One school of NFL thought teaches that rookies should be seen not heard. Safety Kenny Vaccaro does not believe in such a doctrine.
During Wednesday's practice, the New Orleans Saints' first-round pick fought for a catch with tight end Jimmy Graham, then threw the ball at Graham's head.
"It almost turned into a brawl, but we're both cool," Vaccaro said. "We understand that we're just competing and sometimes things get heated."
Vaccaro also flattened running back Pierre Thomas on Tuesday during a supposed non-contact drill. Last Thursday, during the team's first padded practice, Vaccaro took swipes at fullback Austin Johnson and threw running back Travaris Cadet to the ground by his shoulder pads.
"I love football. I'm reckless," Vaccaro said. "That's just the way I am. I have a physical nature. If anything you have to slow me down before you speed me up. I approach every practice like that and it's not going to stop until somebody says, 'Hey, relax,' Every team needs a guy that's going to be like that -- a little craziness, a little edge to him."
We love that Vaccaro already is embracing this role in his first training camp. Coach Sean Payton spoke to the media about being aggressive "the right way," but he hasn't said a word to Vaccaro about calming down.
That's because Payton knows this is exactly what the Saints' defense needs.
"Offensive guys obviously don't like it," Vaccaro said. "I think Rob (Ryan) loves it. Everybody is watching and everybody sees. Real recognize real."
The Around The League Podcast is now available on iTunes! Click here to listen and subscribe.
