Interviews: Saints legends LeCharles Bentley and Usama Young

New Orleans Saints C/G LeCharles Bentley
Legends Microsoft Teams Video Call with New Orleans Media
Friday, July 10, 2020

Can you talk about the end of your playing career and starting Offensive Line Performance in 2008?
“Oh boy, I actually started the business in Cleveland and if you’re not familiar with Cleveland, it is a place that everyone brags about being from, because they want to look cool. But that’s my actual hometown. When I started the business, I built it in Cleveland first. My exit from the league was a little unique. In some regards, I wasn’t quite ready to go, probably like every single player, but I had no choice because physically I just was not in a place where I can be myself through injury and some issues with staph infection and whatnot. I did not lose the passion to still want to be involved with the game, but I wanted to be involved with the game and not just the typical way in terms of coaching or just getting right into broadcasting. I wanted to do something different and wanting to do something a bit on my own terms. So with that being said, I spent a lot of time studying and learning about biomechanics, anatomy, strength and conditioning, just understanding how the body functions at the highest and most optimal levels. So a part of those studies were self-centered in the sense that I was doing them for myself and for my overall quality of life because dealing with those injuries and what I was dealing with in terms of the aftermath of the affections, just my overall quality of life, wasn’t exactly where I wanted it to be from a physical standpoint. So a lot of those studies were, again, it was for myself, but it was also a part of the journey that has led me to where I am today in terms of OLP, the training side of what we do. So I started the business in Cleveland, with the intent of just working with high school athletes. I got a bit of a culture shock in a sense that, being naive in terms of just business in general and business practices and understanding how the game of football relative to how coaches thought, it was a bit surprising and the surprise was the fact that many coaches, especially at the high school level, are extremely territorial. They don’t like other people, regardless of who you are, what your credentials may or may not be, they don’t like other people around their kids. So I had very difficult time getting the business off the ground in terms of building it from an athlete standpoint. So what ended up happening is the business actually began to take off because I ended up with a few Pop Warner kids. So these kids were between the ages of six and eight, nine years old. That was my first group of young athletes that I was able to touch and really work with, but it was truly a blessing for me because again, being naive, being a former player that assumed I knew the game, which I knew the game, having learned so many different skill sets because of again, investing the time and educating myself and becoming more well-rounded in terms of a strength and conditioning and performance enhancement. What I did not know is I had no idea how to teach. I think that’s a common pitfall for many athletes is that we assume that we know what we know, which is the truth, but we don’t know what we don’t know. And so having these young athletes in the building for me was the best thing that ever happened. It was a humbling experience and I had to take a step back and it wasn’t exactly within the scope of the business plan, but at the same time it was the best thing that happened because I learned that I didn’t know all the things that I thought I knew. So I had to learn how to teach. So when you are dealing with young athletes, you have to be able to take information, break it down, make it entertaining, fun, and something that they can adapt to quickly. I did not know how to do that so dealing with those young athletes really helped me develop a skill set that I did not think that I would ever need, but it was the best thing again, that ever happened to me. Over the years, I started ending up with a few college players that were transitioning out of college and getting ready for the NFL. And then about four years into the business, I looked up and there were about 20 professional athletes in the building, maybe one or two high school kids, I still could not get a high school player and a bunch of Pop Warner kids. So that’s how the business really started. And after about four years in Cleveland, I realized I had a product that worked, it was viable. That’s when I decided that I wanted to now move back to Arizona because once you got back to Arizona, I had more resources of things that I could really tap into to continue to expand and grow the business.”

You’re heavily involved with the NFL Way to Play initiative. Can you share what that is and how you’ve kept athletes engaged during the COVID-19 pandemic?
“Yeah, with the Way to Play, the whole mission of the Way to Play is to eliminate unnecessary risks within the game. I think that that is something that’s going to really help us in terms of keeping the game evolving and making sure that the game stays around. In regards to the whole pandemic, the virtual training system that we put together has really been a key element of keeping the athletes ready in terms of when they get back to their respective coaches. There are now at least at a baseline state of readiness versus just keeping athletes at a very sedentary state. And when they get back to their coaches, they’re starting not just from baseline, but they’re now working from a complete deficit. So the function of that was to keep the core engaged, keeping and maintaining a level of explosion, but obviously all without the implementation of heavy weight room equipment, it was the rubber band based, a towel, a lot of different type positions. So again, it was just the minimum approach, but at the same time was functional regards to the demands of our sport with just football.”

