deuce mcallister- marching towards the bowl
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photo by steed media service
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Running Back, New Orleans Saints
In August of 2005, Deuce McAllister was preparing for what should have
been the best season of his pro career. After completing two
back-to-back seasons where he gained over 1,000 yards rushing and made
the Pro Bowl, McAllister and the New Orleans Saints were flirting with
becoming a perennial powerhouse of the NFL. However, days after the
Hurricane Katrina calamity, the New Orleans Superdome was partially
destroyed and the Saints were left without a home field. McAllister
eventually suffered a season-ending knee injury in what became the
worst year ever for the New Orleans Saints franchise. “In 2005, it was
us against the world,” McAllister says of the tumultuous season. “We
didn’t have a home game, there were a lot of distractions and the
entire year was very stressful. But we picked up the pieces and moved
on.” McAllister and the Saints surprised the entire NFL in 2006 by
winning 13 games and reaching the NFC Championship. McAllister also
returned to his All-Pro form by rushing for 1,057 yards and 10
touchdowns. But while McAllister was one of the top rushers in the NFL
in 2006, he was forced to share the backfield with rookie running back
Reggie Bush. “A lot of people want to make it out to be a war between
me and Reggie [Bush],” he says. “But we were one game away from making
the Super Bowl. So winning a championship is my focus. Reggie is a
young kid who is willing to learn the game and I’m willing to teach.” –
terry shropshire
