Jeremy Shockey gets back in the mix

New Orleans Saints veteran tight end Jeremy Shockey was back on the practice field Friday -- but not all the way back.

After recovering from a frightening episode last week when he experienced seizure-like symptoms in the Saints' weight room, Shockey was sidelined Friday by an unrelated case of back spasms.

He didn't participate in the morning practice, then he was limited to the walk-through portion and individual drills in the afternoon as the Super Bowl champions kicked off their three-day minicamp.

Shockey declined to comment, but Coach Sean Payton insisted that Shockey is fully recovered from last week's health scare, which Payton said was caused by low blood sugar and dehydration.

"What's holding him back right now is just his back, " said Payton, who described last week's incident as a "fainting episode rather than a seizure."

Shockey, too, previously had said on his Twitter account that the episode wasn't a seizure.

According to descriptions from teammates in the weight room, Shockey was convulsing for nearly a minute before he was revived. He then spent the night at a hospital for testing and observation.

"He had finished practicing, then was in the weight room and was just finishing a set on the bench press and felt faint, " said Payton, who added the only precautions needed for Shockey -- as well as the rest of the team -- is a continued emphasis on staying hydrated and eating enough before workouts. "You know, they got him hydrated, (did) all the tests over the weekend. Fortunately, they all came back positive."
Shockey was expected to fully participate in this weekend's minicamp, but Payton said at some point in the past 48 hours Shockey experienced back spasms.

Payton said Shockey has experienced similar back problems in the past. He described him as "day to day" but said there was no reason to rush him back to the practice field.

Click here to order Jeremy Shockey's proCane Rookie Card.



(nola.com)