I know, this is kind of an odd question since most good memories don’t come in training camp, but do you have a favorite training camp memory there on the field or maybe some team bonding that happened off the field?
“My favorite training camp memory had to have been my very first day of training camp in New Orleans. It was in Thibodaux, Louisiana at that time and I remember the heat, the humidity, it was a bit more than I was expecting. So I took the same approach I’d take getting ready for practice that I took in college. I put on my knee braces and ankle supports and all these gadgets that you put on to protect yourself, we got about halfway through warmup and I literally felt like my body was melting and my knee braces literally slid off of me. My ankle braces, someway somehow became completely untied. It was really one of those welcome to the NFL moments and not just welcome to the NFL, welcome to Louisiana. Being from Ohio and having all of your training camps in Columbus, that humidity, it’s a whole different world that you are dealing with. So again, it was one of those things where I learned how to become a minimalist really fast in the NFL. Then next thing you know, I’m not wearing ankle braces anymore. I’m not wearing knee braces anymore. I am just keeping the bare minimum amount of equipment on as I could.”

What was kind of the origin for you deciding to start an agency up and how’s that been going for you so far?
“Well, the agency has been going great. It’s really been a part of the DNA of what we’ve been doing over the last 11 years. Kind of getting back to the inception of OLP, when I started taking on young college players, I was taking on players that didn’t have quote, unquote pedigree. So a lot of those guys who are going to be just undrafted. So with that being said, there weren’t a lot of agents that were sniffing around them and willing to invest money into them. So what I was able to do at that point in time was to begin to hand pick a few college players that I thought were really good players, but just slightly overlooked. If I had to go to the D2, one AA level to find players I would do so, but I also knew that if I were to bring those players in, it was going to be an investment that I was going to make into those players. So in lieu of those players having agents, I would make the investment from a business standpoint into those players. And so how the compensation at that point in time was just all sweat equity. So if the players made money, then I’d make money, but you would have to pick the right people and make the right investment. And sometimes like dealing with any type of a piece of real estate, so to speak, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. But I was in a position where I knew I had a product where I had something tangible in the sense that if I thought a player was good enough, if I could work with them, they’d trust me, I’d trust them that there will potentially be a corporate ward on the back end. The player would have the career that they wanted and I would also be able to share in the windfall financially that the players would then attain and rightfully so. As the years have kind of gone by, I have built that model in itself, that self-contained model, I have never become an agent myself, but I have managed the careers of so many players over the years that I finally decided that, look, this is what I want to do. And be able to provide a higher level of service in house, to all our athletes and specifically to offensive line athletes. So again, what we provide to the players is a truly tangible service I’m of the belief that at the end of the day, nobody in this business can quote, get a player paid. players get paid based on performance, not because the agent or whomever it is says, well, I want Johnny to get $10 million. Well, that’s nice that you want that, but that player has to have that value and the services that we’ve provided and built out over the years, it’s tangible. We have an opportunity to really provide something to the athlete that can increase and impact of player’s performance, that can make a more well-rounded human being that’s more positioned to transition into life after football, being able to take those tangible and intangible skills you develop as a player and began to implement them in life. So with all that being said, the agency is going extremely well. We have about 20 clients right now, and I love it. I think that right now, this is where I’m supposed to be and providing this type of service and mentorship to these young men has really been a part of my calling him at this point in life.”

So are you actually a certified agent now?
“No and I never want to become one of those. We have an agent on staff and he’s our lead contract advisor. He’s NFLP certified and what we’re working on right now, we have a couple of players that are in that retirement phase and are now getting ready to begin diving into that world. So again, these are players that have been with me for nine, 10 plus years of their careers that are getting ready to transition out and they’re about transitioning over to player representation. So everything we do is built around this little ecosystem, this little bubble where it’s trust, it’s continuity, it’s relationships. And I know that term, it’s all family. Yeah, it’s family, but at the end of the day, you still run a business. I’m 1000% a capitalist, but at the same time, I want people around me that I can trust. I want people around me that are around for the right reasons, which is giving back to the game and giving back to players.”

