New Orleans Saints Forums - blackandgold.com - NOLA.com New Orleans Saints guard Ben Grubbs revving up after slow start

If the foundation manager for New Orleans Saints left guard Ben Grubbs had his way, Grubbs would have hit the ground running with his philanthropy once Grubbs arrived in New Orleans after signing as the Saints' top free-agent target last year.

Grubbs didn't see it the same way.

He preferred to wait, in essence choosing to crawl around the Crescent City and the Saints' training facility before walking onto an unfamiliar street or into the wrong meeting room.

"(Grubb's foundation manager) said we can do this and we can do that," Grubbs said. "But I was like: 'No, I don't feel right.'

"I wanted to get familiar with everything. And I wanted it to feel right when I did it. I didn't want to do something just to do it."

It also didn't help that former Saints fullback Heath Evans sponsored a charity softball game, similar to one that Grubbs had hosted for four years in Baltimore to raise money for the Boys and Girls Club.

But after a year of feeling his way around and getting the blessing of Evans, Grubbs is ready to ramp up his charitable events, as he will host the Ben Grubbs #66 Foundation celebrity softball game, pitting the Saints' offensive players against the defensive players, at 6 p.m. on Wednesday at Zephyr Field.

"I was excited coming down here and looking forward to starting it up here but everybody was like that's Heath's event," Grubbs said. "He did it last year at it was a big success. But for whatever reason he didn't want to do it anymore, and he offered it to us. Everything just worked out well. I'm excited o be having it. This year I have teamed up with the New Orleans Boys and Girls Club.

"I finally feel at home. I feel more comfortable. I feel this is the perfect time to start my foundation. And what better way to start my foundation off than with the big event like the celebrity softball game here in New Orleans."

Slow start

His delayed charitable endeavors aside, Grubbs, who is entering his seventh season after spending the first five with the Baltimore Ravens, admitted his first season in New Orleans wasn't ideal.

The Saints signed Grubbs, a former AFC Pro Bowler, to a five-year, $36 million contract to replace former All Pro guard Carl Nicks, who signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last offseason.

The 6-foot-3, 310-pound Grubbs, though, said he never tried to be the second coming of the massive Nicks (6-5, 349). The two have two totally different styles, with Grubbs known for his pass protection and technique and Nicks as a mauler.

"With Carl Nicks, I really didn't try to be like him," Grubbs said. "There was no way I was going to put on that weight, and there was no way I was going to be as strong as him. In my book, in Carl's last year with the Saints he was the best guard in the NFL. I'm humble enough to say that. He's one of a kind. I didn't try to be like Carl. I just tried to be like myself and be the best me that I could be."

Although Grubbs turned in a solid first season in New Orleans, the Saints turned in a disappointing 7-9 record, while the offensive line struggled as a whole and the running game ranked 25th in the league.

"Of course it was a disappointment," Grubbs said. "Anytime you have a season like that, it's disappointing. We worked so hard but things just didn't turn out our way. Thankfully we lived to see another day, we lived to see another season. We are working hard to get ready.

"Each year there are changes that need to be made on and off the field and we have taken those appropriate steps. We are working hard. We are meeting. The coaches are putting in that time. Everybody just has that mindset we know what happened last year.

"You are not ever going to be able to forget it, but we are able to move on. We are able to say that everybody had a hand in that season and is responsible. So we just have to take it upon ourselves to get better as individuals. At the end of the day, that will only make the team better. So. I am excited about this year. I have a feeling it is going to be a good season."

New Orleans Saints guard Ben Grubbs revving up after slow start | NOLA.com