More than a few New Orleans Saints fans still hold a grudge against their team's old coach Sean Payton, but there's no debating his stature in team history. Even if he's coaching the Denver Broncos these days, Payton is still getting questions about his experience with the Saints from time to time. The upcoming celebration of the Superdome reopening's twentieth anniversary led to more of them. Payton saw firsthand what Hurricane Katrina's impacts were to New Orleans, Louisiana, and the whole Gulf South.
The Saints are hosting the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football and commemorating that two-decade milestone. Payton was asked about the occasion after the Broncos practiced this week.
“I don’t know that any player or coach on that team, when
everyone kind of got there, could expect what all of it was going to mean," Payton began. "I do remember this though, training camp was away because of facilities. It was a long training camp— it was seven weeks in Jackson, Mississippi. The preseason games, four at the time, our home games were Shreveport (Louisiana) and in Jackson. So it felt like you were gone forever. Then when we got back and started the regular season, it was at Cleveland, close win, at Green Bay, came back and won a big game. So a lot went into that. Atlanta was 2-0, we were 2-0 and that was really our first time just playing in that facility. So we went over there Friday night to get a practice in to get used to the lights and everything. But even with all that being said, as much as you try as a coach to prepare for what the environment’s going to be like, it’s hard to do that. So that was unique."
Payton credited the decision to rush the Falcons' first punt to former Saints special teams coordinator John Bonamego, which set up Steve Gleason's famous block that Curtis Deloatch recovered for a touchdown. It made for one of his most memorable moments in pro football: "Probably the loudest, it would be the loudest I’ve ever heard for a period of five minutes, and there was so much more to it than just football. So I think the feeling from a team standpoint is it’ll only be special if we win it though. So that was an important division game at that time with those two teams, both 2-0. So yes, all good.”
The Saints had already gotten off to a surprisingly good start in 2006 by winning their first two games, but this win against their most hated rivals on the largest possible stage raised expectations even higher. After a year spent grieving, rebuilding, and trying to recover in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the emotional relief brought by this win was just what the entire region needed.
“It was a much bigger," Payton added. "There were so many other people that maybe normally wouldn’t be at a Saints game. Then there was a lot of symbolism, obviously, as the first event back there at a place that was literally broken. Yes, there’s nothing, like I said, none of us could have envisioned what was going to become of that season.”
New Orleans went on a run in 2006, winning ten times and advancing to the NFC Conference Game. It wasn't yet their time to go the distance and win a Super Bowl, but this season convinced fans the combination of Payton and Brees could get them there. A few years later, they won the Super Bowl trophy to prove it. Payton will be appearing on ESPN2's ManningCast with New Orleans natives Peyton Manning and Elli Manning during Monday night's Saints-Falcons game, so expect more reminiscing.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Sean Payton reflects on 20-year anniversary of Superdome reopening