Why do you specifically work with offensive lineman?
“Because they’re the smartest, coolest people on earth (laugh). Outside of me being a smart ass it’s because number one, it’s who I am. It’s twofold. From a personal standpoint, I enjoy being around people that are likeminded and generally speaking, I feel the mentality of an offensive lineman is representative of not just the mentality within the segment of our game of football. It is an everyday man/woman mentality. The offensive lineman, they’re the person that’s going to get up in the morning, they’re going to put their boots on, put on a hard hat. They’re going to get all of the blame and very little of the credit. And they do all of the work to benefit the people around them. And if we take that same reality and we just put it into the real world, so to speak, that’s the garbageman. That’s the mailcarrier. That’s you guys as well. That is society. That’s the people that make all world and our country what it is today. It is that same mentality, that you are going to get up in the morning. You’re gonna work your butt off. You are going to do all the things that are not necessarily going to benefit you, but they are going to benefit the whole. So with that being said, what makes offensive lineman unique to me is look, yes, they are these big strong men and even women, but they’re also the everyday common person. So I am not someone that is uppity and all that type of stuff. I consider myself a common person. So the people I want to surround myself with, I want to surround myself with people that are like me. They’re like the people in my community that I grew up around, like my mom, that I’m like my dad. And they just so happen to be, uh, offensive lineman fit that persona. So living in that world, it keeps me around people that I’m extremely comfortable being around. I’m sorry, I think quarterbacks are great, but I don’t want to be around some of those types of guys now. Especially if we start talking about wide receivers, unless it’s Michael Thomas, he’s different, he is built like an offensive lineman from the neck up, he is that guy. But if you start talking about the other positions and we started getting into the performance world, I just don’t want to be around people that aren’t focused on the main thing. And the main thing is taking your career and really building something special and unique for yourself and your family. I’m not interested in how big your chain is or how, you know, what color your car is, how big your rims are. I love going to our facility each and every day. And I see six, four trucks out there. To me that’s everyday common person. And I love being around that from a business strategy standpoint, it’s a niche market and living in my world of a niche market and being an expert at being able to service this particular niche market, it creates a competitive advantage for me. So by being very focused in a specific area, it allows me to continue to expand and own that respective lane. So when it comes down to representing offensive lineman, it comes down to training. It comes down to content creation. I’m able to live in that world and be a sought after expert in that world. It’s from a business strategy standpoint, it does create an advantage.”

Whether it’s on the offensive line or elsewhere, in training camp this year for the Saints is there a specific position battle that you’re going to be looking for on offense this year?
“I’m excited to see the young guy though, Cesar Ruiz, what he is going to be able to do. I know that Larry Warford is no longer there. And I think that Ruiz has played guard in the past. And I know he’s a collegiate center and a very good college center, but also think that (Erik) McCoy was a really good rookie last year, had a great season as a rookie center, I think he has a tremendous upside to him. So between that right guard spot and that center position, I’m curious to see how they work out that battle so to speak of, who’s going to be the guard? Who’s going to be the center? Because that offense is predicated on having big, strong guards that can maintain that pocket. And it’s going to be interesting to see considering the fact that a young guy hasn’t had OTAs, he hasn’t had any minicamps. We haven’t had any exposure to what it is to be in the National Football League to throw a young rookie (in) that’s not going to be transitioning potentially from one position to another, at the highest level in the world with so little true preparation in terms of the year that we’ve been dealing with. It’s going to be interesting to see how that works out. Another part is where they move (Erik) McCoy to right guard, which I think wouldn’t probably be the best thing for him, but that’s none of my business. I’m just curious to see how it all plays itself out.”

