MULE’: Super Bowl Special

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Brees in N.O. took Saint-ly intervention

By MARTY MULE’
Tiger Rag Featured ColumnistThe Lord, a wise man once noted, works in mysterious ways. It’s almost amazing how seemingly innocuous decisions, or a series of small, unrelated, incidents can lead to monumental things.

Almost lost in the sense of euphoria currently enveloping Louisiana is who we have to thank for the Saints crashing their first Super Bowl party after more than four decades of existence. Certainly there’s Coach Sean Payton, quarterback Drew Brees, and safety Darren Sharper.

But as responsible as anyone for this sudden success are two people known to have caused anguish to the state’s football psyche: Archie Who and L’il Nicky.

Without either one, Brees, the most important figure on the New Orleans roster, probably would never have taken a snap for the Saints. And if he wasn’t there, we’d likely be watching someone like Aaron Brooks or Billy Joe Hobert.

So how did Brees get to the Crescent City.

The dominos started falling six seasons ago with, ironically, Archie Manning, father of the most important player on the Saints’ Super Bowl opponent, Colts’ quarterback Peyton Manning. Archie first came to Louisiana’s notice as the best of Johnny Vaught’s string of signal-callers at Ole Miss, almost single-handedly beating LSU twice in his three-year college career. Later, as the Saints quarterback and still a resident of New Orleans, he would be - and is - recognized as one of the town’s all-time good guys.

In the 2004 NFL draft, San Diego Charger GM A.J. Smith had his eye on Archie’s son, Eli, then at Ole Miss. Coach Marty Schottenheimer wanted N.C. State’s Philip Rivers. Archie, ostensibly because he was warned that the Chargers were a franchise in turmoil and Eli could be caught in a situation like Archie was in the worst of the woe-begotten days of the Saints, bluntly told Smith, “Don’t consider us.”

The Chargers did draft Eli, but made a trade for the Rivers. Clearly Rivers was wanted and Brees would be a stop-gap until Rivers got some experience.

Two years later, in the last game of the 2005 season, attempted to recover a fumble in the end zone, Brees was hit by Denver tackle Gerard Warren and tore the labrum in his throwing shoulder.

With potential damaged goods staring at them in the off-season, the Chargers started sending signals that fave back-up Rivers was in and Brees, then a free-agent, was out.

Two teams expressed major interest in Brees: Miami, under the tutorage of Nick Saban, formerly of LSU, and currently of Alabama where he has beaten LSU in two out of the three games he coached against his old Tigers, and water-logged New Orleans.

Saban, in perhaps the worst decisions of his career, passed after a medical evaluation, and picked Duante Culpepper to quarterback the Dolphins. Saban has a way of shifting the blame to others when things don’t go perfectly and in this instance points to the medial staff.

Still, there was a statement from the renown Dr. James Andrews, who performed the surgery on Brees, saying the shoulder was back to 100 capability “and not any more likely to be reinjured than it ever was.”

Brees himself, who, with New Orleans still ravaged by the immediate effects of Hurricane Katrina and with the Saints’ future in doubt, was leaning to Miami. But he said later, “With all due respect to the Miami organization and Coach Saban, but I didn’t feel like they believed in me and my ability to come back from the injury like the Saints did.”

The Saints’ faith is now being rewarded in a series of ironies: Archie’s old team is playing for the world championship, against his second son, and in Miami, where Nick Saban could have proved he could coach in the NFL, which is where he made no secret that he always wanted to prove himself.

Should it happen Sunday night that Brees holds up the Lombardi Trophy, Louisiana should look to the heavens and thank whoever is looking out for us.

And, while you’re at it, include a special thanks for sending Archie and Nicky our way.

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Marty Mule’ can be reached at MJM981two@charter.net