg Fassitt, and former Harvard quarterback Richard Irvin, who started his college career at Tulane.
Payton said the Saints’ visit with free agent running back Shaun Alexander on Wednesday was sort of a get-acquainted session with the former MVP. He added that the team might bring on a veteran running back before training camp if it’s “the right fit.” The decision will be based in part on the progress of Deuce McAllister’s rehabilitation from two knee surgeries.