How has the New Orleans Saints organization changed since when you left after the 2005 season?
“I think it has been unreal to watch how the franchise has transitioned. My experience in New Orleans, no, we didn’t win a lot of games, but to be honest with you, being of the NFL is a win enough. Being around some of the guys that were in a locker room, Joe Horn, Deuce, McAllister, Victor Riley. The list goes on and on and on, but to be around some of those guys and have that opportunity in that chapter of my life to be in a city like New Orleans. Oh my God, it was a bit surreal, but again, we didn’t win. The culture wasn’t exactly one of success. But again the experiences, you couldn’t put a price tag on it. Now to see what the organization has become through Sean Payton’s leadership, (and) Mickey Loomis’s consistency. I think that the organization is now truly a representation of the city and the state. Meaning those people, the fans. They’re finally getting what they deserve in terms of our product. One thing I know about New Orleans and I love about it, is the fact that whenever you go, it’s consistent, you know exactly what you’re going to get. You go down to the French Quarter, you know exactly what you are going to get and you know what to expect. You go to any restaurant, you know exactly the service you are going to get, you know what to expect. So, there is a level of consistency within the city I think is a part of the fabric, as a part of the DNA. Now that consistency has not always been, emblematic of the sports teams, but now with Sean Payton and Mickey Loomis’ leadership, I think you now can say each and every week, each and every season, you can expect the Saints to put out a highly competitive product each and every week. You expect the Saints to win it, not just show up, but win. So now there’s consistency there and the fans, they deserve that. It’s now truly represent a true representation of what that city is about. You know, when you now have guys like Michael Thomas, you know, as I said, I think skill guys are a little bit different, but when you think of a guy like a Michael Thomas, you know, he’s, emblematic of what that city is about. Yes, he’s consistent. He’s great. He’s all these things you talk about being an athlete, but he’s a normal everyday guy. He knows and understands how to work. That’s what that city is about. They understand how to work. There is a respect level there for that team, that city and that state that I think’s really bled over into the product each and every week. And for me to watch it, it is cool to see. I think for a little bit, I was a little jealous that I wasn’t able to be a part of it, but again, it’s like, you know, my last year at Ohio State, we weren’t very good. The next year they won the National Championship, go figure. The same thing in New Orleans. I left New Orleans and I think a couple years after that they want a Super Bowl, go figure. So I’m always a part of, as I like to say, you know, the bootstrapping of organizations and then when things finally get going, I’m no longer there. So woe is me, I guess.”

You had a bout with MRSA and I know that was difficult for you. How do you teach the young, offensive lineman under you, how to be to be safe from a hygiene standpoint?
“Yes. Well, my situation is a little bit different, uh, in terms of my infection, it was more surgically based, but one thing that we are very mindful of with our players is teaching them how nutrition plays a significant role in your overall immune health. In fact, we just had what we call a player empowerment series. They’re like little Ted talks for players. We bring in an expert in the respective field and have them give some information and context on any particular situation is going to be beneficial to the player today and all for life after football. So the one that we had just recently on Wednesday, we had a doctor from Thorne, he’s the lead medical expert from Thorne, one of the major supplement companies here in the country came in and talked to the guys about managing their immune system in the era of Covid. But with that being said, the one key element of that is number one, understanding how the immune system functions and then number two, understanding how you can manipulate the new system through nutrition, through hygiene and through proper sleep patterns and behaviors. So being able to provide that type of information to players is something that we pride ourselves on. Not specifically in regards to, uh, MRSA, you know, there’s not a whole lot that you can do. Because it’s one of those things that, when someone’s having a surgery, you just hope that you put them in the best position where at that particular hospital, that particular surgeon doesn’t have a track record of doing things halfhazardly. But in terms of just everyday life, just understanding how your immune system works and that your immunity’s going to be a significant component to who you are as a human being. And then obviously, your performance levels as an athlete.”

New Orleans Saints DB Usama Young
Legends Microsoft Teams Video Call with New Orleans Media
Thursday, July 9, 2020

Can you talk about how your role as manager of NFL player engagement at the league office came to fruition?
“It was a fun journey, long process. It was one that for me was tough, because I tore my ACL, LCL (and) hamstring off the bone and when I realized that I was no longer going to run this 4.4 forty or jump this 40 plus inch vertical and I didn’t have those tools to succeed, I had to hang them up. I didn’t want to leave the game, but I had to. I wasn’t as fast as I was going to be (in the past) and I went into a little dark place. I didn’t really want to talk to anybody. And eventually, I came into this understanding where I’ve have to continue to compete (in life). I’ve gotten to continue to serve and I landed an opportunity, a Legends development program (internship) that the NFL put out there and it allowed me an opportunity to serve six months in player engagement. In the role that I’m in currently as a manager of player engagement, I have been able to see what the NFL provides to players throughout their life cycle and beyond. Now I support that in those four pillars, from continuing education, to professional development, to financial literacy and overall total wellness. So being able to be a part of that, being able to transition and pour (knowledge) into the guys that are sitting in seats that I’m in now, it’s been a dream come true.”

