Professor

excerpt:

Pro Bowl running back Willie Parker practiced for the first time in nearly 10 days and said his knee is feeling fine, but he will not play in the preseason game against the Green Bay Packers tomorrow night and said he might not play next week in Washington, either.

Parker participated in light drills yesterday afternoon, his first work since coach Mike Tomlin surprisingly held him out of practice July 31. But Parker said he is in no hurry to get back on the field because he wants to be sure he does not aggravate the injury.

"I'm all right; I'm not concerned," Parker said. "I overworked [the knee] a little bit, went too hard in the offseason, and, when I got here, my body slowed down because I went so hard. I was overdoing it on the practice field and I needed some rest, some preseason time, to get better."

Tomlin said Parker will be replaced as the starter for the second consecutive game by Najeh Davenport. Neither Tomlin nor Parker has described the exact nature of the knee injury.

"I'm in no rush to play the next game, either," said Parker, referring to the Aug. 18 contest against the Redskins in Landover, Md. "I feel real good, but I'm not going to be stupid or re-aggravate it."

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