Category: Saints on Social Media

All-Pro Saints special teams ace J.T. Gray celebrates Mississippi State’s national title

All-Pro Saints special teams ace J.T. Gray celebrates Mississippi State’s national title

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Let the cowbells ring. The Mississippi State Bulldogs won their first national championship in men’s baseball, which got one member of the New Orleans Saints amped up: safety J.T. Gray, a Clarksdale, Miss. native who celebrated his alma mater’s title-securing victory over Vanderbilt on Wednesday night.

It’s going to put some pep in his step, but Gray won’t lack for motivation in 2021. He was named a second team All-Pro in 2019 for his efforts on special teams, leading the Saints in tackles in the kicking game (16). Gray went on to play well enough in 2020 to earn a two-year, $4 million contract extension with New Orleans, and he’s in good position to take on a bigger role in the game’s third phase after Justin Hardee signed with the Jets in free agency.

That all followed his landing with the Saints as a dark-horse undrafted rookie back in 2018, when he surprised many fans by making the opening-day roster. Having earned all of his opportunities the hard way, Gray has put in the work to stick with one of the NFL’s most talented rosters in recent years, and it’s good to see him enjoying himself and taking some pride in his school’s success.

Still, speaking as a Southern Miss fan (To The Top!) and graduate: let me congratulate Gray and the Bulldogs on the school’s second-ever national championship, between this 2021 baseball win and and their famous 2009 disc golf title. Now they’ve won as many national championships between those two sports as the Golden Eagles have accomplished in football (1958 and 1962). Good for them!

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It’s time to return Reggie Bush’s Heisman Trophy in the new NIL era

Social media calls for the return of Reggie Bush’s Heisman Trophy in NIL era

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The NCAA finally buckled to public and legal pressure and allowed student-athletes to profit from their own names, images, and likenesses, with the first deals launching at midnight on Thursday, July 1.

It’s good news for the future generations of college athletes, but it’s a tough break for past standouts like Reggie Bush. The former New Orleans Saints star and 2019 inductee to the team’s Hall of Fame was the first draft pick of the Sean Payton era, and at the time was the reigning Heisman Trophy winner — an award later taken from the USC Trojans legend after an NCAA investigation into allegations that his family that his family had received impermissible benefits owing to his status.

Under the new rules, some estimates suggest Bush could have received millions in sponsorships at USC. Instead, one of his greatest accomplishments was vacated. Now that NIL benefits are legal, it’s time to correct that mistake and give Bush his trophy back.

“I 1,000% want my damn Heisman Trophy back,” Bush told the comedian Kevin Hart during an interview last year. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want it back. But to me the silver lining is, I believe what happened with me had to happen so we could get here in 2020.”

One important step towards righting that wrong was the end of Bush’s exile from USC, when the university formally ended its disassociation with him. He’ll be able to attend games and visit the campus again for the first time in a decade. Hopefully he’ll soon have his Heisman Trophy on display again in USC’s Heritage Hall, with a matching award waiting at home.

That’s what college football fans and commentators are calling for on social media. Even Bush himself chimed in. See for yourself:

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Why did Sean Payton offer to loan Alvin Kamara his mariachi band?

New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton congratulated RB Alvin Kamara on his new job with NASCAR by loaning the mariachi band from his wedding.

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The New Orleans Saints experienced a fun crossover last weekend on social media, with Saints coach Sean Payton marrying his fiancée Skylene Montgomery at a resort in Mexico (wearing Air Jordan 1 sneakers that matched his white tuxedo, which may or may have not been gifted to him by Jordan brand ambassador Michael Thomas).

That preceded news that Kamara had been hired by NASCAR as the organization’s first adviser for growth and engagement, making the four-time Pro Bowl running back something of a two-sport star. Kamara became a fan of driver Bubba Wallace and even sponsored his own car at Daytona, driven by Ryan Vargas. He’s been a common sight at their events ever since it got on his radar last summer.

So when Kamara joked with Payton on Twitter about the obligations to his new job, his coach was quick to congratulate him — offering to send the mariachi band serenading his wedding guests over to Kamara’s place to celebrate the occasion. Of course the peace and quiet Payton could then enjoy for his honeymoon would be nothing more than a nice side effect.

