Tag: speech

See Tom Brady’s Emotional Speech About Value of Football

Heckuva speech from the one-time Notre Dame rival

Earlier this week we celebrated Joe Montana’s birthday here at Fighting Irish Wire as the legendary quarterback turned 68.  Montana of course helped lead Notre Dame to the national championship in 1977 before leading the 49ers to four Super Bowl championships where he was also the boyhood hero of another future great quarterback.

[autotag]Tom Brady[/autotag] grew up in California rooting for the 49ers and being a fan of Montana’s.  Brady didn’t end up going to Notre Dame like Montana, instead choosing Notre Dame’s northern rival in Michigan.

He battled his entire career for playing time there before taking over his senior year and leading Michigan to an Orange Bowl victory over Alabama.  From there he was drafted in the sixth round of the NFL draft, took over for an injured Drew Bledsoe with the Patriots, and the rest as they say, is history.

Brady, who retired following the 2022 season, had his number retired in a special event by the Patriots on Wednesday night.  There he gave a speech, but it’s his part about what playing football taught him and so many others that has understandably gone viral.

Although a rival, an incredible competitor and an all-time teammate who went 1-1 all-time as a starter against Notre Dame.

Related: All 98 Recipients of Tom Brady’s NFL Touchdown Passes

Gallery: Photos from Tom Brady’s only game at Notre Dame Stadium

Drew Brees selected for New Orleans Saints’ team Hall of Fame

Drew Brees has been selected for the New Orleans Saints’ team Hall of Fame. It’s the easiest decision the voters have ever had in front of them:

Drew Brees was officially selected for the New Orleans Saints’ team Hall of Fame on Thursday, in what was likely the easiest decision the voters have ever had in front of them. Brees elevated the Saints to a national brand during his 15-year run as their starting quarterback, winning every major passing record at some point during his tenure. He was also named Most Valuable Player in the Saints’ Super Bowl XLIV victory.

Brees and his family returned to the team’s Ochsner Sports Performance Center for a press conference in his honor, which was attended by former teammates and staffers he knew well during his Saints career.

“This is a tremendous honor,” Brees spoke slowly in his opening statement, choking up with emotion. “And I am so grateful to everybody here, and forever will be. Once a Saint, always a Saint. I will be living and dying with the team every Sunday as most of you will as well.”

It remains to be seen which game will honor Brees for enshrinement to the team’s Hall of Fame, so we’ll keep you posted. Whenever that is, we’re guessing it’ll include a packed house. Brees isn’t eligible for enshrinement to the Pro Football Hall of Fame until 2026, but he’s a safe bet to get in as soon as the rules allow it.

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WATCH: Tamba Hali thanks Clark Hunt for induction into Chiefs Hall of Fame

Tamba Hali thanked Clark Hunt for inducting him into the #Chiefs Hall of Fame in a video posted by the team this week.

The Kansas City Chiefs have hosted some of the most electric players in NFL history over the years, but perhaps none had more impact on the team than Tamba Hali.

A first-round pick in the 2006 NFL draft, Hali rose to prominence in Kansas City as one of the league’s preeminent sack-masters. He was announced as the team’s newest inductee into the Chiefs Hall of Fame last week and gave a speech on Thursday thanking Clark Hunt for the prestigious honor.

Check out what Hali had to say in this video of his speech that was posted to social media on Thursday:

Clearly, the prolific pass rusher was humbled by his selection as the team’s inductee and didn’t take the honor lightly. Kansas City’s fans are sure to be pleased that Hali is getting the recognition he deserves, especially given his active role in teaching young Chiefs the ropes during the offseason.

WATCH: Demario Davis addresses Saints pregame huddle for maybe the last time in 2023

WATCH: Demario Davis addresses Saints pregame huddle for what may be the last time in the 2023 season

The New Orleans Saints have underachieved this year, but you can’t put the blame on Demario Davis. The veteran linebacker has continued to step up when his team has needed him — proving yet again why he’s such a valuable leader in the locker room. He leads by example and works hard to elevate those around him.

And on Sunday, Davis delivered his traditional pregame speech to his huddled teammates for what may be the final time during the 2023 season. The Saints will be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss to the archrival Atlanta Falcons. A win won’t clinch a playoff berth either, but the roads to the postseason all start there. Hopefully Davis and his Saints teammates can do enough to win the day and see if their season will keep going.

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WATCH: Dennis Allen addresses the victorious Saints locker room after Week 17

WATCH: Dennis Allen addresses the victorious Saints locker room after Week 17 vs. Buccaneers

It’s not often we get a look inside the New Orleans Saints locker room, but the team shared head coach Dennis Allen’s postgame speech after beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. Allen gathered the team around and praised their effort in practice before handing the microphone over to Demario Davis.

And Davis brought in his own special guest: veteran safety Johnathan Abram, who got the starting nod at free safety while rookie draft pick Jordan Howden was dealing with an illness. And Abram’s words were powerful.

Abram thanked his teammates for their support in a big spot and urged them to keep perspective about what’s next: competing for a win in the regular season finale. He acknowledged that the playoffs are still just out of grasp but made it clear he’s going to push to reach the postseason, and by all accounts that’s something the locker room can agree on.

