METAIRIE, La. (AP) -Scott Shanle may be the last person to get caught up in his sudden surge in popularity, resulting largely from the first two interceptions in his seven-year career.
“Darren Sharper – what’s he at, 57 now?” Shanle said after practice this week. “I’ve got 55 more to go to tie him.”
With interceptions in each of New Orleans’ first two games, Shanle ranks second on the Saints in that category this season. He’s one behind Sharper, who also is the NFL’s active career interception leader.
Shanle has never really fancied himself a big-play guy so much as a right-play guy, which might explain why he quietly went about his job so well last season that teammates named him the Saints’ most valuable defensive player, ahead of defensive captain and team tackles leader Jonathan Vilma.
Shanle was second on the Saints in tackles in 2008 with 87, including two sacks and a forced fumble.
Through the first two weeks of this season, the 6-foot-2, 245-pound veteran leads the team in tackles with 16.
ally been the type of guy that needed to have the attention,” Shanle said. “I’ve felt like if I do my job, good things will result from it. I was a seventh-round pick. This is my seventh year in the league, so obviously, I’ve been doing something right. Somebody in a position of power has felt like I’ve done a good job, so that’s really all that matters to me.”
The former Nebraska standout began his pro career with the St. Louis Rams in 2003 but was waived before his rookie season ended. Dallas claimed him off waivers, however, and he stuck there until the Saints traded for him in 2006, the same year former Cowboys assistant Sean Payton took over as head coach in New Orleans.
Shanle has started at weakside linebacker the last three seasons. While teammates say he’s almost always where he’s supposed to be, based on the defense that is called, his lack of highlights made him an easy target for fans who were growing impatient with the Saints’ wide-ranging struggles on defense in recent seasons.
When Derrick Brooks became a free agent and the Saints brought him in for a workout, fans called sports talk shows en mass to express their wish that Brooks replace Shanle.
The Saints, however, have yet to sign Brooks, while Shanle is suddenly no stranger to highlight reels any more.
that it’s to replace Scott Shanle. That really couldn’t be further from the truth. He’s playing well. He’s smart. He can run well. He got his hands on a ball last week which was a big play for us. He’s someone who is getting a lot of snaps, not only in the base but in the nickel as well.”
Vilma, who played every defensive snap for the Saints in 2008 after being traded to New Orleans from the New York Jets, was quick to praise Shanle’s play as well.
“He’s been that consistent guy week in and week out and that quiet guy. Right now I’m really excited for him because he’s making big plays, so now people are taking more notice of him and the way he plays,” Vilma said. “He’s definitely a very athletic linebacker for his size. He can move, he can run, he can cover, so for us, having him have that athleticism is great … and he can fly around and he makes plays.”
Shanle said he was aware of fans’ calls for the Saints to bring in Brooks. He knew he’d been a target for criticism on Internet message boards over recent seasons. He said he never let it bother him for the same reasons he won’t get carried away with his recent spate of interceptions.
“It really doesn’t affect me too much. I have a good understanding of how the people in this building feel about me – upstairs and in this locker room,” Shanle said, referring to the second-floor offices of Payton and general manager Mickey Loomis at Saints headquarters. “I know as far as I’ve been in the league, message boards and blogs have never gotten a team to sign anybody or get rid of anybody.”
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