The offseason is in a bit of a lull, but things are going well for the Saints in their various pursuits. Payton is off to begin his second marriage, Kamara is making waves in his new second gig, and the Saints front office is busy at work on a contract extension with All-Pro tackle Ryan Ramczyk (which should be a blockbuster). That’s on top of the team’s best-in-the-NFL pace for vaccinating its staff and players against COVID-19. Let’s see if more positivity is on the way as training camp approaches.

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Why did Sean Payton offer to loan Alvin Kamara his mariachi band?

Why did Sean Payton offer to loan Alvin Kamara his mariachi band?

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The New Orleans Saints experienced a fun crossover last weekend on social media, with Saints coach Sean Payton marrying his fiancée Skylene Montgomery at a resort in Mexico (wearing Air Jordan 1 sneakers that matched his white tuxedo, which may or may have not been gifted to him by Jordan brand ambassador Michael Thomas).

That preceded news that Kamara had been hired by NASCAR as the organization’s first adviser for growth and engagement, making the four-time Pro Bowl running back something of a two-sport star. Kamara became a fan of driver Bubba Wallace and even sponsored his own car at Daytona, driven by Ryan Vargas. He’s been a common sight at their events ever since it got on his radar last summer.

So when Kamara joked with Payton on Twitter about the obligations to his new job, his coach was quick to congratulate him — offering to send the mariachi band serenading his wedding guests over to Kamara’s place to celebrate the occasion. Of course the peace and quiet Payton could then enjoy for his honeymoon would be nothing more than a nice side effect.

The offseason is in a bit of a lull, but things are going well for the Saints in their various pursuits. Payton is off to begin his second marriage, Kamara is making waves in his new second gig, and the Saints front office is busy at work on a contract extension with All-Pro tackle Ryan Ramczyk (which should be a blockbuster). That’s on top of the team’s best-in-the-NFL pace for vaccinating its staff and players against COVID-19. Let’s see if more positivity is on the way as training camp approaches.

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Kevin James, ‘Home Team’ cast visit Sean Payton at Saints facility

New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton will be portrayed by Kevin James in the Netflix comedy “Home Team,” which prompted James to pay a visit

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Kevin James, method actor. The comedian chosen to portray Sean Payton in “Home Team,” an upcoming Netflix feature from his friend Adam Sandler’s production company, visited the New Orleans Saints head coach at the team’s practice facility along with some guests — cast members Rob Schneider and Taylor Lautner, plus Chris Titone, the film’s writer and Sandler’s brother-in-law who also happens to be dating Payton’s daughter Meghan.

Lautner is best known for his role in the “Twilight Saga” franchise but has recently appeared in a few of Sandler’s movies from Happy Madison Productions, while Schneider is a longtime Sandler collaborator with acting credits dating back to the late 1980’s. Sandler’s wife, Jackie, and nephew, Jared, are also slated to appear in the film alongside Isaiah Mustafa, a former Arizona State wideout who spent four years bouncing between NFL practice squads before starting his acting career and rising to prominence in viral Old Spice advertising campaigns.

Their roles haven’t been announced yet, but the film’s story is loosely based off of Payton’s experience coaching his son Connor’s sixth-grade Pop Warner team during his one-year suspension following the NFL’s “Bountygate” debacle, which occurred just two years after Payton’s team won Super Bowl XLIV. Filming is expected to begin later this year.

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WATCH: Pete Werner, Paulson Adebo’s families celebrate Saints draft picks

The families of New Orleans Saints draft picks Pete Werner and Paulson Adebo reacted to their selections with tremendous celebration.

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Here’s something you earnestly love to see: the families of New Orleans Saints draft picks reacting to the news that Pete Werner and Paulson Adebo will be wearing black and gold. For a franchise that once dealt with Reggie Bush pouting his way through his own draft night selection, seeing Werner and Adebo’s families so jubilant is something else.