Is your current kind of role just helping guys reconcile with the end of their career the way you kind of had to go through it yourself? Like, are you trying to give them a better path with that?
“I would say that’s part of it. Part of it, but I wouldn’t limit it to just that, the end of your NFL experience. And we say experience because careers, they usually last a lot longer than the NFL tenure. Through my NFL experience, I dealt with certain things that a lot of players deal with, certain obstacles that you’ve got to get through. I wouldn’t just say that it’s limited to afterwards, it’s during, it’s preparing for life after football, it’s making the most out of the opportunity that you’re awarded to be able to play the game at a high level, but it’s taking advantage of those opportunities. Starting my career in New Orleans, I didn’t understand how great it was or how great of a position I was in to make a lasting impact until I got there and served there for a year or two. And then I started to find my own in terms of the community. But so many players find different things or are assisted by player engagement. Guys like Fred McAfee that help them out throughout. He’s the DPE (Director of Player Engagement) there, he’s one of the guys that assists in their development and it’s a long lasting impact that goes on throughout the player life cycle and beyond.”

Can you talk about your Believe in U foundation and what inspired you to start it? “Yeah, I can. Believe in U, it actually was something that I started being in New Orleans. I was led to just start (it) while playing. It was 2007, when I arrived as a draft pick and I saw everyone doing so much work in the community from building homes, from volunteering, talking to students at different schools at charter schools, wherever it was, we were doing work as a team. And I said, you know what? I’m doing so much in New Orleans and as I’m doing so much in my hometown, I’d like to put a name on it and we can get something going that’s more formal. In 2009, we started the Usama Young Youth Foundation, which was cool. But, after every talk that I was having with youth, after every talk that I was having with these younger adults, we kept on telling them we believe in you. We’d take them on a college tours and say, hey, you might go to school. You might be a professional. We believe in you, if your goal is this and that we believe in you. And I said, man, it’s a nice little play with words. Believe in U, everybody calls me U. But at the same time, we’re telling the youth that we believe in them. And we renamed it. We focus more on empowering our youth through education, volunteerism and civic engagement and Believe in U has gone on to not only support communities and the areas that I played, but other communities throughout the nation.”

What’s the one piece of advice you would give a rookie just coming into the league right now?
“Well, one thing is they’re going through something that none of us have been through. This pandemic has changed our society, has changed the way we do things. I don’t think anyone on this phone envisioned themselves holding interviews like this during what is it, July now, and leading into training camp and not being too sure about what’s to come with the level of uncertainty at its highest. I always say just be prepared, be prepared. And when I say be prepared, that was something that Dennis Allen told me years ago, Hey, look, be prepared. It’s better to be prepared and not get the opportunity than to get the opportunity and not be prepared. And when I say that, it is pretty broad. It could be seen as vague, but staying in shape is something that’s easy. Even if you cannot do group workouts right now, even if you are limited to the gym, getting your wind up, being able to run four miles would be my advice to them, but also understanding that you have got to get in this playbook and take as many mental reps as possible. So be prepared, be in shape, get as many mental reps as possible and when you get on that football field, it’s going to go fast. So just be ready.”

