AsylumGuido

GQ: Cam Jordan Wants a Super Bowl ... And Maybe for Jameis Winston Start at QB

TYLER R. TYNES
August 5, 2021 8:00 AM

The one thing Cam Jordan isn’t low on is energy. After almost an hour on the phone, the New Orleans Saints defensive end was still barking prophecies to me about his team’s future. Plenty about that future remains up in the air—for the first time in forever, the Saints will enter the season without Drew Brees under center—but plenty remains the same. In year 11, Jordan is still one of the best at his position in the NFL. He’s still trying to get better. And, naturally, he still hates the Falcons.

As the longest-tenured player left in the organization after Bress’ departure, Jordan has become an elder statesman for the Saints and New Orleans. After Brees’ controversial comments last season about Colin Kaepernick and protest, Jordan said Brees couldn’t “tippy toe” on the issue—and now describes that time as a bonding moment for the locker room. He furthered his ambitions by speaking to New Orleans’ mayor about upending horrible police brutality in the city—and generally spreading sunshiney vibes all over the place. While he’s aiming for a 15 -year career, Cam Jordan’s future in New Orleans will stretch long past that.

Jordan sat down with GQ after a recent Saints practice to discuss his motivation a decade into his career and how the team will push forward without Drew Brees, along with some fantastic **** talk for his competition.

GQ: The last time you talked to the press you told reporters you’d have a Lando Calrissian-style beard for training camp. It’s training camp and I’m not seeing it.

Cam Jordan: I know! I don’t know which Lando I wanted, but I knew I wanted a part [points to hair]. I got my part heavy! Fro comin’! It’s a half-fro, not an afro right now though.

I’m happy for you and the maturation of your afro.

I wanted to know which Lando I was gonna go with. I think I’m good with the Donald Glover look, this semi-pirate. but I’m stylin,’ though. I’m asymmetrical up in this mug. But being manicured just not me. I ain’t got it. It’s probably why I couldn’t keep waves long enough. It’s too much routine, and that’s on the part, though!

You seem to have a lot of life about you, man. Zeal, all that. What gets you excited for this 11th season in the NFL?

Year 11! But it’s really starting back at square one. I’m treating this like it’s year one, like I’m coming back in not knowing nothing. I’m coming in with the idea that I’ve got to go earn it. You have to prove it every down. Year 11 is going to be more [about] what I have left in this back-third. I think 15 is my idea right now.

15 years?

Check back in around year 14 and we’ll talk [laughs].

You’ve been a top-five player at your position for a long time now. What does someone have to do to remain a force in the NFL for over a decade?

Well, these double teams keep you humble [laughs]. But really, you start learning the intricacies of the flow of the game. It’s not just knowing the game, it’s not just knowing the players and the plays and how it’s gonna go, it’s catching that flow within the game that allows you to realize different patterns and plays and how things are gonna spin. It’s more than just about yourself, too. It’s about how you get your other guys going as well. That’s part of the game you have to realize.

Who have you studied to keep you fresh? Film wise?

I love watching legends of the game: Reggie White, Michael Strahan, Bruce Smith, the OG Terrell Suggs who’s still active, Julius Peppers. They all played 16 or 17 years. I talk to them and I just want to break off a piece of their legendary knowledge. You played 15 years in the league, but what got you to that point? Year 14, 15, 16, what was the change? How did your mindset change from Year 10 to Year 12? What was it that locked you in for that longevity piece? How do you go in your evolution from being a young gun to being a complete player? It’s grabbing these tidbits of knowledge and that’s how you elevate your game even more.

Do you ever fear slowing down?

I have a fear about not waking up.

Well, that’s fair, too.

Any of my teammates will tell you I have no chill. I take no supplements. It ain’t no caffeine in this system. I’m comin’ off pure rays of sunshine in this mug. I’m straight absorption rate [laughs]. But, I mean I’m blessed to take this breath and every time I look back to see where I come from or where I could’ve been, I don’t really worry about slowing down. I worry about slowing down when it happens, and then I look back and say, “What a hell of a career.”

You’ve talked about team succ—

Super Bowl.

Huh?

Super Bowl!

What?

I just want a Super Bowl! Did you catch that? Super Bowl! Between me and my dad [Steve Jordan, who was a six-time Pro Bowl tight end and one of the 50 greatest Minnesota Vikings ever] we have 12 pro bowls, going on 24 years of NFL experience and a goose egg when it comes to Super Bowls. We have two or three division championship games, but nary a Super Bowl appearance. The Jordan legacy has a whole lot of accolades but that Super Bowl is elusive. And it hurts to the core that I’ve never been to one.

You’re the longest tenured player on the Saints roster. What has made you so rejuvenated for football? What are the new-look Saints supposed to look like?

As we all know, the NFL stands for “Not For Long.” They tryin’ to show people the door everyday...Great, I love it. I accept all of it. I can’t wait for this upcoming season to prove what our defense can do. Then we talk about the offensive side of the ball: the electric Alvin Kamara. Mike Thomas at receiver—when he’s healthy he’s top three,and he’s not two or three. And that’s not even a bold statement. That just is what it is. On our offensive line we have two of the top five tackles in the game.

So, when I think about what we wanna do this upcoming season and the mentality we’re taking to it, what’s not to be rejuvenated? What’s not to be excited about? This is our year, we have to capture it. We’ve had four years of running our division. Running it. Trouncing teams. And then coming up short at the end of it where we don’t want to be. When you see these teams twice in a year, you get excited about going to the playoffs and trying to win a Super Bowl. And four years straight of it, there’s so much more left on the table for us, we’re hungry. We text about it all the time in the offseason. It’s, “Hey, how you doing?” Then, “Bro! We gotta win the Super Bowl!” We’re all in the same mindset at all times.

I noticed you named almost every position on the field except quarterback...

Because they haven’t announced a starter! That’s above my pay grade! [laughs] Now, we all know what we gonna get with Jameis [Winston]. He’s gonna release that thang. He’s gonna take some deep shots. We gonna be electric on that thang! But, apparently, we also played Taysom Hill over Jameis last year. And that, again, is beyond my knowledge. So, I’ma leave that to the upper echelon to figure out what we doing...we’re focused on what we can do with Jameis...and Taysom.

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“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” — Winston Churchill

rezburna

The locker room decided who they wanted a long time ago.

AsylumGuido

That's why it's been a done deal for a long time. For the sake of the locker room you have to present a legitimate "competition". I mentioned in another thread that Charlie Weis, when discussing the Saints QB situation, stated that Payton already knew before training camp who would be the starter, yet the competition was necessary for the locker room.