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New Orleans Saints Head Coach Sean Payton
Post-Practice Media Availability
Wednesday, June 11, 2014

When you try to foster leadership as a coach is it something you target or allow to grow organically?

“I would say the latter initially. I think there are times where it’s not that you can create it, (but) it begins to change each year with change. You begin to see it in younger players that are maybe in a role that is different from a year ago. There are times over the season where you might draw on something from an individual player that is a little bit more thought out. I think part of this process, not only is it with coaches getting to know the roster, the same thing with veteran players, younger players. We’ll take and help something that we think is going to be of importance, (such as a) signal-caller on defense or offense, where you typically have that role to some degree based on what they are doing. Personalities and what they are doing have a lot to do with it as well. Some will lead quietly and some will lead vocally. There are different successful and healthy ways to do that. Typically it will be someone with playing time or who is going to receive significant playing time. Sometimes it comes from a veteran player who is not in the role that he used to be and he could provide it.”

Have you talked to Champ Bailey about that?

“Yes, it would be really communicating in the beginning. I think it’s important that the player understands the vision, whether it’s a signed free agent, a veteran free agent or someone we drafted, what do we see your role as being. Specifically with someone like Champ though, (we would tell him) this is what we need, but knowing the skill set he has in regards to leadership and the level of respect for what he’s accomplished, his leadership might come as a calming influence for the younger players.”

Is this the earliest you have used crowd noise in practice?

“This would be the first time we have done it in minicamp. Typically it has come in training camp and the preseason games and it’s what I said to these guys when we pulled up at the end of practice, it really is the reality of the game, whether it’s the defense at home or offense on the road and obviously it changes a lot of the dynamics in communication on both sides of the ball. We wanted to implement it here (and) we’ll do it a few times next week in the OTA’s as we play with cadences and things that just help us get used to it.”


Read more: Sean Payton: " the expectations for us as a team are higher"

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