Jackson, MS. (RCA Records)--With morning practice being rained out, the pressure was on as the sky cleared. As New Orleans Saints' Coach Sean Peyton told the assembled players at today's practice, "Last year, as a rookie, we overlooked some things. But as a second year player, we really needed to see some things..."
For Kenny Chesney, the only artist to sell over a million concert tickets each of the past seven summers, that meant digging in and going deep. With running back Reggie Bush and tight end Jeremy Shockey both on the field, the Luttrell, Tennessean ran 10 or 12 plays with the Saints first team, again catching passes from quarterback Drew Brees.
Executing a successful play called "a post" and also a wide receiver reverse that he would've scored on -- except "(defensive end) Will Smith had me," this year's practice at Millsap's College was indeed a full practice rather than last year's walk through. Like last year, though, Chesney closed out the day catching punts.
"As good a shape as you think you're in - and people know I work out pretty hard," Chesney said after, "you get out here and you know what in shape really means. These guys are in unbelievable condition, and just keeping up makes me feel like I'm hitting my marks."
Classically understated, Chesney fails to mention catching a 45 yard punt. Not only did he make the play, but because he managed to catch it, Coach Peyton gave the players next Sunday off. In assessing the unlikely draftee's improvement and performance, the Coach opined, "We really did need to see some things. We saw it today. Chesney is part of our team."
Having played to 46,871 last weekend at Detroit's Ford Field, 57, 394 at Boston's Gillette Stadium and 49.232 at Nashville's LP Field - as well as helping Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young and Dave Matthews have a first day sell-out for the 23rd Farm Aid Concert, Chesney knows how to hit hard on the grid iron. It stands to follow, suiting up and taking practice with the New Orleans Saints is just taking things a little more literally.
"When you grow up in East Tennessee, like a lot of places, sports is everything," Chesney says. "I quit growing too young to ever think about getting to have a shot at playing even in college, so this is about the most fun I can have. It's like having a lot of these players come out and sing with us during 'Back Where I Come From'... sometimes just having the moment to feel what it's like to do it is the greatest feeling in the world."
With "Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven," the lead single from his highly introspective Lucky Old Sun, in play - and landing at #22 in its first week on Billboard's Country Singles chart, Chesney is ready to rock long after his Corona Extra sponsored Poets & Pirates Tour wraps up. With some of the most personal - and in places fun - music of his career about to come out, these are the moments Kenny Chesney lives for.