And it goes to show how far the Saints have come since hiring Sean Payton, who successfully recruited Drew Brees to turn the team around on the fly. And years and years of success have changed New Orleans’ perception around the league radically, to a point now where rookie draft picks have to hurry to another room with Payton on the phone because their families are creating such an uproar. Now how about that?

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C.J. Gardner-Johnson sets his sights on a new jersey number after NFL rules change

The NFL relaxed its rules on jersey numbers rules, so New Orleans Saints DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson set his eyes on the bold, coveted No. 1.

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The NFL’s recent rules change opened up greater eligibility for single-digit jersey numbers, allowing defensive backs, linebackers, receivers, and running backs to wear them. And C.J. Gardner-Johnson is interested in going for the bold No. 1 jersey, having secured permission from his All-Pro teammate Deonte Harris (who changed to No. 11 in the NFL after setting national records in “that uno” at Assumption College).

Gardner-Johnson expressed an interest in the jersey swap on social media, and even shared a fan’s mock-up of what he could look like in No. 1. But the change is not official; he’s still listed as No. 22 on the team’s website roster. Other players around the league have chosen to stay in their current numbers after balking at the requirement to buy out existing jerseys for sale, which can total six or seven digits’ worth of stock. But maybe it’s a check Gardner-Johnson doesn’t mind writing.

He’s already developed a reputation as one of the NFL’s elite trash talkers, continuing a legacy in the NFC South established by great chirpers like Roddy White and Steve Smith. And, for once, the Saints have one of their own. It helps that Gardner-Johnson is also one of the league’s great young nickel defensive backs, and he’s still got room to improve. Seeing him take that next step in the black and gold No. 1 jersey would be something.

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Jets LT Mekhi Becton, top draft prospect Rashawn Slater training with Terron Armstead

Jets left tackle Mekhi Becton and Northwestern draft prospect Rashawn Slater were spotted working out with Saints All-Pro Terron Armstead.

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New Orleans Saints left tackle Terron Armstead has enjoyed the benefits of lessons with all-time greats like Willie Roaf, so it’s awesome to see him returning the favor and put in time with the next generation of tackles around the league. Armstead was spotted working out at Duke Manyweather’s training facility with Jets left tackle Mekhi Becton and Northwestern’s Rashawn Slater, one of the best prospects in this year’s draft.

Manyweather has worked with Armstead often during his NFL career, which has seen the former third round draft pick go on to earn recognition with three Pro Bowl nods and a spot on the Associated Press 2018 All-Pro second team. Not bad for someone who was billed as an inexperienced athlete coming out of Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Ironically, Becton is now teammates with a few of Armstead’s friends. The Jets signed defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins and cornerback Justin Hardee in free agency, and they’ll all be hosting New Orleans in green for a game this season. Depending on where Slater goes in the draft, he could end up playing against the Saints in 2021 for the Panthers (picking No. 8), Giants (No. 11), or Eagles (No. 12). We’ll keep up with all of the movement here at Saints Wire, so check back on draft night.

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Twitter reacts to Kevin James-as-Sean Payton news

Saints fans, supporters of rival teams, and media observers had a field day with the news that Sean Payton will be portrayed by Kevin James.

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The football world was rattled on Monday when NBC Sports’ Peter King reported that the comedian and actor Kevin James has been cast to portray Saints coach Sean Payton in an upcoming Netflix feature, which is expected to chronicle Payton’s experience coaching his son’s Pop Warner team during his 2012 suspension from the NFL. Observers on Twitter have been letting react gifs and jokes fly fast and furious, including a terrific parry by the Saints when the dirty-bird Falcons tried to get in a dig:

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These 25 celebrities are Saints fans

The New Orleans Saints have a colorful fanbase, with plenty of celebrity power: Brad Pitt, John Goodman, and Anthony Mackie among them.

The Who Dat Nation is a big-tent fandom, with no shortage of famous supporters. From actors and athletes to politicians and musicians, celebrity Saints fans come from all walks of life — and quite a few of them hail from New Orleans and the communities surrounding it around the Gulf South. Like all fans, their following might be more casual or committed from one to the next, but they’re all fond of the black and gold. Here’s a list of 25 of the Saints’ most famous fans, ordered alphabetically by their last names: