Bradley Handwerger / WWLTV.com Sports Reporter
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – As the clock wound down to triple zeroes on the scoreboard Sunday in New Orleans’ dramatic 30-27 win over Carolina, most players streamed onto the field, shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries with the afternoon’s opponent.
Well, most people did.
Carolina tight end Jeremy Shockey, formerly of the Saints, darted away from the field, immediately heading for the home team’s tunnel.
“Plain and simple, I love Shockey,” Saints safety Roman Harper said. “He’s a great teammate. He may be a little crazy. But I love the dude. Love him to death. I could hang and bang with my man Shock all day.
“He’s probably just a little mad. I will definitely give him a call, though, telling him, ‘You have to come dap me up and hug me.’”
The Saints jettisoned Shockey after three seasons having him in the locker room.
In the week leading up to the game, Shockey spoke of getting dumped by New Orleans.
Throughout he was pounding the ground, talking trash and, when the Panthers were on defense, telling coaches and teammates the Saints audibles and any information he could dispense with to give his new team an advantage.
“That’s vintage Shockey,” Saints quarterback Drew Brees said. “I was picturing him all week going into the defensive coaches saying this is what they do, these are their signals, this is their snap count and all this other stuff. That’s pretty funny.”
Shockey, who caught three passes for 21 yards, said playing New Orleans wasn’t any extra motivation.
“I talk during the game,” he said. “There is nothing different. Football players get traded, get released. You play the same faces, different numbers, whatever. We lost again. It sucks. It hurts.
“We should have won it and we did not.”
