Payton and Brees, стр. 11

“It was my first year out of college and I had just been cut from the CFL. It was an easy decision,” Payton said. “It was an opportunity. I wanted to play and possibly get evaluated. I’ve always thanked Coach Ditka for getting me on with my life’s work [coaching], because I wasn’t good at [playing].”

Before hanging up his playing career, Payton made one last stop. He played for the Leicester Panthers of the Budweiser National League in England. It was during his time in rural England that Payton began to consider a career change. He began to pursue leads for a graduate assistant position in the college ranks.

“My mom would give me a hard time because I didn’t have health insurance at the time,” Payton said. “You’re at that stage where some of your friends are getting married, some already have, and they’re all kind of established in their early parts of their careers. I’m like, ‘God, I’m living over in England, and I don’t have a savings account.’”

One of Payton’s many calls went to Steve Devine, then the offensive line coach at San Diego State, who also was in charge of hiring and overseeing graduate assistants. Devine was skeptical at first, but after checking Payton’s references, he offered him the job with one caveat: he needed to be there in three days.

“I’ll get there,” Payton said.

Payton flew to Chicago, loaded up his Chevy Cavalier, and made the cross-country drive west. His car broke down outside Denver and the mechanic jury-rigged the broken fan belt because Payton lacked the funds to pay for the full repair. Payton eventually made it to San Diego and lived with Devine for a couple weeks before finding an apartment of his own.

“Steve is the one who stuck me in a coaching shirt with armpit stains, put a hat on me, and said, ‘This is what you’ve got to do to be a coach,’” Payton said. “He was real instrumental in the process.”

Devine later became a scout for the New York Giants thanks, in part, to a recommendation from Payton. He retired in May 2019.

“Obviously, he had some talent,” Devine said of Payton, “but he was a bright-eyed guy who was always looking for a way to win and get it done. He kept at it until people gave him a chance. He came to San Diego State full of ideas and ready to do anything you’d ask, from making coffee to running an errand. Good things always seem to happen to him. He’s a guy I really admire.”

Payton spent two years at San Diego State, then landed his first full-time job as the running backs and wide receivers coach at Indiana State. He returned to San Diego State as running backs coach in 1992 and 1993, where he coached All-American Marshall Faulk. He served as the offensive coordinator at Miami (Ohio) for two seasons, then was the quarterbacks coach at Illinois in 1996 before he finally got his break in the NFL.

Jon Gruden hired him to coach the quarterbacks on Ray Rhodes’ Philadelphia Eagles staff in 1997–98, and it was there, under the direction of Gruden and offensive line coach Bill Callahan, that Payton laid the foundation for his knowledge of NFL offenses.

“It was my first opportunity in the NFL and it gave me a chance really to learn,” Payton said. “I learned a lot in a short period of time working with Jon and that offense. It was a foundation for me that I still hold on to.

“It was a little bit like law school. There were a lot of late nights and a lot of early mornings. I learned about preparation. You come out of college and you get into this league, and you realize that there’s a lot of football that you don’t know. It can be humbling, but yet it was important.”

Working as closely as they did together, Payton and Gruden developed a strong relationship. Payton would often sleep on the couch in Gruden’s office. The two remain close to this day.

“He’s been a big part of my development,” Payton said of Gruden. “When I got hired [in Philadelphia] in ’97, just for me to really be a blank tape is what they were looking for, for me to study and learn. It afforded me a great opportunity.… He’s got a great mind. He’s a unique guy, and he’s very talented.”

In 1999, Payton moved to the New York Giants staff as quarterbacks coach and was promoted to offensive coordinator a year later. He was dubbed the “Boy Wonder” of the Giants offense in 1999 and 2000, but two years later he was reeling after having the play sheet ripped from his hands. After several subpar offensive performances during the 2002 season, head coach Jim Fassel took away Payton’s play-calling duties. The Giants scored just seven touchdowns in seven games with Payton calling the shots, and three of those scores came in one game. The move appeared to work. The Giants made a run to the playoffs, and Payton, his role diminished and reputation tarnished, started to look for work elsewhere.

“I told Sean when this happened, this isn’t going to affect your career,” former Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi said in 2002. “How you react and handle this, that will be your legacy.”

Accorsi was right. What happened next for Payton defined his career.