"After taking a handoff in Saturday's practice, Texans running back Steve Slaton headed left until he saw a throng of defenders collapsing on him.

In an instant, Slaton changed direction and headed right, running across most of the field and exploding through a cornerback.

The quick cuts that made Slaton so successful as a rookie are re-emerging on the field. The move not only signified Slaton is back in full form, but it also symbolized his contrasting first two seasons.

Putting his successes and failures behind him, Slaton, 24, is fighting to prove he can be the starting running back again for the Texans.

"That's what training camp is all about," Slaton said. "It's about coming out here and learning from the mistakes that you've made and showing the coaches what you have."

Slaton (5-9, 199) insists he doesn't believe in the sophomore slump, but his second season couldn't have gone much worse. Through 11 games, he carried 131 times for 437 yards and three touchdowns, a major drop from his rookie season, when he rushed for 1,282 yards and nine touchdowns on 268 carries. He also totaled 1,659 yards from the line of scrimmage. "