Associated Press
Chris Naeole grimaces in pain after being injured
at the Saints' training camp yesterday.
Naeole suffers
knee injury
The Saints' No. 1 pick will be out
Associated Press
for at least four weeksLA CROSSE, Wis. -- Chris Naeole, the 311-pound offensive lineman who was the New Orleans Saints' No. 1 draft pick, will miss at least four weeks after collapsing during a routine drill with a sprained and dislocated left knee. "He'll start rehabilitation here at camp first thing tomorrow morning," Saints spokesman Greg Bensel said last night.
Naeole was taken off the practice field on a cart yesterday. He sprained a ligament and dislocated his kneecap, Bensel said.
Naeole, 22, will not require surgery or suffer any permanent damage, Bensel said.
"He was just doing one-on-one drills," coach Mike Ditka said. "With all the drills we do, running, hitting, it happened on a little one-on-one."
The 6-foot-3 Naeole went down while grappling with defensive tackle Emile Palmer. Palmer, who is 6-3 and weighs 320 pounds, said it was a straight-on, bull rush, not a play during which he would expect someone to get injured.
"I came out of my stance and went to my rush, then I could tell something happened," Palmer said. "I didn't hear anything, but his legs just got weak all of a sudden. He was hurt real bad."
Naeole was on the ground for five minutes while team officials tended to him, then he was taken off the field on a cart.
The 10th overall pick out of Colorado, Naeole signed a five-year, $7.9 million contract on Thursday.
