Opening Statement/Participation: Reggie Bush (knee) was limited. Jon Vilma (knee) was limited. Bobby McCray (knee and back) was limited. Jonathan Goodwin (ankle) was limited. Randall Gay (hamstring) was limited. Jabari Greer (groin) was limited. The following players did not practice, Lance Moore (ankle), Tracy Porter (knee), and Carl Nicks (illness). Most of today was nickel work, third down, much like it would be on a normal Thursday. We’re kind of in that routine where tomorrow we’ll be working on our red zone, goal line, short yardage.  

Q: Does Nicks have the flu? 

A: Stomach-related. 

Q: Does Sedrick Ellis’ absence from the list mean he will play? 

A: He’s not on the list. 

Q: Can you talk about the different schedule of practice this week? 

A: I think the difference with a schedule on the week of Thanksgiving, you’re crammed a little bit with a Sunday game, this game falling on a Monday, kind of gave us an extra day, the short week will come next week then. From a scheduling standpoint, it’s worked out pretty well. 

Q: How big of a lift is it to have Sedrick Ellis back? 

A: To get a starter back I think it’s important. It was close last week. He’s a guy that’s played well for us really on before the injury, so certainly when you get a guy like that on your defense, it’s important. 

Q: How much did you get to pick Bill Belichick’s brain when he was the AFC Pro Bowl Coach after the 2006 season? 

A: For a week you’re over in the Pro Bowl and you really get a chance to meet a lot of players that you’ve seen and really never had a chance to be around. Their staff coached the AFC and we had the NFC, so it was a good opportunity for the staffs to visit. We spent a day where we went out on three different boats. We kind of split guys up. It’s a much different environment over there. It was good. It was the first time to really have the chance to know someone. For me as a young coach, an opportunity to ask questions and really spend time with someone who’s had a great career. 

Q: What will getting Sedrick Ellis back mean to the middle of your defensive front? 

A:  Just like I was saying earlier, I think you have a starter that comes back to your defense. Anytime you’re able to get a starter back I your lineup, that’s a good thing. 

Q: Would you say he’ll be in the lineup, or he’ll start? 

A: We’ll see. 

Q: You didn’t ask Bill Belichick about cutting off his sleeves or anything like that? 

A: No. It’s a good week. Obviously it’s a tough week because you came off a tough loss before the Super Bowl, but you get a chance to really work with some elite players, coach some real good players and just be around them, everybody’s at the same hotel and really get to know a lot of the players in the league and coaches as well. In Bill’s case, that was good for us. 

Q: Is there anything specific you can take from that meeting with Bill? 

A: Nothing specific. There are certain things you can ask about schedules and how they do things, how they prepare during the week in regards to the offseason, just the little nuances that you’re interested to see how some other teams practice and how other teams set up their game preparation, their work week. Like I said, it was a good experience for me 

Q: Is that the last time you guys spent time together? 

A: Probably so. We haven’t played them obviously. You see your peers at the combine, Senior Bowls, some events like that. That was a chance for a week to really spend some time 

Q: The Pro Bowl doesn’t count as the first time coaching against him? 

A: This is the first time as a head coach, our staff’s had a chance to go against the Patriots.

A vote for Brees as Sportsman of the Year

SI.com writer Peter King writes that Drew Brees is his  2009 Sportsman of the Year.


Writes King: "A lot of people I cover do very good things for charity. It's always dangerous to say that, among 1,800 NFL players, one man stands above all.  So I won't do that with Drew Brees when I cast my vote for Sportsman of the Year. Brees does not have a Super Bowl ring to his name, but he is the most productive passer in the NFL, statistically, since coming to New Orleans in free agency in 2006, But that's not why I'm saying he deserves to be Sportsman of the Year. I'm saying it because no athlete in any sport has meant more to his community in the last four years than Drew Brees has meant to New Orleans.……….

"You had to see this place eight months after Katrina. Hundreds of abandoned cars on the sides of roads. Thousands of homes in ruins, More businesses shuttered than open; many more.  The mayor, the townspeople, worried players and team executives...all with no idea how much longer they could hang onto the Saints. In 2006 a bursts of civic pride sold out the Superdome, but everyone knew that wouldn't last unless the moribund team won…….
"His Brees Dream Foundation raised $1.8 million in cash over the past four years, with matching funds totaling another $3.6 million . ….."Last April, with the local economy still down in he dumps, the Saints and state politicians agreed to a deal extending the team's lease in the Superdome through 2025. 'Drew's a huge reason why,' said coach Sean Payton. The team was 35-45 in the five years before Brees arrived. They're 36-22 since he signed. ……

"Building playgrounds, being a quarterback, saving franchises. That's why Brees is my 2009 Sportsman of the Year."

Glover joins Hall of Honor 

The Saints have added former defensive tackle La’Roi Glover to the team’s Hall of Honor inside the club’s training facility.  The inclusion of a five-foot tall photo of Glover joins a gallery of other past Saints players, former executive Jim Finks and former coach Jim Mora on the walls of the hallway that current players use on the way to the locker room.

“La’Roi was a player who made a tremendous impact on our club and was big part of the team that brought New Orleans its first ever playoff win,” said Owner Tom Benson. “He was a favorite of the fans and he is well-deserving of this place among the best players in club history with photos in the hallway where our current players work each day.”

Saints Owner Tom Benson created the Hall of Honor in 2004 as way for the team to personally honor former players, staff and coaches. To date the Hall has 20 players, including Glover and one head coach (Jim Mora) and one general manager (Jim Finks).

“It gives me great pleasure to welcome La’Roi into our Hall of Honor where he can take his rightful place among other great players to have worn a Saints uniform over the years,” Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis said. “The hard work and tremendous effort he put in as a Saint will live on as an example to our current and future players.”

Glover joined the Saints after being claimed off waivers from Oakland just prior to the 1997 season and went on to be a dominating force in the middle of the defensive line for the next five seasons (1997-2001), amassing 50 sacks – sixth-best in franchise history – among his 318 tackles with 10 forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries.

The San Diego State product was voted to two Pro Bowl appearances (2000, 2001) and was a two-time All-Pro selection as a Saint and earned four NFC Defensive Player of the Week awards along with being named NFC Defensive Player of the Month in October 2000. His performance in 2000 helped push the Saints to a NFC West division title and the first postseason victory in team history, as he led the league with 17 sacks, the third consecutive season that he led the team in sacks.

Glover was introduced  to the team by Coach Sean Payton at the Sunday morning practice and then was introduced to the sellout crowd on Monday night right before the coin toss.

The Saints Hall of Honor includes: WR Danny Abramowicz (1967-73), K Morten Andersen (1982-94), T Stan Brock (1980-92), G Jim Dombrowski (1986-96), LB Mark Fields (1995-2000), General Manager Jim Finks (1986-93), RB Hokie Gajan (1981-86), DT La’Roi Glover (1997-2001), QB Bobby Hebert (1985-89, 91-92), RB Dalton Hilliard (1986-93), LB Rickey Jackson (1981-93), LB Vaughan Johnson (1986-93), QB Archie Manning (1971-82), WR Eric Martin (1985-93), DE Wayne Martin (1989-99), LB Sam Mills (1986-94), DT Derland Moore (1973-85), Coach Jim Mora (1986-96), S Tommy Myers (1972-81), RB Chuck Muncie (1976-80), T William Roaf (1993-2001), RB George Rogers (1981-84), LB Pat Swilling (1986-92), DE Frank Warren (1981-89, 91-94).