With two-and-a-half weeks of training camp behind them, the Saints returned to their training facility in Metairie on Tuesday for six more days of camp, including three practices with the Houston Texans.

The Saints meet the Texans in a preseason game on Saturday night in the Superdome. The NFL custom is for starters to play half a game in the second preseason matchup of the exhibition season.

Two-time country and western entertainer of the year winner Kenny Chesney, a close friend of coach Sean Payton's, arrived in Jackson in a tour bus on Monday morning for his annual workout with the Saints. Chesney, who earns about $80 million a year as an entertainer, worked out with the Saints last year when the team practiced in Cincinnati. On Monday, he donned a No. 7 Saints jersey (punter Steve Weatherford's number), a helmet, shorts, receivers gloves and football shoes and went through drills with wide receivers in individual drills. Chesney, 40, was a wide receiver in high school in Knoxville, Tenn., his hometown.

The singer shared some laughs with Drew Brees , Jeremy Shockey and Reggie Bush. Last year, Payton put Chesney under the gun by letting him field a punt after he told the team he would give them a day off of practice if Chesney could cleanly field a Weatherford punt. He did, and in the process, gained many new fans on the Saints' roster.

Chesney will perform on Thursday night in the New Orleans Arena before a sell-out crowd.

Chesney concluded Monday afternoon's practice when he fielded a punt from Weatherford on his third attempt. The players groaned when he missed the first two. After catching the third punt with difficulty, the players gave him a rousing cheer.

"I'm from Indiana, I'm a huge country fan," said Weatherford. "Obviously, if you like country at all, you've got to like Ken. Great singer, a great guy."

"I first met Sean (Payton) when he was an assistant with the Giants," said Chesney. "Over the years we've become good friends because there's a mutual respect for what the other one does. He's told me he loves how driven and focused I am about what I do. He loves the intensity I have when I'm onstage, and how passionate I am about what he does, too."

Deuce McAllister, recovering from knee surgery, was asked how he would measure his current progress on a scale of 1 to 10. "I'm not 100 per cent as far as having everything in the repertoire, but it's getting there," replied McAllister. "It's getting there. Every day that I go out, I'm able to get a little more explosion, a little more speed, another move that I hadn't been able to perform."

On Monday, Deuce caught a short pass from Brees and got into the end zone after barreling his way through the middle for a good gain.

Local radio talk show hosts have wide receiver Devery Henderson on the bubble for a spot on the final roster. He practiced on Monday and said that every player has to prove himself every year. He's also aware that he needs to be on the field regardless of whether he's fighting for a roster spot. He has been nursing a pulled hamstring.

Rookie wide receiver Adrian Arrington, who seems certain to make the final roster, has been hobbling around on crutches and will be out at least a week recovering from a bad case of turf toe. "Turf toe is like having the gout," said Saints radio analyst Hokie Gajan.

When Payton and Shockey atteneded a Chesney concert in New York in 2002, Shockey missed curfew.

SOME HITHER, OTHERS YON: Former LSU All-American center Sylvia Fowles scored 18 points as Team USA defeated China 108-63 at the 2008 Olympics on Monday night in Beijing. "I'm just having fun with these girls and being around them every day," said Fowles. "We all get along and I'm just loving the atmosphere right now." Former LSU star and teammate Seimone Augustus had eight points and two rebounds in the game. The Americans next play Mali on Wednesday...Jordan Jefferson is a serious candidate to be the first true freshman to play quarterback at LSU since Herb Tyler took over the spot in the eighth game of the 1995 season. He kept the job for the next three seasons. Andrew Hatch and Jarret Lee are battling for the starting quarterback job now, but coach Les Miles said, "Jordan has ability and is one of those guys that will take snaps this fall." A pressboxer reminded the Tigers coach that it's impossible for a true freshman to play quarterback in the SEC because the game is too fast, teams are too good, even Peyton Manning (Tennessee) split time. Said Miles: "Peyton Manning? He was a starter. Split time? I mean, so half the time he was a starter? So when he went onto he field he was not the starter? There isn't a question that you would love to redshirt your freshman class. Today's football doesn't allow you to do that. The ability to put your best team on the field may now involve a guy that comes in from high school. You have to get him ready, be smart, can't give him too much, can't overload him, but let's see what they got."...

The Touchdown Club of New Orleans will host the 41st annual "Meet the Saints Luncheon" on Friday, Aug. 22, at the Hilton Riverside. Doors for the gathering will open at 11 a.m. The luncheon will give fans an opportunity to enjoy lunch with the players, coaches and key front-office personnel. The program will include the introduction of each player by emcee Jim Henderson and a special awards presentation by coach Sean Payton. Henderson "roasts" the players during his introductions. Tickets are $42 and tables for 10 are $420. For information visit www.tdcno.or or call (504) 242-4545...Sunday's Fan Day at LSU drew 8,800 fans...Sound bite: San Diego coach Norv Turner on his rookie running back Jacob Hester, who scored two short touchdowns in the exhibition opener--"He's very good short-yardage runner and an end-of-the game runner." Hester, third=round draft choice, will replace Michael Turner, who will be the Falcons' featured back this season...New York loves stars and stars love New York. It's a match made in heaven.Here are the top five Big Apple sports stars: 1. Alex Rodriguez--News that Madonna had become a soulmate put him in a league of his own. 2. Derek Jeter--Four-time champ leads the league in dating beautiful women. 3. Brett Favre--Iron Man Hall of Fame icon has what Bill Parcells calls pelts on the wall. 4. Eli Manning--Rocketed up the list with improbable Super Bowl MVP trophy. 5. Mariano Rivera--Greatest closer in history, and four-time champ. Favre could make $25 million in endorsements, but said he wants to concentrate on playing football...

NFLShop.com sold 6,500 Farve's Jets jerseys in 24 hours after his trade to New York. That was a record number of jerseys sold of one player. On eBay, the average Favre item sold jumped in price from $24,60 they day before the trade to $47.86 after the trade. One jersey-maker said he's making 60,00 Favre jerseys. Brett gets six per cent of the wholesale price of the shirts...My time is up. Ed Staton can be reached at edcoachstaton@yahoo.com.