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SunHerald.com : Payton bans complacency from Saints' camp

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JACKSON --
Sean Payton grabbed the first T-shirt he saw just before he addressed the media Thursday night. It read, "Earn it."

Although the second-year New Orleans Saints coach said it was going to be used as a marketing campaign, that mantra fits perfectly for his team as it kicks off training camp practices at Millsaps College this morning.

"You're in an 'earn it' business," Payton said.

Payton has been preaching to the team that despite last year's successes, nothing will be handed to the team that was one win away from Super Bowl XLI a season ago. As the Saints begin another grueling camp today, Payton never wants the players to forget how easy it is to fall from the top of the mountain.

"There's a fine line from getting to the postseason and getting to the Super Bowl and coming up short," Payton said... I feel comfortable that this team is ready for a new challenge. The goal that we set out for last year, we fell short with in regards to playing for a championship... You start from scratch."

Most of the players were around for last year's grueling training camp and understand the rigors won't cease today or the rest of the time the team spends in Jackson.

"Unless you are training in a sauna, I don't think there is anything that can prepare you for Jackson, Mississippi," running back Reggie Bush said at the end of organized training activities in June. "I think that's the whole point of that. You can't prepare for it."

The team got its first salty taste back Thursday morning with a conditioning test and a light practice in the afternoon to get the players acclimated for a full-scale practice today.

Payton said it was one of the best conditioning test performances he's ever seen from a team he coached. He did admit, though, that some players didn't make their time in the running half of the test.

Although he said he didn't want to go into specifics about players, Payton was frank concerning the condition of beefy defensive tackle Hollis Thomas. The veteran lineman signed a four-year, $12 million contract in February, but Payton has been displeased with Thomas' conditioning during the Saints' offseason programs.

"He's not right where we want him, but he's getting there... He's heavy, but he's lighter than he was when he left in June," Payton said.

Defensive tackle Brian Young (foot), cornerback Usama Young (quad), right tackle Jon Stinchcomb (groin) and left guard Jamar Nesbit (illness) didn't take part in the running part of conditioning.

Young will be the only player out for a significant amount of time. Payton said Young could be out anywhere from 2-6 weeks with the goal being to have Young back for the regular-season opener in Indianapolis.

First-round pick Robert Meachem participated in everything Thursday, coming off knee surgery nearly two months ago. Payton said Meachem is still a work in progress.

Special-teams guru Steve Gleason won't be flying down the field on kick and punt returns this season. The Saints placed Gleason on injured reserve which will force him off the field for the entire season.

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