"New Orleans Saints tight end Jeremy Shockey said he's been excited to watch Minnesota Vikings tight end Visanthe Shiancoe break out over the past two years in Minnesota. Shiancoe spent his first four seasons with the New York Giants as Shockey's backup before he left in free agency.

Shiancoe (6 feet 4, 250 pounds) had a career-high 56 catches for 566 yards and 11 touchdowns this year, then added an 11-yard touchdown catch in last week's playoff win over Dallas.

"That was from me. That was from being my backup for a couple years," Shockey joked. "He's a great guy. It's good to see the success he's had. He had a Pro Bowl year in my opinion, even though he didn't get voted in. He's developing into one of the best tight ends in the league.

"It broke my heart (when Shiancoe left New York). But I'm proud of the success he's had. He deserves it."

As for his own success since leaving New York, Shockey said he didn't want to dwell on the past.

Shockey didn't exactly enjoy his last Super Bowl run, when the Giants won the NFL championship two years ago. Shockey suffered a broken leg late in the season, then began to feel alienated from the team during Super Bowl week. He felt slighted for having to purchase his own flight and not being able to join his team on the sideline during the game. The rift continued to grow from there, and he was eventually traded to New Orleans before the 2008 season."