METAIRIE, La. -- It seemed like Kenny Vaccaro was the only New Orleans Saints safety who didn’t wind up on injured reserve last season -- the fate that befell teammates Jairus Byrd, Rafael Bush and Vinnie Sunseri.

But when you ask Vaccaro what he’s most looking forward to in 2015, his answer is the same as all the others: Being healthy.

"I feel good. I’m 100. I got my body back right. I feel like I’m in just as good of shape as I was my rookie year, finally," said Vaccaro, who battled a series of injuries throughout last season, including a hamstring injury he hadn't revealed before.

Vaccaro said he was still fighting through the nagging pain of the fractured ankle he suffered in December 2013 for most of last season. On top of that, he said he suffered a grade 2 hamstring tear in Week 1 and a grade 2 quad tear in December.

"I think I was in denial about it a little bit," said Vaccaro, who was eventually deactivated in Week 17 because an MRI showed the quad injury was worse than initially thought. "My ankle really hurt the whole season, and I kinda just masked it, had to get through it. At the same time, we lost two safeties so I’m not about to just go down. And I had the hamstring and the quad, two tears. ... So it sucked, but at the same time, I’m out there, and if I’m out there and I’m playing, I gotta execute. ...

"But no excuses this year. I’m healthy, and I’m just ready to play."

Vaccaro’s sophomore season was a major disappointment for a number of reasons. Huge things were expected from him after his breakout rookie season, in which he finished third in the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.

But Vaccaro and the entire Saints defense struggled mightily on the field, plagued by blown assignments in the secondary and missed tackles -- two issues which Vaccaro admittedly struggled with while making the adjustment from a nickelback role to a full-time strong safety role.

Vaccaro was temporarily demoted to a sub-package role in Week 15, though yet another injury quickly thrust him back into the starting lineup.

"We went 7-9. I didn’t have the season I wanted to. It was just a long season, injuries, (allowing) big, explosive plays. I’ve never went through anything like that, really," said Vaccaro, who hopes to use all of those experiences to his benefit.

"I grew a lot," Vaccaro said. "You have a lot of time to think when you’re not in the playoffs."

Vaccaro also grew physically. He said he started training earlier than he usually would because he was so eager to get back to work. And he’s now noticeably thicker. He said he’s up to about 220 pounds from his listed weight of 214.

"I had a bad taste the whole offseason, and I went to work quick," Vaccaro said.