Saints defensive tackle Hollis Thomas underwent surgery on a torn triceps muscle on Thursday and will be out at least two months.

Veteran defensive tackle Brian Young (arthritic knee) returned to practice on Thursday as the Saints prepared for their Saturday night preseason game against the Houston Texans.

The Saints were counting on Thomas, a 13-year veteran, to be a run stopper and a 335-pounder who could provide a push on the quarterback. Thomas is 34 and may be placed on the injured reserve list which would mean he would be out for the season.

The Saints will be counting on their No. 1 draft choice Sedrick Ellis to fill Thomas' place. in the front four. The Saints also have able defensive tackles in veterans Kendrick Clancy and Antwan Lake available as replacements. Free agent rookie defensive tackle Orien Harris is enjoying a good camp.

Saints guard Jehri Evans and Texans defensive tackle Earl Cocker were involved in a pushing match in the morning workout. Players from both teams separated the two shovers before it developed into anything more.

Saints tight end Billy Miller, a former Texan, caught up with old friends during the workouts with Houston. He was one of the best talkers the Texans ever had and also scored the franchise's first touchdown.

Saints cornerback Aaron Glenn is another former Texan and is trying to extend his 15-year career a little longer and stay close to home. His family is all in Houston. He was with the Jaguars last season.

The teams practiced at the Saints training facility on Thursday morning and the Texans moved to the Superdome for the afternoon drill. The Saints have Friday off.

The coaches are paranoid about risking injury to their players, so there was little contact between the two teams.

As the preseason winds down, coach Sean Payton and his staff have to begin thinking about the two mandatory roster cutdowns. The current 80-man roster shrinks to 75 on Aug. 26 and teams must get down to the regular-season limit of 53 players on Aug. 30.

"We've still got a lot of work to do and there really aren't any jobs etched in stone," said Payton. "These guys are competing, really, for 53 spots that are difficult to make.

"This becomes difficult. It's serious for every one of these guys because they understand that on a given play, a given series, a lot can happen. Our job as coaches is to give them the best stuff, give them the best script, give them the best plan to allow them to play their best. It's that's time of the year."

Injured rookie wide receiver Adrian Arrington (turf toe) is not expected back until the fourth preseason game "I heard if I kept doing what I was doing I could be an asset to the team," said Arrington. "I felt I like I did enough to get recognized but I've got to get iinto these preseason games to show the coaches what I can do against other teams and what they can expect from me during the season."

Payton said he plans to play his starters more against the Texans than last week against the Cardinals."Whether it's to the half depends on the reps they're getting," said the coach.

The 7 o'clock game will be televised by WVUE Ch. 8.

The Saints further underscored their commitment to supporting youth football statewide on all levels by partnering with the Louisiana High School Athletic Association to create "The New Orleans Saints - LHSAA Game of the Week," it was announced by the club on Thursday. Tenn prep regular-season games and four playoff contests will be televised live on Cox Sports Television (CST), with the Saints sponsoring the games over rthe next two years to make the broadcasts possible.

"Louisiana has a rich tradition in high school football, and our club is committed to supporting the growth of the sport in this state," said, Rita Benson LeBlanc, Saints owner/executive vice president. "High school programs have supplied the fundamentals for players on almost every NFL roster over the years. We are thrilled to be a part of this partnership and bring our resources to the LHSAA."

The broadcasts will give high school players the opportunity to showcase their skills on television, including "Saints Play of the Game" and "Saints Drive Summary" features. When possible and as facilities allow, the Saints will bring the "Saints Game Day Experience" to local schools, with inflatable, football-related activities for area youth.

"Partnering with the Saints in creating the first ever LHSAA Game of the Week seems like a natural fit for all Louisiana football fans," said Kenny Henderson, LHSAA commissioner. "Our member schools, coaches and players will benefit from the many resources the Saints have to offer."

On Friday TEAMSMILE, a non-profit organization founded by Dr. Bill Busch, will provide about 100 children with free oral health care screenings and treatments from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Saints training facility. On Saturday, the children, parents and volunteers will attend the Saints game. The program is supported by Henry Schein Dental.

In its upcoming issue, Forbes Magazine has declared Nick Saban, Alabama head coach, the most powerful coach in sports. The former LSU coach is featured on the cover of the magazine and is the first college coach to appear on Forbes' cover since the periodical was started in 1917. The story on Saban says no other coach has Saban's "combination of money, control and influence."

SOME HITHER, OTHERS YON: Drew Brees has a new look, a goatee, grown in Jackson during training camp. "My wife thinks it's all right for now, so I guess it'll stay," said the quarterback...The younger LSU players are having fun with Tigers defensive end Kirston Pittman, 23, who was granted another year of eligibility by the NCAA after he missed two seasons with injuries. "I'm getting the old jokes every day," said Pittman. "One kid told me I helped Jesus carry the cross. They said I was here when Billy Cannon was here and that was for the 1958 championship.".After Saturday's afternoon scrimmage, the Tigers will break camp on Sunday.LSU opens the season on Aug. 30 against Appalachian State...Giants receiver Plaxico Burress,  in his new book, writes that Nick Saban, his coach at Michigan State, did a lot of lousy things during their time together with the Spartans. "When Saban got mad or something happened, he would just spaz out, flip out," write Burress. He writes that in a conversation with Giants teammate Sam Madison, who played for Saban with the Dolphins, Burress tried to tell Madison why he doesn't like Saban, but Madison beat him to it by saying, "He don't have no people skills." And Burress reminds readers of his book what everyone who follows football knows: Saban regularly lies about his future plans...The Florida Gators have lost five players with torn ACLs in preseason drills...

Alan Donnes has written a book about the Saints; 2006 season :"Patron Saints: How the Saints Gave New Orleans a Reason to Believe." The inspirational story of that run to the NFC Championship is written in the words of the people who made it happen. Donnes covered the Saints as a sports reporter from 1986-94, establishing the largest independent radio network in the NFL. He has managed former heavyweight champion Larry Holmes, produced the nationally syndicated "National Lampoon Radio Hour, and is currently filming a "National Lampoon" movie. He is a Jesuit graduate..Donnes has survived two kidney transplants. He is donating much of his royalties to local charities...Who will be LSU's starting quarterback this season? The Tigers' offensive line may so good it may not matter. Can Tim Tebow win the Heisman Trophy again? Probably not. There is a reason one player (Archie Griffin of Ohio State, 1974-75) has won two Heismans since the award began in 1935. It's difficult. Tebow's numbers will drop off this season by design because Urban Henry wants to keep him fresh for the stretch run this season. Still, it's hard to bet against him...My time is up. Ed Staton can be reached at edcoachstaton@yahoo.com.