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JACKSON, Miss. -- Punt return drills had different look to them Saturday as the New Orleans Saints finished up their evening practice.

Adrian McPherson, wearing his red quarterback practice jersey, was back on the goal line hauling in kicks.

Coach Sean Payton said he has been impressed with McPherson's progress at quarterback. But if McPherson can't work his way up to second-string behind projected starter Drew Brees, Payton doesn't want to see the former Florida State standout's all-around talent go to waste.

"I want to see him do a lot of things. He's a great athlete. He might be the best athlete on the team," Payton said. "To give a guy a full opportunity to make the team, it would be smart of me to see him do some things other than just take snaps. Can he catch the ball at receiver, can he return punts, can he cover? Because the more he can do, the better his chances are for making the team."

McPherson, 23, can run 40 yards in 4.5 seconds. He was the first athlete in Florida high school sports history to be named both Mr. Football and Mr. Basketball.

But in 2002 he threw away a promising career at Florida State and a likely hefty NFL payday when he got in trouble with the law for stealing checks and cashing them.

After he had finished his sentence and probation, he played a season of Arena Football. Then the Saints took a chance on him. McPherson is entering the second year of a three-year contract that pays him about $1.1 million total.

If he can make things happen on the field, even if not at quarterback, he could prove to have been a bargain.

"He's demonstrated athleticism, obviously," Payton said.

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^SELLING OUT:@ The Saints' vice president of ticket sales says he anticipates his department having to begin compiling a waiting list this fall.

While it remains possible to buy seats in various price ranges for the Saints' 2006 eight-game home schedule in the Louisiana Superdome, Mike Stanfield said the dome is expected to be sold out for every game.

"We expect to have sellouts on season tickets and not sell any single-game tickets," said Stanfield, who accompanied the Saints to training camp in Jackson.

The Saints have opened practices in Jackson to the public, and ticket office staff are handing out brochures and answering questions for area fans interested in buying season tickets as the team looks to expand its fan base regionally. New Orleans is about a three-hour drive south from Jackson.

The Saints' season tickets sales already have broken an all-time record in the team's four-decade history, surpassing 55,000 as of the last official update released by the team in late May.

Before Hurricane Katrina, the Superdome could hold as many as 70,000 for a football game, although the Saints' official sellout figure had been set at 64,900 to cut down on the potential for local television blackouts. Stanfield said he is not sure what capacity will be this season because extensive interior renovations to the dome have yet to be finished.

However, he said sales tend to pick up in August as the regular season approaches, and that if past trends are any indication, his sellout prediction will come true.

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^HIGH HEAT:@ When the Saints held training camp in suburban New Orleans, they had options when temperatures rose, thanks to their air conditioned, indoor field.

At Millsaps, there's no such luxury, which took a toll on some. Left tackle Jammal Brown was taken out of morning practice early because of dehydration. He was given fluids intravenously, but returned for the afternoon practice.

A trainer monitoring the field temperature said it was 96 degrees, with 40 percent humidity and a heat index of 105 degrees.

Still, a solid crowd of 1,927 filled much of the stands at the on-campus stadium during afternoon practice.

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Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press

This story is from ESPN.com's automated news wire. Wire index