Former LSU star returns home in new role

~ Early Doucet will be among the Saints' opposition in Saturday's NFC playoff game

TEMPE, Ariz. -- The last time Early Doucet played in the Superdome, he helped lead Louisiana State to the 2007 national title.

An all-night party erupted on the streets outside the dome as the Tigers faithful celebrated a BCS title game win over Ohio State.

On Saturday, Doucet will return as a member of the Arizona Cardinals, bent on knocking the New Orleans Saints out of the NFL playoffs.

The one-time hero could become a villain. But Doucet isn't thinking that way.

"It's not going to be weird, actually," said Doucet, a product of St. Martinville, La. "I'm going to have some good memories. The last time I played there was for a college national championship, and I did real well. So hopefully I can go back there and have a repeat performance and have our team get a victory."

Doucet probably could have filled an entire end zone with friends and relatives, but he capped his pass list at 25.

If Doucet plays like he did last weekend, his homecoming may be a happy one.

With Anquan Boldin sidelined by left ankle and knee injuries, Doucet stepped in and caught six passes for 77 yards, including two touchdowns, as the Cardinals outdueled Green Bay 51-45 in overtime in a wild card game.

Doucet didn't catch a TD pass in his first 16 NFL games. He has three in his last three games.

"Now you're starting to see the potential," Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner said. "You're starting to see the talent.

"It's always fun to see young guys get an opportunity and then excel with that opportunity, I think I enjoy that as much as anybody because so much of my career was built around that same thing -- being that guy that just needed that opportunity, and once I got it was able to make it happen for myself. And I think that's kind of like what Early's done."

Doucet's emergence is good news for the high-powered Cardinals attack, which kept on clicking even without Boldin last week.

The defending NFC champions expect another high-scoring game Saturday at New Orleans, and that means they'll probably need another big game from Doucet, the No. 3 receiver behind Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston. Boldin has not practiced this week, and his availability is expected to be a game-day decision.

Doucet's willingness to take on defenders reminds many in Cardinals camp of Boldin. Doucet sees the comparison as a compliment.

"As a receiver, you want to strike fear in the defender's eyes," said Doucet, who is 6 foot and 212 pounds. "You've got DBs who, nine times out of 10, are only going to be 175, 180 pounds. So I'm winning in that category. You just want to go out there and be tough and be physical and let them know that they're going to have to think twice before they come in and try to make the tackle on you."

One of the highlights of Doucet's career came just up the road from Cardinals headquarters. In 2005, he made the winning touchdown catch late in the fourth quarter of LSU's victory at Arizona State. The game had been moved to the desert in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Two years later, Doucet helped lead the Tigers to the national title, catching seven passes for 57 yards and a touchdown against Ohio State in the BCS title game in New Orleans.

The Cardinals had high expectations when they drafted Doucet in the third round in 2008. But his rookie year was interrupted by a hamstring injury, and he played in only seven games, with 14 catches for 90 yards and no touchdowns.

This season, Doucet was slightly more productive, with 17 catches for 214 yards and a TD.

Boldin's injury created an opportunity, but Doucet had also been gaining time with improved play on special teams.

Now it's going to be hard to keep him out of the lineup.

"The thing is he earned it," Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "It wasn't given to him. He's had to work and fight and scrap to get in. And once you do that, you don't want to give it up. I have no doubt that's a big part of the reason why he's had success."