Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to speak with New Orleans Saints DE Cam Jordan about his newest campaign off the field, his family, foundation, love of New Orleans, football and more.
TH: Tell us about the new Downy Drop-In campaign and what it was like to have the opportunity work with your mother in the commercial?
CJ: Honestly, what people don’t know is that she suffered a stroke in 2020. So, she literally be fighting to get back right, her whole left side when numb and it’s been an upward
battle to get to a sense of normalcy. She is walking with cane now and every day she is getting better. She was able to make the flight last year, and this her 2nd time in New Orleans since the stroke and it was for a commercial. So, her spirits were so uplifted, and I’m just forever grateful to have the opportunity to be able to put a smile on my mom’s face. Let alone, for her to start bashing on me about how I used to come in from practice as a kid and how sweaty I was. How many times she has to wash my clothes to get that football funk out or as she calls it “funkalious.” She’s like no, I can have my son smelling like hot dog water. So, to be able to use the Downy rinse, because anytime you can have clean clothes especially after a 2.5-hour practice, it’s preferred. Because it takes grit, hard work and it takes sweat, blood and tears to get where you’re at. So, the fact that she was able to come in and use the Downy, which is safe on all fabrics, it was amazing to one, have her be a part of it and two, it just allows you to be with mom.
TH: You began your NFL career with the Saints back in 2011, have since started the Cam Jordan Foundation to help make an impact the youth community. We see you spend your off days visiting local area schools, have established a youth camp and scholarship program through the foundation. So, tell me about your connection with New Orleans and what is it about our city and the community that moved you to want to make a difference here.
CJ: The key word is “our city.” When I got drafted by the Saints, I really got adopted by the city not the whole ‘I got drafted by the Saints and then they showed me where to go.’ I got drafted by the Saints in 2011; the lockout year and I didn’t have any connection with the Saints after I landed and got a playbook. It was like next time we see you be ready for football. It was like 5 months of obscurity. Was there going to be a football season? What’s gonna happen? So, my first friends were people in the city. They showed me love and they showed me care and compassion. It was so easy to reciprocate when you feel that family feel to it. So, the fact that I have been here for 15 seasons, I met my wife here, I’ve had 4 kids here, I have had the best times of my life here. I have the highest form of success here; it’s clearly a reason why I love being here so long and haven’t really touched free agency. I’ve never thought about leaving. When you have something so secure, why would you go check something else out? “If you like it, put a ring on it.” That’s what I’ve been trying to do for the last 15 seasons, I’ve been trying get this Super Bowl. I been on the hunt for a Super Bowl for the Black and Gold and even with this rocky start at 0-2, there is still so much time. There was a season where I think we went 0-2 and then rattled off 7 wins. So, when have a season like this, you have to continue building. When you have a locker room like we have, and we have a strong locker room, you look forward to having success, because you know it builds confidence.
But the reason I’m able to do what I do is off the field because I’m always inspired by the guys when I first got here, on the field like Will Smith (R.I.P), Malcolm Jenkins and his foundation, guys like Jonathan Vilma, Jimmy Graham and Mark Ingram working with kids with incarcerated fathers and his foundation. When I came in there so were so many guys giving back, doing such great things. You’re like man, they’re great athletes but they’re great people and they’re so in touch with how to give back and I wanted to be like that. So, when it was my own turn, I started doing school visits, when I felt like I got established enough, I started doing the C3 youth camps. You’ve got to start somewhere. So, whenever I look around, I’m always like I want to help other people but at the same time, I can be a rally point as well. So, when I got that notion that there are so many good people in and around New Orleans, that want to help and give back but don’t know where. I can be a beacon and like it’s fun. Because in my mind, a group project is the best project because you can go so much further than you can alone. At the same, if I’m the best version of me, how much more can I push my teammates. So, if I’m in group and see someone doing something creative, I feel inspired. I have teammates like Tyrann Mathieu and Demario Davis and their foundations, and as much as I want to participate, help and donate, I’m like man, I’m inspired by what you are doing, and I gotta elevate my game up. It’s like a silent challenge of how much more can I do because it seems like they have everything under lock. I am not sure where they find the energy and time but I gotta elevate my energy and time management. It’s just that idea that we can all create a positive impact with the kids and how I focus on the next level of education. How I have always talk to these kids in schools. I feel like I’m creating these ripples, and I want to create a wave. So, with the Cam Jordan Foundation and our ability to start up the legacy scholarship program, where last year we were able to send 4 kids to college, that’s a wave! These kids will go to college for 4 years, paid for in-state tuition. We sent out 4 kids, but I was like next year, I want to send double, and my foundation was like, we’re going to send four more kids. I was like no, I want send triple. I’m always fighting for more. The more I can create, the more I can have a positive impact on these kids, I feel like the better society we can eventually become. We’re not just paying for college and leaving them. We’re giving them mentorship, we’re in a group text, checking in, we’re try to give them some career coaching. We want these kids to be in the position for success so maybe one day they can be the beacon of light then come back to the Cam Jordan Foundation Gala in maybe a year or two from now. Then you see how much they have grown as a person, and the next wave of kids see them, and they are inspired to be better and/or follow in a great line of success. So, it just comes from this culmination of how I can have greater have a positive impact on our city.
