Payton and Brees, стр. 13
If Payton feels like a player is not giving full effort during practice or is going through the motions during his week of preparation, the coach will let him know. He’s also a stickler for body language and energy level. Just as Parcells did, he demands that his coaches and players carry themselves with positive energy and be enthusiastic at work. Everyone—coaches, players, staff—needs to be passionate about work and winning.
“Bill valued confrontation,” Payton said. “It was eye-opening at first, but nothing was ever tabled. And the older and wiser that I got the more I appreciated why he was like that. You want to be true to who you are, but it is important to address things and not table them, especially in a team environment. I think that once that’s done, I think the players, coaches, and everyone involved understand that that’s just how it is. That can be healthy, rather than letting things fester or not addressing certain things at all. That’s something that I think he was very good at.”
One of Payton’s favorite Parcells lines is, “Some of these coaches and players have retired on the job.” It’s his not-so-subtle way of keeping everyone motivated and maintaining an edge.
“Sean is a great communicator, but at the same time, he believes in controversy,” said Dan Campbell, the Saints tight ends coach who played three seasons for Parcells in Dallas from 2003 to ’05 and began his coaching career in Miami in 2010, when Parcells was still in the Dolphins’ front office. “He believes in airing things out. Let’s get this out on the table. If something bothers him, he’s not going to keep it to himself or say, ‘I don’t want to hurt the guy’s feelings.’ He’s going to get it out in the open, and we’re going to clear the air.
“And believe it or not, that in itself is a huge deal, because there’s a lot of coaches in this league that won’t do that. They’re just afraid to do that. It takes freakin’ guts, man. They’re afraid to go talk to that defensive tackle that was just a little late to a meeting or a guy who is just not giving the effort in practice. Sean’s not going to let that stuff slide. And that’s another reason why we’ve won around here.”
“Some coaches are afraid to address certain things, like maybe afraid to address the elephant in the room or afraid to tell you the truth because they’re afraid it’s going to hurt your feelings,” Brees said. “Sean’s not that way. What I find though is that the way that he presents it to you is not something that’s going to make you feel bad. It’s going to challenge you.”
Payton received a bachelor’s degree in communication from Eastern Illinois, but he received his PhD in football communication from Parcells. The latter taught Payton how to run and lead an organization.
“The one thing with Bill was there were never any hidden punches,” Payton said. “You always knew where you stood with him. I think players appreciate that. So it’s just telling them the truth.
“Sometimes, even if it’s a veteran player, it may not be what they want to hear. But it might be what’s necessary for them to hear. With Bill, there weren’t any protected, pet cats or anything like that. Everyone was above the radar, and he was fair. It was a lot easier that way than trying to pretend to be fair.”
Payton has an entire wall of his office dedicated to Parcells. Among the framed pictures and letters is one large photograph of Payton and Parcells coaching on the Cowboys sideline, with an autographed inscription from Parcells: “I am grateful for your help and prideful in your accomplishments and looking forward to your future. My best, Bill Parcells.”
And to this day, Parcells’ influence remains with Payton and throughout the Saints facility. He remains Payton’s most trusted adviser and even makes recommendations on personnel. It was Parcells who tipped the Saints to the talents of undrafted free agent Tommylee Lewis before the 2016 NFL Draft. Payton usually talks to Parcells at least once a week during the season, often on Monday morning phone calls.
“I’ve said this before,” Payton said. “There’s a lot of on-the-job training. Daily, there might be something personnel-wise from an organizational standpoint, practice schedules, training camp schedules, whatever. He knows how to win, and I learned an awful lot in a short period of time. I look back on my career and I was touched by so many people that were successful and they’re a big reason why I’m here right now. I’m humbled by that.”
5. Child of Destiny
On January 15, 1979, Andrew Christopher Brees was born into the sport of football.
His maternal grandfather, Ray Akins, was a legendary coach at Gregory-Portland High School and finished his career as one of the winningest coaches in Texas prep history. His uncle, Marty Akins, was an All-Southwest Conference wishbone quarterback at Texas, where he started for two years in the same backfield as Earl Campbell. Both are members of the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame.
Football wasn’t just a sport to Brees. It was a way of life.
Brees’ parents, Mina and Eugene “Chip” Brees, were lawyers and excellent athletes themselves. Mina was a four-sport standout and all-state basketball player at Gregory Portland High School. Chip, meanwhile, played basketball at Texas A&M, where he met Mina when she was a cheerleader.
With a heritage like that, athletics were a part of Brees’ life from the outset. And there was hardly a sport he couldn’t master. Mina, a singles player for Austin city championship teams in 1995, introduced Drew to tennis, and he became one of the best junior players in Texas, earning a No. 3 ranking in the USTA’s age-12 group. That same year he set