Saints Release Deuce McAllister

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In what had to be one of this offseason’s most difficult decisions, the New Orleans Saints released beloved running back Deuce McAllister today. Deuce has had a magnificent career. Not only is he one of the best players to ever don a Saints uniform (he’s the team’s career rushing leader with 6,069 yards), he’s also one of the most revered athletes in his community. He spoke at length about the difficult decision:

“They say all good things must come to an end. As a player, this is a day that you dread happening. If you don’t go out on your own terms, this is eventually a possibility that may occur. And, to the fans of the New Orleans Saints, it’s been a blessing and an honor to be able to play every Sunday, Monday and Thursday, or whatever day it may have been and just to hear my name and my teammates’ names to be called and through the good and the bad times that we’ve obviously had together, from going through a situation like Katrina and then having an opportunity in 2006 to play in the NFC Championship game. To have all those things happen to me and for me, I’ve been blessed. I just want to tell everyone thank you.”

This actually ended up seeming more like a retirement presser. And with Deuce’s recent string of injuries (including reconstructive surgery on both knees), it might as well have been. I’m not sure at 30-years-old that he’ll be able to catch on with another team. Which means there’s an outside chance he could return to New Orleans for considerably less than the $7 million he was scheduled to make this season. But I doubt it. All I can say is that Deuce has always been a class act both on and off the field. I had the opportunity to interview him twice — once when he was a senior at Ole Miss and another time on a conference call following Katrina. I have a great deal of respect for him and the great player and person he is.

Source: NewOrleansSaints.com, Photo: Newscom