Super Bowl champ chats with Gnite
By: MEKAYEL H. LUKE
Issue date: 3/4/10 Section: Sports
Q: What is your biggest challenge? What do you do to manage this challenge?
A: A lot of things, from the beginning of my life to this point, that people said I couldn't do. I'm always out to prove that I CAN do whatever I put my mind to.
Q: What differentiates you from your other teammates?
A: I have a natural born emotional attachment to the city of New Orleans.
I'm not just another drafted player. My indebtedness to the city is stronger by me being a native.
Q: What was the best advice you were given?
A: To realize that it's gonna be a lot of challenges coming from college to NFL, especially being an underdog.
The two main people who advised me were Elder Lewis and Everson Walls, more so Everson Walls because he was a non- drafted player.
He told me that my focus should be "doing the best that you can do and staying humble."
Q: Do you have a motto or saying that you live by?
A: Stay humble and stay hungry, man! (Laughs)
Q: Where do you draw your inspiration from?
A: From my role models-my mother and my father. They both taught me a lot, by leading, by example. That speaks volumes over the course of time.
They instilled in me what they spoke of, and they lived it.
Q: Anything else you would like to share about your experience in Superbowl XLIV?
A: The experience in itself was wonderful. It felt better to me to be from New Orleans, a native and resident of New Orleans, and to know how much pain the city has been through, and to share that happiness with my people.
Q: Did you ever think that you would play for the New Orleans Saints?
A: No, can't say that I thought that I would, but I always hoped ...
Q: What are your teachers saying now?
A: It's a lot of people who congratulate me, and I know they don't mean it, but I take it all in stride and use it as motivation. It's a lot of "I knew you'd make it," even though I never heard that back then.
Q: What was your major at Grambling State?
A: I was a criminal justice major. I wanted to be an attorney. I wanted to graduate in three years, which I did, possibly play in the NFL, if not, then law school.
I'm thankful to God that everything happened as it did.
Q: Who was your favorite professor at Grambling State?
A: Dr. Walter Davis.
Q: Is he upset that you did not become an Alpha?
A: (Laughs) He's mad that I'm not a doctor, but happy that I'm successful in my career, nonetheless.
Q: What was your fondest memory of Grambling State, and when was the last time you visited?
A: My fondest memory was my first SWAC Championship. I actually visited for 2009 Homecoming. This was the first Homecoming I actually made since I left. And it was because I was injured (laughs).
A: A lot of things, from the beginning of my life to this point, that people said I couldn't do. I'm always out to prove that I CAN do whatever I put my mind to.
Q: What differentiates you from your other teammates?
A: I have a natural born emotional attachment to the city of New Orleans.
I'm not just another drafted player. My indebtedness to the city is stronger by me being a native.
Q: What was the best advice you were given?
A: To realize that it's gonna be a lot of challenges coming from college to NFL, especially being an underdog.
The two main people who advised me were Elder Lewis and Everson Walls, more so Everson Walls because he was a non- drafted player.
He told me that my focus should be "doing the best that you can do and staying humble."
Q: Do you have a motto or saying that you live by?
A: Stay humble and stay hungry, man! (Laughs)
Q: Where do you draw your inspiration from?
A: From my role models-my mother and my father. They both taught me a lot, by leading, by example. That speaks volumes over the course of time.
They instilled in me what they spoke of, and they lived it.
Q: Anything else you would like to share about your experience in Superbowl XLIV?
A: The experience in itself was wonderful. It felt better to me to be from New Orleans, a native and resident of New Orleans, and to know how much pain the city has been through, and to share that happiness with my people.
Q: Did you ever think that you would play for the New Orleans Saints?
A: No, can't say that I thought that I would, but I always hoped ...
Q: What are your teachers saying now?
A: It's a lot of people who congratulate me, and I know they don't mean it, but I take it all in stride and use it as motivation. It's a lot of "I knew you'd make it," even though I never heard that back then.
Q: What was your major at Grambling State?
A: I was a criminal justice major. I wanted to be an attorney. I wanted to graduate in three years, which I did, possibly play in the NFL, if not, then law school.
I'm thankful to God that everything happened as it did.
Q: Who was your favorite professor at Grambling State?
A: Dr. Walter Davis.
Q: Is he upset that you did not become an Alpha?
A: (Laughs) He's mad that I'm not a doctor, but happy that I'm successful in my career, nonetheless.
Q: What was your fondest memory of Grambling State, and when was the last time you visited?
A: My fondest memory was my first SWAC Championship. I actually visited for 2009 Homecoming. This was the first Homecoming I actually made since I left. And it was because I was injured (laughs).
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