METAIRIE, La. -- Delvin Breaux's remarkable comeback story from a broken neck in high school to his first shot at the NFL nine years later keeps getting better.

The New Orleans Saints cornerback stole the show during Wednesday's organized team activities practice while getting a chance to work with the starting defense in place of injured veteran Brandon Browner.

Among the highlights were a spectacular one-handed interception during 7-on-7 drills and two pass break-ups on the final two plays of practice to stall Drew Brees' 2-minute drill.

"I kind of felt after making play after play today and being close to the ball, my confidence started rising," Breaux said. "I have to continue to keep doing that daily, not just today."

Breaux, 25, had to take the back roads to the NFL after breaking three vertebrae in his neck and damaging a blood vessel while covering a kick for New Orleans' McDonough 35 High School football team in 2006. Breaux has said in the past that a doctor who treated him told him he should have died on the field.

As a result, Breaux never played in college and passed through semi-pro football, the Arena Football League and Canadian Football League. But he finally swayed the NFL with an impressive two-year run with the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats -- to the point where at least 13 teams brought him in for tryouts. The 6-foot-1, 196-pounder chose to play for his hometown team.

Breaux is still decidedly on New Orleans' roster "bubble" after migrating this year from the Canadian Football League -- especially at a cornerback position that's loaded with contenders, including three new free agents and two draft picks.

But Breaux had already shown enough to earn steady work with the second-string defense as an outside corner throughout OTAs. And if he continues to flash like he did during Wednesday's practice, the opportunity is there for him.

"He's doing well, he's picked things up," Saints coach Sean Payton said. "The mental element of it he's handled pretty well. He's in real good shape, you can see that now. We'll just continue to work on the fundamentals.

"But he's handled things, the installation, all of that really well, and that's encouraging. He made some plays today."

The best play of them all was the interception during 7-on-7 passing drills, when Breaux leaped up high, reached back and cradled the ball with one hand to snag it away from receiver Josh Morgan.

Breaux also rejected at least four passes during practice -- including the final two that kept Brees and the offense out of the end zone in a spirited hurry-up drill.

"That was a heck of a grab," Breaux admitted when asked about the interception. "I have to continue to keep making those plays. I want to win a Super Bowl here. Those plays right there will be a difference maker."

Breaux, who was a CFL all-star and was widely regarded as one of the best talents in the league, toed that line between humility and confidence quite a few times during Wednesday's interview -- which, really, is the best possible combination for a young corner trying to survive life on that island.

"I just [need to] get in the playbook more, do what the coaches tell me to do, just be an instinctive player, know what route's coming," Breaux said. "That's going to take time with film study of other opponents and me just having the confidence of knowing I can be one of the best corners in the league."

Breaux recently described himself as "a strong-character guy, a guy who's never quit, a guy who's determined and motivated to not just chase my dreams but accomplish those dreams." And he said it "feels great" to get this opportunity with his hometown team.

"I get phone calls from my mom every day, and I just tell her every day that I'm excited and I'm happy that I'm here with this organization. And we're trying to win a Super Bowl," said Breaux, who considers himself a "seasoned rookie" -- experienced enough to know what's expected of him but raw enough to try and absorb all he can from his new veteran teammates.

Breaux proudly revealed Wednesday that his teammates had started referring to him by his longtime nickname, "Chip," which he got in little league. He explained that he and his brother had different skin tones, so he became, "Chocolate Chip" and his brother, "Buttercup."

"I told them they can start calling me Chip … that's my nickname," Breaux said. "They were like, ‘We can do that now, you made some plays.'"