Current Lions-Former Saints Players Share Favorite Nola Memories
Eight current players, coaches, and staff members for the Detroit Lions have spent time working for the Saints in New Orleans. Standouts like Reggie Bush have many fond memories of their time in the Crescent City.
Favorite New Orleans Memory
- Running Back Reggie Bush: After the Saints took Bush in the first round of the 2006 Draft with the second pick, he flew to New Orleans to meet with the team and media. At the time, Bush did not fully grasp exactly how much his arrival meant to the fan base, which was in desperate need of something positive to believe in as the city struggled to recover from Hurricane Katrina's devastation. After Bush's first day in New Orleans, the team took him to eat at Emeril's Restaurant. "I'll never forget walking in and after a few seconds, everyone in the restaurant started cheering. Then everyone stood up - they gave me a standing ovation. I was blown away."
- Running Back Joique Bell: Originally from Michigan, Bell was curious about New Orleans cuisine when he moved to the Crescent City. Crawfish were not to his liking, but beignets were a different story. Bell loved them as much for their extracurricular value as for their taste. "The second time I tried beignets was at Cafe du Monde, and we ended up having this huge powdered sugar fight. That stuff was everywhere. I'll never forget it."
- Offensive Coordinator Joe Lombardi: After seven seasons in New Orleans, Lombardi and his family have made many friends and even more memories in The Big Easy. Choosing a highlight though turned out to be easy for Lombardi, the former quarterbacks coach for the Saints. The quarterback room under Sean Payton and Drew Brees has always been a competitive place, and not just on the field. The group, including coaches, has weekly competitions of the smallest nature that are of grave importance when it comes to bragging rights. The week of the Super Bowl, the annual Friday contest turned out to be throwing balls into buckets across the room. Drew Brees might have been on top after besting the Colts 48 hours later, but that Friday, Lombardi was king, if only for a moment. "I'll never forget beating Drew at the bucket throwing that Friday. It was fantastic," Lombardi said.
-Fullback Jed Collins : During his tenure in New Orleans, Collins was active in many philanthropic organizations including Son of A Saint - a mentoring organization for fatherless boys - and Team Gleason - the ALS awareness group founded by former Saints player Steve Gleason. The Saints have also been ardent supporters of Gleason, his charity and his personal battle with ALS. Gleason uses the Saints rehabilitation facilities for his healthcare regiment. Team Gleason members, like Collins, accompany Gleason and help him through the process. "My favorite memory in New Orleans is definitely doing the executive workout with Team Gleason up at the facility," Collins said. "We would sit in the sauna, talk and get to the bottom of some big topics. Then we'd go jump in the cold pool. Good times, even better people."
