The New Orleans Saints might have a star on their hands in rookie returns specialist Deonte Harris. Harris has made the leap from small-school Assumption College to the NFL, fielding punts and kickoffs in front of crowds 70,000-strong after setting NCAA records in front of maybe 3,000 spectators each week. Some growing pains are to be expected.
Saints coach Sean Payton acknowledged as much after Harris’s rough game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in which he muffed one punt and fumbled another after being tackled during a return. Payton expressed faith in the rookie’s ability to figure out the nuances of fielding punts at the pro level during his weekly media conference call.