Could you put in perspective, how it hasn’t gone all that fast for Drew (Brees) and Sean (Payton). You mentioned Dennis Allen, the fact that you got drafted here 13 years ago and some of those guys are still here. Do you find that just to be remarkable and does that maybe strengthen your connection to this organization because people that drafted you are still here and at least a couple of the players are still around at some point?
“Absolutely. It is an amazing organization. (The) New Orleans Saints, when I first got here, I had no clue. When I first got to New Orleans, I had no clue what type of tradition it was what type of men Sean Payton or Dennis Allen, Mickey Loomis, Tom Benson (are and were), Mrs. Gayle Benson now as the leader of this team, the leader of the organization (is). To be able to spend the first part of my years in New Orleans, it was something that I didn’t know how long it will last, but I was going to cherish it every day I was there. Now you talk about those guys 13 years later that are still there and it is a tribute to what they built and what they put together. You have got the utmost respect for them because you see guys that you played alongside, that are now in the building. They might be coaching, they might be doing other things in media from Zach Strief to Leigh Torrence or Aaron Glenn. And then also having the coaches that were there while you were there and trainers that were there while you were there. And even some of the media, I am seeing names pop up and I am like, wow, I remember doing an interview with them. It is special. I think it’s unique because if you look around the league, there’s not too many organizations that are like that. It’s a tribute to why you all have been so successful in New Orleans. I think that chemistry, it holds tremendous weight and it’s one of the main reasons that you all have been successful.”

Can you just bring me back to when the Saints played the Patriots in ‘09? I know you guys tried to downplay that game. How important was that game and how surprised were you when Tom Brady basically waved the white flag and came out like midway through the fourth quarter? I don’t know if we’ve ever seen that before or even after that.
“I’m not going to lie here. We downplayed games and I think you all know it being that you are long tenured media representatives. You know that guys are not, well very rarely, are guys are guys going to say, this is the biggest game of the year or this is that. No, we’re going downplay it and we’re going to go out and play as fast as possible. We’re going to do what we prepared to do throughout the week and nothing’s going to change in terms of our mindset. But I think going into that game, which was unique for me, it’s like, we’ve got two of the best matched up here. As a defense, we had been playing all out throughout the year, but we never really got too much acclaim and we didn’t play for the acclaim, but I still remember one of my, I call him a mentor now, but Mike McKenzie coming back and making plays that game, that I was like, this dude has found the fountain of youth. It’s amazing to see and amazing to look back as you’re bringing back memories and bringing up that one, it’s one of those ones that you you’ll never forget. You never see that team quit. It’s always until it’s zero on the clock, but when you saw that you like, you knew, you knew you handed it to him.”

How gratifying was it to see Tom Brady benched? I mean, it was over, they gave up like midway through the fourth quarter. How gratifying was that for a defense for you guys to be able to do that?
“You’re familiar with defense, you know we loved it. You know we looked at that film and we celebrated. We celebrated every win, but that one was unique because like you said, it’s (Tom) Brady.”

When you’re talking to guys who are transitioning from their NFL experience to what comes next, what’s kind of the key for you or what do you try to get across to them?
“I think this is where it is tough for some coaches or even front office staff to really accept. But my one thing, the one thing that I really want to have guys take in is that you’ve got to start thinking about life after football while you’re playing. And I’m not saying to put your business plans or your goals outside of the game before you put your playbook, or before you put, you know, being in shape. I’m thinking if you start to think about that transition and understand that it’s going to be a reality while you’re playing, you can line up so many different steps to achieve even that goal. Now, you think about it like this, where the guy like myself, I started playing football at a young age. I prepared for success on the field since seven years old. And I had that success until I was 29 years old. So that’s 22 years of commitment to football. And if I only was in football, I’m going to set myself up for failure later on. So start to think about it at the earlier stages of your NFL experience. And then you’ll start to line up different things that you’ll be able to get into even while you’re playing. And if not, after you walked away from the game.”

Do you think Dennis Allen gets unfair looks for head coaching jobs because of his record in Oakland and do you think he will get another chance to be a head coach in this league?
“Initially, I go back in my head to my rookie year and I see Dennis Allen, DA as an assistant D-line coach. And then the next year he goes, and he’s an assistant in the DB room and you see his understanding of the game. You see the knowledge, you see the passion, you see the leadership that he possesses, leadership traits that he presents. And you see him grow into being, not just the DB coach, but (to) go on and have success as a defensive coordinator in Denver. And while he was in Denver, I was in Cleveland. I kept in touch (with him) and eventually seeing him in Oakland as a head coach and we did not have success. One thing that I’ve always owned and I’ve always owned as a player is if we do not have success, it is on us, not executing. The coach has put a great game plan together, and I will never doubt (or) I will never question the game plans. I never questioned his coaching ability because he is on point with it. Dennis Allen is on point and when it comes to being a head coach, I never say, oh, because he had a bad record in Oakland, we didn’t perform, we didn’t execute. I still remember after some losses, I’m like coach and my bad, I let you down. And I don’t know if the other 50, 60 guys were saying the same thing, but I’ve always been that guy. Hey, we’ve got to execute. We’ve got to prepare and we’ve got to put it out there on Sundays, Mondays, Thursday, Saturdays, whatever day you play, we have got to win the games. I wouldn’t hold that Oakland record for the lack of success that we had there in terms of his future candidacy as a coach.”

