Payton’s Emotional Acceptance
Former New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton will present Drew Brees at his Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement on August 8 in Canton, Ohio. Brees personally selected Payton for this role. Payton was at dinner following an April 28 golf outing in Hobe Sound, Florida, with New Orleans friends and associates, including Saints general manager Mickey Loomis and executive Greg Bensel, when he received a FaceTime call from Brees.
During the call, Brees, who was driving with his wife, Brittany, and family near their San Diego home, asked Payton if he would “put him in the Hall of Fame.” Payton became emotional, stating, “I hadn’t thought about it, and he caught me right in the temple. I got just as emotional then as I am with you now. I’m honored.” A video of the call, captured by Bensel, shows Payton wiping tears from his eyes. Payton responded, “Honest to God, I can’t believe you just did that. Absolutely, man. I’m honored.”
Role as Presenter and Shared History
As the presenter, Payton will attend the formal enshrinees’ gold jacket dinner the evening before the ceremony, where he will place the iconic Hall of Fame gold jacket onto Brees for the first time. During the enshrinement ceremony, a pre-recorded video tribute from Payton will be shown on stadium screens and the national broadcast before Brees takes the stage. Payton will then join Brees at center stage for the unveiling of the bronze bust, which will be displayed in the Hall of Fame. Brees will then deliver his acceptance speech.
Payton filmed the video presentation with an NFL Films crew in Denver last month. He expressed his honor by Brees’ gesture, recording the tribute content in two separate multi-hour sessions to ensure it met the occasion’s standards. Payton remarked, “They had to match his standard of greatness as a player.”
Payton staked his career on Brees when the Saints signed him as a free agent in 2006. At the time, Brees was recovering from major shoulder surgery and was considered a risky prospect, with only a few teams pursuing him. Together, Brees and Payton led the Saints to their most successful period in franchise history. From 2006 to 2020, they secured seven NFC South Division titles and the club’s only Super Bowl. Their partnership also resulted in numerous NFL offensive records and transformed the Saints franchise’s image.
Payton reflected on their time together, saying, “You think about all the wins and all the long hours and all the bus rides. This is someone you spent more time with than your wife and children. I told Drew these (head coach-quarterback partnerships) usually don’t end this way, with both of us leaving on our own terms. It’s special.” He also noted the unique way their 15-year relationship concluded, emphasizing that such coach-quarterback relationships often don’t end amicably, but theirs did.
Preparations and Attendees
Payton has been preparing for his role, rehearsing his speech and having it taped for review. He even asked producers to re-record parts of his tribute to ensure it was comprehensive and reflective enough. Payton described the process, saying, “There’s a series of questions and statements for you (to respond to) as they put it together, and your fear is it’s not going to be good enough or complete enough; at least that’s how I felt.” He added, “I just know if we do the whole thing over again, there’s going to be certain answers that are different that you reflect on.”
Brees will be the fifth Saints player inducted into the Hall of Fame, joining Rickey Jackson, Willie Roaf, Morten Andersen, and Sam Mills. He is the first player in franchise history to be inducted on his initial ballot. This follows his inductions into the Saints Hall of Fame in 2024 and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2025.
A large group of Brees’ former Saints teammates, coaches, and support staff, including owner Gayle Benson and general manager Mickey Loomis, are expected to attend the weekend festivities in Canton. Among the former teammates traveling to Canton is right tackle Jon Stinchcomb, who played alongside Brees for five seasons from 2006 to 2010. Stinchcomb commented that Brees’ choice of Payton “just makes sense,” highlighting their effective working relationship that “positively created some magic together.”
Payton and a group of former Saints coaches now on the Broncos staff, including Zach Strief and Joe Vitt, will take a break from training camp to attend the events in Canton. Payton’s duties as presenter will require him to miss Broncos practices on August 7-8 to support Brees.
Payton humorously noted, “The last time I missed two practices was when the league told me I had to miss practice,” referencing his yearlong suspension in 2012.
Source: nola.com
Mason Reed
Sports reporter covering football, basketball and international competitions.