Register All Albums FAQ Community Experience
Go Back   New Orleans Saints Forums - blackandgold.com > Main > Saints

Billy Miller and Drew Brees go on a USO Tour

this is a discussion within the Saints Community Forum; - NOLA.com lSports » New Orleans Saints Billy Miller and Drew Brees go on a USO Tour By Nakia Hogan, The Times-Picayune April 06, 2010, 8:44AM Every time New Orleans Saints tight end Billy Miller goes overseas to visit with ...

Closed Thread
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 04-06-2010, 12:31 PM   #1
Mmm That Smell!
 
Join Date: Oct 1998
Location: Metairie Terrace
Posts: 3,073
Billy Miller and Drew Brees go on a USO Tour

- NOLA.com

lSports »
New Orleans Saints Billy Miller and Drew Brees go on a USO Tour
By Nakia Hogan, The Times-Picayune
April 06, 2010, 8:44AM
Every time New Orleans Saints tight end Billy Miller goes overseas to visit with men and women in the armed forces, the Saints' free agent tight end returns with even more perspective.

Miller, for the third consecutive year, was among a contingent -- including Saints Super Bowl MVP quarterback Drew Brees and former Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego Chargers linebacker Donnie Edwards -- that visited Turkey, Dubai and Djibouti as part of the USO/Armed Forces tour.


Dave Gatley/USONew Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees signs autograghs for the troops with footballs of this tour of Forward Operating Bases in the Middle East. Brees was in the region as part of a seven-day, three-country summer USO tour led by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. While spending 11 days visiting with the troops, Miller, who returned home last week, said he found a greater appreciation for those who fight to protect America.

"This experience has always kind of changed my perspective on the military, on my taxes, on just life in general and the freedoms that we have," Miller said. "So this trip was extra special. As gratifying as it might be for them to meet a Drew Brees, it's as gratifying to myself to get out and meet these troops."

The athletes regularly chatted with the troops, signed autographs and posed for pictures. At times, they took part in some of the military training regimes.

But it was special, even uplifting for them to get a close look at what military personnel go through on a daily basis in a foreign country.

To pay homage to the military, Miller and his wife, Rachel, a jewelry designer, are designing a gold-plated fleur de lis pendant with a U.S. Armed Forces pendant, which will be outfitted in green and brown Swarovski crystals and set in a camouflage pattern. Twenty percent of its proceeds will be donated to the USO.

"If everybody took a USO tour and everybody was able to see these troops, these young -- and I do mean young -- men and women who put their lives on the line to protect our country and to play a game like the Super Bowl and have the freedoms that we have, your prospective will be different on how you approach paying taxes and how you feel about the president and the military," Miller said.

"What they do is extraordinary. They are in 140-degree heat training every day, doing things above and beyond that a lot of people can't even imagine. And they also have a lot of stresses on them that we can't even imagine, and they do it day in and day out, without complaint. It's astonishing what these men and women do, and it makes me come back home and work that much harder myself."

Coming off of February's Super Bowl XLIV title, Miller said he and Brees, who has made five USO tours, were much more popular on this trip.

"We saw a lot of real Saints fans," Miller said. "But we saw even more Saints fans that just became Saints fans after we won the Super Bowl."

Miller and Brees even got to play football with a couple of the converts.

Miller, who's coming off season-ending surgery to repair his ruptured Achilles heel, said he showed off his ability to run during a 7-on-7 flag football game with troops in Djibouti.

In fact, Miller was so impressed with the progress he has made, he said he sent Saints coach Sean Payton a copy of the tape from the game.

"I sent coach Payton a tape of the 7-on-7 flag football game because I ripped a couple guys up," said Miller, who added that he is 100 percent healthy. "So just in case he didn't think the Achilles was healed, I sent him the tape just so he'll know I'm good."

In the meantime, Miller said he will sit and wait for the Saints to come calling.

"I know that they have some issues that they want to deal with before it gets to Billy Miller," he said. "They want to hit the draft and see where they are at, but my wish is to be a Saint and to stay with the team.

"I'm patient, and I know the Saints have other issues that they need to deal with -- but my plan is to be a Saint for next year and to go and try to win another championship."

I'm no one.
Who are you?
RockyMountainSaint is offline  
Old 04-06-2010, 12:43 PM   #2
Mmm That Smell!
 
Join Date: Oct 1998
Location: Metairie Terrace
Posts: 3,073
Re: Billy Miller and Drew Brees go on a USO Tour

Video: New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees' interview with Bloomberg | - NOLA.com

Link to video of Drew on Bloomberg Report talking about USO and the "Drew-Peat"!
RockyMountainSaint is offline  
Old 04-06-2010, 03:25 PM   #3
10000 POST CLUB
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 11,208
Re: Billy Miller and Drew Brees go on a USO Tour

can't wait to see billy miller back out on the field again, him shockey and david thomas would be a formidable TE group.
dizzle88 is offline  
Old 04-06-2010, 03:35 PM   #4
10000 POST CLUB
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 10,832
Blog Entries: 3
Re: Billy Miller and Drew Brees go on a USO Tour

Proud of those guys.
saintsfan1976 is offline  
Old 04-06-2010, 04:35 PM   #5
Mmm That Smell!
 
Join Date: Oct 1998
Location: Metairie Terrace
Posts: 3,073
Re: Billy Miller and Drew Brees go on a USO Tour

Originally Posted by dizzle88 View Post
can't wait to see billy miller back out on the field again, him shockey and david thomas would be a formidable TE group.
Me too. Miller and Shockey need to stay healthy.
It's like they are made of glass.
RockyMountainSaint is offline  
Old 04-06-2010, 06:37 PM   #6
1000 Posts +
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Lafayette, LA
Posts: 2,345
Blog Entries: 1
Re: Billy Miller and Drew Brees go on a USO Tour

David Thomas was clutch last season. I wonder if they will rotate all three during every game? I hope Miller comes back strong because he was a really good #2 TE as well.
B_Dub_Saint is offline  
Old 04-06-2010, 10:30 PM   #7
Moderator
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: New Haven Ct
Posts: 23,985
Re: Billy Miller and Drew Brees go on a USO Tour

Shockey, Miller and Thomas. That's a great trio
QBREES9 is offline  
Old 04-07-2010, 04:34 PM   #8
E. Side Cholo
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: The Barrio, H-town
Posts: 6,089
Re: Billy Miller and Drew Brees go on a USO Tour

Originally Posted by RockyMountainSaint View Post
Miller and Shockey need to stay healthy. It's like they are made of glass.
really? wonder how long your body (and mine too) would last on that field with those big dudes flying around at us? just sayin.

Its going to be nice having Billy Miller back next year.
skymike is offline  
Closed Thread


Posting Rules


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:04 AM.


Copyright 1997 - 2020 - BlackandGold.com
no new posts