Tracy Porter left Louisiana to play college football.
His success as a defensive back and punt returner at Indiana brought him back home to start his pro career.
Porter got his first taste of the NFL at the New Orleans Saints' rookie camp this weekend, where coach Sean Payton liked what he saw in the Port Allen native.
"He has good ball skills," Payton said. "When a corner doesn't have good ball skills ... there's no downside to throwing in the direction of a corner who can't catch the ball real well. It's either going to be complete or incomplete.
"When a corner does have good ball skills, your location has to be a little bit more exact because of the fact that he's capable of picking off a bad throw. I'm encouraged with how he catches the ball."
Having run 40 yards in 4.37 seconds at the NFL combine, the 5-foot-10, 185-pound Porter has the speed the Saints are looking for in a defensive back along with his instincts for finding the ball in the air.
He also could emerge as a kick and punt returner for the Saints, having returned two of each for touchdowns in his senior year at Indiana.
Porter had six interceptions for the Hoosiers last season. His 16 career interceptions rank second all-time at Indiana.
"He gets his hands on a lot of balls and I think that he has good cover skills," Payton said Saturday, after the rookies had finished their third practice. "He's very comfortable in his backpedal and he has pretty good football awareness, which I think helps especially when you're playing in the secondary."
Porter got a relatively late start in football, beginning during his last two years at Port Allen High.
His high school coach had sent game tapes to Indiana, which was looking for cornerbacks and pursued Porter aggressively. By the time LSU began to show interest in Porter, he had already settled on playing for the Hoosiers.
Porter said he was thrilled to return home to play for the Saints, his favorite team growing up. His selection by New Orleans in the second round of last month's NFL draft caused bedlam at the home where friends and family had gathered to watch draft coverage in Port Allen, he said.
So after finishing final exams and graduating from Indiana during the past couple weeks, Porter arrived in suburban New Orleans with a sense of unbridled optimism over the prospect of taking the field in black and gold.
Sometimes the rigor of rookie camp can be a rude awakening for players who've been understandably euphoric since being drafted. Porter, however, exhibited unshaken confidence as he talked about his first few Saints practices, which were closed to the public and media.
Saints coaches "liked how I played the game, they like how I grasp the game," Porter said. "I'm definitely loving the way they are coaching. They coach you each and every play on what you need to do on your technique to make you a better football player.
"I definitely believe I've grasped the schemes and plays. They throw a lot at you quickly, and I definitely believe I caught on to them quickly and I'm out there performing. It's been a great adjustment for me."
So far, Porter has practiced only against fellow rookies or a couple returning Saints players who were allowed to participate this weekend because they had yet to accrue a full season of NFL experience. When asked about competing for a starting job, he hedged.
"If that happens, it happens," Porter said. "For the most part, I'm coming in like any defensive back, like any other football player, trying to earn a spot, battling for it on the field."
As far as Payton was concerned, Porter was off to a good start, leaving coaches eager to see how he'd handle practicing against veterans when the full team arrives for mini-camp at the end of this month.
That's when Porter will see whether he can cover players like Marques Colston, David Patten and Devery Henderson.
