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Light-Sensitive Warner To Start

December 29, 2000 / 7:30 PM EST / CBS/AP

A day before the St. Louis Rams' wild-card game, quarterback Kurt Warner was adjusting to an uncomfortable byproduct of his concussion.

Warner, who left practice early Thursday for a scheduled checkup, complained to doctors about being sensitive to light. It was still bothering him in Friday's practice, although he will start Saturday against New Orleans.

On Wednesday, Warner said he had been headache-free for two days. Light sensitivity began bothering him on Thursday, he said.

"The biggest thing I notice is when I look at the snow or I go in where it's really bright, I kind of have to squint," Warner said. "My eyes are real sensitive to bright things, like sitting up in our meeting rooms where the boards are all white I notice I'm real sensitive to it and I think it kind of affects things a little bit."

Team doctors told Warner that light sensitivity is common the week after a concussion. He passed the checkup.

"I didn't have a lot of concerns, it was just that I wasn't feeling completely normal," Warner said. "So I just wanted to bring it to their attention and go through the tests and make sure everything checked out fine."

Coach Mike Martz said Warner acted differently in practice Thursday and perhaps was a little quieter, maybe because he was apprehensive about the exam. Like Warner, he was relieved about the results.

"The doctors maintained all along that he was fine," Martz said. "But we were trying to be cautious with that and make sure he was OK. All that stuff got resolved and he's fine."

Warner said the condition hasn't affected him in practice.

"So I'm not really concerned about it," he said. "It was just one of those things that wasn't normal, so you always question yourself and say 'Could there be something more serious, could there be some damage in there,' and so I wanted to get it checked out."

Wide receiver Torry Holt has a bruised right foot and turf-infected left elbow. Holt, who led the NFL with 1,635 receiving yards, skipped practice Thursday but participated in the walkthrough on Friday and said he'd play.

Marshall Faulk, who ran for 220 yards on 32 carries and scored three touchdowns last week, has had limited work in practice due to general stiffness. But Martz has been impressed with Faulk's ability to bounce back.