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WATCH: Dennis Allen addresses the Saints locker room after Week 15 Giants win

WATCH: Dennis Allen addresses the Saints locker room after Week 15 win over the Giants

Dennis Allen had a bit of a pep in his step after taking down the New York Giants on Sunday. The New Orleans Saints head coach addressed his victorious locker room in the minutes after the final whistle, expressing his appreciation for the total team win — while keeping focus on what’s next.

The season isn’t over. All three games left on the regular season schedule are critically important as the Saints compete for the NFC South title. But it’s worth taking time to celebrate success.

Allen turned the podium over to team captain Demario Davis, who emphasized the importance of preparing for Thursday night’s game with the Los Angeles Rams. It’s never easy to play on a short week, much less flying cross-country to do so, knowing a playoff team is up next. But that’s the challenge. It’s the assignment. And the Saints are doing everything they can to be ready for it.

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WATCH: Dennis Allen addresses Saints locker room after their win over the Colts

WATCH: Dennis Allen addresses Saints locker room after their win over the Colts

It’s always good to see a victorious New Orleans Saints locker room. The team shared a look into their postgame celebrations after Sunday’s win over the Indianapolis Colts, including a speech from head coach Dennis Allen.

“Congratulations to everybody in this room. That was a good team that we played,” Allen said, pacing the room. “And that was a good team win that we had. And everything didn’t go exactly like we wanted it to all the time. We had to overcome a little bit of adversity at times. But that’s what good teams do. They overcome adversity when it hits.”

And the Saints did that. They overcame a 10-point deficit in the second quarter for the first time this season and just the second time with Allen at head coach; in eight other games, that proved enough to knock them out. Hopefully it’s the start of an upswing for them.

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Dennis Allen says Ronald Curry addressed offense at halftime vs. Jaguars

Dennis Allen says Saints passing game coordinator Ronald Curry addressed the struggling offense at halftime vs. Jaguars

It’s no secret that the New Orleans Saints offense didn’t do enough with the opportunities they were given on Thursday night — especially in the first half, when they managed to score just six points against a couple of Jacksonville Jaguars touchdowns.

They went into halftime facing a steep deficit in a high-stakes situation. The team needed leaders to step up. And Saints head coach Dennis Allen shared a message from passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Ronald Curry after the break.

“It’s all about execution,” Allen told Amazon Prime Video sideline reporter Kaylee Hartung. “It’s like R.C. said in the locker room to the offense, ‘Let’s go out there and make plays that we’re capable of making.’ That’s what it’s about.”

Now, that doesn’t exactly sound like a big rah-rah speech or fire-and-brimstone sermon, but it’s notable that Curry was so vocally involved. Saints fans have been calling for Curry to have a shot calling plays instead of offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael early and often this season. Curry has been repeatedly spoken of highly by other members of the coaching staff and he’s called plays in each of the last two preseason series, so he has some experience.

The offense might not be better with Curry at the controls, it’s theorized, but it can’t be worse. Maybe Curry is more involved already than we’d be led to believe. Or maybe Allen’s comments shouldn’t warrant such a deep dive.

What’s important is that the team do what they can to win this Jaguars game, and Allen has a list of areas they can improve in the second half: “We’ve got to win situational football. Third down, red zone, we’ve got to be able to score points. We’ve got to be able to convert on third down, we’ve got to be able to kick a field goal. I mean, it’s the little things like that we’ve got to be able to do to give ourselves an opportunity to win a game.”

Facing a two-score deficit and the threat of a losing record for the first time this season, it’s obvious that pressure is building for Allen and his staff. This isn’t the outcome the Saints expected when they hired him last year or pursued his choice of quarterback this offseason. He’s running out of time to return the results they anticipated.

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WATCH: Demario Davis gets the Saints ready to take on the Packers

WATCH: Demario Davis gets the Saints ready to take on the Packers

The New Orleans Saints hit the jackpot when they signed Demario Davis as a free agent back in 2018. Not only does he lead the team on the field, but has taken over the role from Drew Brees in delivering the pregame hype speech.

Now, as the team gets ready to take on the Green Bay Packers, Davis prepares them yet again by getting the emotions pumping. This is a big game for the Saints as they try to get off to an illustrious 3-0 start while fending off a Packers team that is coming off of a one-point loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Rookie running back Kendre Miller makes his debut for the Saints and will likely always remember his first pregame Davis speech.

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WATCH: Demario Davis gets his teammates going in Week 2 Saints pregame speech

WATCH: Demario Davis gets his teammates going in Week 2 Saints pregame speech

Leave it to Demario Davis to get his teammates motivated before a big-time game — for him, this is a ritual he enjoys every week. The New Orleans Saints’ Pro Bowl linebacker addressed his team before kickoff with the Carolina Panthers on Monday night to continue a tradition stretching back years.

It’s an emotional game, and Davis is an emotional player. Those around him feed off that energy. He’s been a major part of the team’s success in recent years and few teams can boast someone who matches his play to his pregame talk as well as he does. He and his defense have a lot on their hands while the Saints continue to figure things out offensively.

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