TH: You always seem to be having so much fun on the field. After 15 years, what motivates you and helps you stay so positive and upbeat even in challenging times?
CJ: Honestly, when you start with losses out of the gate, these school visits actually do help. It’s that spike of happiness you get while talking to these kids and you see how happy they get. That’s infectious, it’s like an adrenaline rush. I was talking to kids today at Laureate Academy on the Westbank where these kids were so awesome. I thought it was going to be a 30- or 45-minutes visit, turned into almost 2 hours later. I was like really enjoying being there talking to these kids. Sure, they were ragging on us about losing but they were like “How do we get right?” A kid literally asked me,” Cam, how do we lock in?” It’s that question of how do “we.” They’re just so bought in. If you’re from New Orleans or greater New Orleans area, that’s all you want is for the Saints to win and LSU Football to win, right, probably in that order. Then it’s… oh by the way, I’ve got homework tomorrow. It’s such a football first community. So, he’s like how do we lock in? I see promise from our quarterback, but how do we make him like Drew Brees? First or all, there can never be another Drew Brees. But there’s growth there when you have a young quarterback like Spencer Rattler, who has shown you great things, possible greatness and, in every game, we have been in it within one possession this year. When you have the ability to win it in the 2 minutes. All it takes is one to build that confidence and you have seen the moxie and the bravado that Spencer Rattler has. That in itself is a great quality for leadership. When you look at our offense, and how we had some penalties that set us back early on that first half. What you saw was that surge of energy in the 2nd half. That’s what you need from the jump. So, we have to figure that part out fast. But the fact that they are asking these questions, just lets you know how bought in the community is.
TH: How many more years do you plan on playing and where do you see yourself in life after football? Coaching? Radio, TV Analyst? Do you have a goal for the 5 or 10 years?
CJ: I have every goal, and it comes up every offseason of “how do I be the best version of myself.” That’s what I listen to. The second part of that is very much Nikki Jordan and how does she feel about the commitment that it takes to be a football player. As my smarter, better half, you have to make sure that she’s on the accord because during the season, she is the heavy lifter in our family. We have 4 kids, 4 active kids who are sometimes doing 2 or 3 sports a piece and she’s there. She’s amazing with them. But you also understand that toll, because I’m in the offseason and as much as I’m doing, I’m still trying to be dad, be coach and everything else and I’m like this is a lot. Oh, you do this? That’s why she’s a black belt at being a mom. She’s an expert and I try to tell people, I’m her backup. If she needs me, she calls me. I do what I’m told in our household. But it’s a combination of that.
Also, every offseason I’ll have these goals, like in year 10 I’ll do a check in with my body and see how we feel. I’m like alright, cool. I’ll check back in year 13. So yeah, 15 is the next mark. You know, 15 is significant. Also, that’s when the contract runs out. I’ve never actually had a contract run out, so we’ll see this offseason where that takes us. But while we’re here, in the meantime, in between on the gridiron, we got things we want to accomplish. So that why you see every play get fast and stronger than the last because I want it so much more. Cause I didn’t know if last year was going to be my last year. When I was walking after the last home game, I stayed in the stadium, and I was just looking around. I was like man, if this is the last one, I have given it my all. I did it year 12, I was like man, if I am coming up on my last game, I’m gonna squeeze everything I have got to give. Year 13 for sure, you know I tore like two ligaments in a leg. Instead of going on IR or whatever, I played through it. It was like oh, I can’t be in the corner, alright I won’t pass rush anymore. I’ll strictly be a run stopper cause that’s how much I love this game and how much I want to give to it. So, the fact that people are asking me how you feel about retirement? You tell me if I’m looking slow, or you tell me I’m not holding the point of attack, or you tell me when its time. Cause the way I feel, I feel like I can go forever, now that can be addressed 6 months from now, or differently. But the way I feel, the way I’m hitting my mph’s at practice, the way my body feels, the way I have been feeling better by Wednesday than usually it has been by Thursday or Friday in previous years… I’m feeling good! The fact that I can collapse pockets, get sacks, play the run, dropping the coverage now. I’m adding versatility, so I’m only getting better with age.
Cam on his goals:
Win Rocky, just win! The whole point is to win. Yeah, I have personal goals, I’d love to say I beat my heroes that I grew up in terms of sacks but at the same time, I no longer care about sacks. I really just want wins to stack. So, it’s very two prong. I don’t care about sacks enough as long as I’m affecting the quarterback, collapsing the pocket, creating these plays, getting the ball back that leads to win. Because at the end of the day, if I can capture a Super Bowl with the black and gold that would be the ultimate goal.
Thank you again to Cam for taking the time to chat with me and for everything you do for the city on and off the field.
To learn more about the Cam Jordan Foundation, please visit: Cam Jordan Foundation | Creating Positive Change
