CMT News

Kenny Chesney will work out with the New Orleans Saints on Friday (Aug. 17), the day before their pre-season game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The training coincides with his Thursday (Aug. 16) night concert at Cincinnati's Riverbend Music Center. The 5-foot-6-inch Chesney, who was a wide receiver for the Eagles football team during his days at Gibbs High School in Luttrell, Tenn., met Saints head coach Sean Payton in 2002. "Over the years, we'd become really good friends because there's a very mutual respect for what the other one does," Chesney says. On being invited to the practice, he explains, "They wanna see if I can make some kind of contribution. They realized they were gonna be up there when I was playing Cincinnati, and they wanted to make it work. Turns out a lot of the guys on the team were fans, and Sean said they really wanted to do it." Chesney will dress out in shorts, a jersey and helmet to go through their workout and practice. "The day before I get there will be very intense, but I can't be there for that," he says. "This is more about going over game situations, being out there in the huddle with [quarterback] Drew Brees and [running back] Reggie Bush ... and I imagine it'll be a whole lot faster than when I was in high school."