What’s your favorite Sean Payton story?
“My story might switch it up a little bit, because it’s not him partying, dancing and bringing money into it. It’s more so him coaching me up as a young player in the league. I was fortunate to go to London twice during my NFL years. And the first time was when we played San Diego in 2008 and I wanted to host a trip. I wanted all the guys there, my boys to go to Amsterdam and take the train in different places in London and to do this I wasn’t going to ask for permission. I was just going to do it. So I organized all the guys and I was ready to go and before we got on that train, I get the call from our head of security at the time and he’s like, hey, get back here. Sean (Payton) wants to see you. And I’m like, oh my goodness. I’m about to get cut in London. I’m about to get cut in London and I get back. Then we have a talk and he’s like, we’re already overseas. We’re in a different continent. What are you trying to do? Why are you trying to go visit? I’m like, coach, I don’t know if I’m ever going to come back to London. I don’t know if I’m ever going to get to do this again. I just want to enjoy myself. And he reminded me at that time. This is a business trip, we were about our business and if we win this game. He didn’t say this verbatim, but I understood it. I would probably be cut and that’s Sean Payton to a T like, hey, this is business. We’re going to handle our business, now after we win we can party. But while we’re here, let’s handle this. So, I mean, I’ve got several stories, but I gotta take him to when, uh, I’m glad we went out in London that week.”

Which offseason addition do you think will have the biggest impact?
“You know, I’m biased and you probably already knew that the answer to this one, uh, you’ve got leaders throughout the team offensive and defensive, but the one that just got brought back in Malcolm Jenkins. I think he’ll make a tremendous impact and that impact won’t just be on the field. It’ll be within the walls of the Saints’ facility. It’ll be out in the community. It’ll be long lasting and you all got a glimpse of it early on in his career in terms of the leader that he was, but on the field he’s going to make everyone around him better and that’s Malcolm Jenkins easily. That’s what I think.”

I have to ask you about this, your Wikipedia entry has a story about you tackling a rabib dog and like a Peewee football game, is that true?
“Who makes these edits man? Who makes these edits? That’s what I want to know. Somebodies comical, I tell all the youth that get their book reports or whatever, homework that they’re doing. If they get it off a Wikipedia, make sure they do their fact checking. No, it didn’t happen now. I’m not a dog person, but if a rabib dog did come on the field I’m going to have to take care of it. I’m going to have to get it out of there and we are going to have to get back to playing. Leo, my dog, I love you, dude. I love you. But come on, she’s my wife’s (dog).”

I remember when you got here in 2007, one of the first events he always bring the rookies was the crawfish eating. And I recall vividly that you and some of the other rookies struggled with that. Did you ever come around to cross the issue because it’s still something that’s, you know, a little bit of a foreign food to you?
“Absolutely. I spent my first four years in New Orleans and it was no way I was going to remain untrue to embracing that crawfish crab, whatever it was, I was going to be on it. Yes eventually I did embrace it. My brother still lives in New Orleans. Elicia (Broussard Sheridan), who you all know is still in New Orleans and her family has restaurants. Whenever I’m going there, whenever I’m in New Orleans, I have to make sure that I have the crawfish.”

What is your training camp battle to watch this year on defense?
“That’s going to be real. I say Mike Thomas versus the defense. I mean and I say that, just jokingly because, uh, when you look at him, I mean, you all are familiar. You all see him practice way more than me. I get to see the games and every now and then I visit. But when you look at how crafty of a route runner he is, how Drew (Brees) throws every receiver open, but his catch radius is like no other. I look forward to seeing that. I look forward to just seeing guys play full speed ahead. You’ve got so many guys on that offense that are weapons, but also so many guys on the defense that want to compete and want to lead. Overall, just come out on top.”