Lounging in a black fold-out chair decorated with a gold fleur-de-lis, Richard Pleming wore a Saints jersey and watched Joe Horn sprint by on a pass route.

This was what he loved about New Orleans, and what he feared would be relegated to memory after Hurricane Katrina laid waste to large parts of the metro area last August, sending the Saints to a temporary home in Texas.

For a couple hours on a breezy Friday afternoon, Pleming - joined by his teenage son and nearly 400 other fans on metal bleachers - replaced the anxiety of the recent past with the excitement and hope that comes with a new season.

"The weather's beautiful, fans are actually showing up. The fan base is coming back and coming back strong," said Pleming, who lives not far from the Saints' training facility in suburban Metairie. "You don't give up on something that you've been rooting for so long. I was raised on this. The Saints are like family to me. It's going to take more than just that hurricane to make me not believe in them."

Fans didn't get to see some of their favorites as the first minicamp of 2006 opened. Running back Deuce McAllister continues to rehabilitate repaired ligaments in his knee. New quarterback Drew Brees is still recovering from surgery on his throwing shoulder. Small but speedy kick returner and receiver Michael Lewis remains a free agent without a contract. Receiver Donte Stallworth and defensive end Will Smith also were sidelined by minor shoulder injuries.

Although her New Orleans home was spared by the storm, damage to her neighborhood and the local school prompted her to move temporarily to Atlanta. She has rented out her house, so when she returns periodically she stays at her mother's house - but only upstairs since the lower level has been gutted due to flood damage.

"I'm not a regular, but I heard they were having practice, so I figured we'd come out and see them," Penn said, watching her son lean against the ropes around the practice field. "It's very nice to be able to take him here. New Orleans wouldn't be the same without the Saints. It's part of our cultural heritage."

Players signed autographs after practice. Brees was the first one there, jogging to the ropes the moment practice ended. Horn was the last to leave, having to be coaxed away by team officials.

While most players live west of the city, where storm damage was more cosmetic than catastrophic, some players have returned needing new places to live.

Offensive lineman Jammal Brown, the Saints' top draft pick last season, lost his eastern New Orleans house to Katrina. He plans to try to fix it up and sell it. For now, he lives on the west bank of the Mississippi River and is looking to buy a house north of Lake Pontchartrain.

While dealing with all that, he also must learn a new position, with new coach Sean Payton switching him from right tackle to the left side, an important change because it's Brees' blind side.

Payton said some players have been distracted by issues with home repairs or fights with insurance companies, but he was ready to accept those challenges.

"From a coaching standpoint, it's about measuring what kind of condition they're in right now, where we're at in each position group, but for this city ... I think there's a little bit more to it," Payton said.

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