Payton and Brees, стр. 2

Early in the spring he made another strong impression. He told the team there was a three-year timeframe for drafted players. In Year One, players were given the benefit of the doubt as they were rookies or new to the team system. In Year Two, a transition to production would need to be observed. In Year Three, players would be at a crossroads with the team and should probably “update their résumé” if they weren’t being productive. He was creating a sense of urgency with every player on the roster.

Additionally, he promised that high-level decisions that turned out to be incorrect would not be supported simply to satisfy egos or balance the books. Marques Colston exemplified this philosophy. Colston was a seventh-round draft pick out of Hofstra who clearly outperformed former first-round pick Donté Stallworth during training camp. The Saints traded Stallworth midway through training camp and elevated Colston to the starting lineup. Message sent. No player’s roster spot was guaranteed—regardless of the amount of money invested in the individual player. As a former undrafted free agent who was trying to make an impression on the new coach, I already felt plenty of urgency. But I was reassured by Payton’s actions. He meant what he said about the best players making the team. I felt I had a chance to be one of those players. Coach Payton’s ability to persuade management to make the correct “team” decisions was refreshing.

Coach Payton also instituted a disciplinary system that consistently fined players for small transgressions like missing meetings or being overweight. These fines were reported every morning at the team meeting and no further oration was implemented. Players were not given exemption, and the fines were generally preceded by a simple statement like, “These rules had been developed and agreed upon by the team.” This may not seem like a large factor in successful change, but as a player I saw it as vital. Not surprisingly, the discipline statistics in our games (penalties, mental errors, etc.) were greatly reduced as this change took place. The night before our first preseason game in 2006, Coach Payton made another strong impression. We were bused to a hotel in Jackson, Mississippi. When I was given my key, I went to my room and noticed the place smelled of mothballs and there was a hole in the sheetrock. This was early in the change effort, and I had my doubts there would be any real change with the new coach. This hotel solidified my doubts. We assembled a couple hours later for a team meeting and I anticipated Coach Payton’s reaction, if any, to the hotel quality. Impressively, he stood in front of the team and not only apologized for the hotel but promised with confidence and sincerity that we would never stay in a hotel like this while he was the head coach.

For the first time in my NFL career, a coach showed us he cared enough for the players to confront the organization and create change. I thought to myself, Maybe things are changing for the better after all. Coach Payton’s vision was starting to come into focus.

It helped that the team’s quarterback was helping Coach Payton communicate the plan. It’s impossible to understate how important the signing of Brees was to the franchise. While Drew’s talent was impressive, I think Coach Payton wanted him just as much for his leadership skills. At the player level, Drew helped communicate Coach Payton’s message and emphasized what was important in the organization. Drew’s passion for football was contagious to the rest of the organization. He took great risks by vocally demanding excellence from teammates but also by encouraging the team to develop an investment in each other.

Before Drew arrived, Aaron Brooks was the quarterback. Aaron was a nice guy and a supremely talented player. Unfortunately, he lacked the leadership skills necessary to quarterback a first-class team. When Drew arrived in New Orleans, he was a successful quarterback but not a perennial All-Pro, and he was coming off a potentially career-ending injury. He had his doubters in the media and even among the players.

Toward the end of training camp, Coach Payton asked Drew to address the team. At the time, I’m not sure that was something Drew was completely comfortable with. But he knew he had to find a way to be comfortable being uncomfortable if he was going to actually lead the team and help us achieve our lofty goals.

It was a risk for Coach Payton to identify Drew as the leader of a team he had joined just six months earlier. And it was a risk for Drew to expose himself as vulnerable to the potential scorn of other players. I remember being nervous for him. Remember, this was not the guy who holds several all-time NFL records, nor did he wear a Super Bowl ring—yet. It was in this moment, when Drew chose to address the team, I realized that anything was possible for Drew Brees. I saw greatness, through courage and genuine transparency.

 It seems Drew was bolstered by the confidence Coach Payton instilled in him as he stood in front of the team and presented us with goals for the upcoming season. He also talked about the characteristics he thought were necessary to accomplish these goals. He communicated them clearly and confidently. It was a great speech. After that day, every Saints player knew No. 9 was our leader.

Drew continued to set the tone for the rest of the team with his work ethic. His car was regularly the first one in the parking lot in the mornings before practice and the last one to leave that night after practice. He had an almost unreasonable belief that the team could win even under the bleakest of conditions. This passion, dedication, and sacrifice are key leadership qualities beyond being smart, tough, disciplined, and well-conditioned. Brees served as the perfect conduit to