Tag: all pro

Watch: Michael Thomas gifts every Saints teammate a pair of Air Jordan 11 sneakers

New Orleans Saints wideout Michael Thomas celebrated his third Pro Bowl nod by gifting each teammate a fresh pair of Air Jordan sneakers.

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Michael Thomas was named to his third consecutive Pro Bowl on Tuesday, and helped celebrate the season on Wednesday by gifting every one of his teammates their own pair of Air Jordan 11 Bred sneakers ahead of Christmas. These shoes run for about $300 at retailers, but Thomas can afford it between the five-year, $100 million contract extension he signed with New Orleans earlier this year and his exclusive sponsorship agreement with Nike as one of their few Jordan brand ambassadors.

He’s previously gifted sneakers to Saints coach Sean Payton, who wore a pair of Air Jordan 11 Concords at the Zurich Classic golf tournament. “He’s got a pretty good shoe deal, different than any coaches have,” Payton joked.

The Saints put together a supercut of various Saints players’ reactions as they received their new kicks, ranging from Pro Bowl kicker Wil Lutz to veteran wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. It’s great to see Thomas embracing the giving season, and his teammates’ responses speak for themselves. New Orleans’ front office has put a lot of effort into cultivating strong team chemistry in the locker room, and the appreciation these people have for each other is on clear display. You love to see it.

 

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Saints nominate Terron Armstead for Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award

The New Orleans Saints nominated LT Terron Armstead, a 2018 Pro Bowler and second-team All-Pro, for the 2019 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award.

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The New Orleans Saints nominated left tackle Terron Armstead for this year’s Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award, an award that gives recognition to NFL players who best demonstrate sportsmanship during games. All 32 teams initially select one of their own players for the award, which is then winnowed down to eight finalists. Players vote for the winner while submitting their Pro Bowl ballots later in the regular season. Here’s the list of previous winners, including Armstead’s teammate, Drew Brees:

  • 2018: New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees
  • 2017: Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly
  • 2016: Indianapolis Colts running back Frank Gore
  • 2015: Oakland Raiders defensive back Charles Woodson
  • 2014: Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald

It’s clear that this is a very exclusive group to be a part of, and even being nominated in the first place says a lot about the respect Armstead’s teammates share for him. Check out the full list of nominees, by team:

The award-winner will receive a $25,000 donation to a charity of their choice as well as a commemorative trophy. Despite playing at a high level throughout his Saints career, Armstead has often been overlooked for Pro Bowl and All-Pro recognition. He first made the cut for those clubs in 2018 as a second-team All-Pro, but he had to back out of his Pro Bowl commitments while recovering from an injury suffered during the season. Here’s hoping Armstead gets the recognition he’s due from his peers for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award.

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