Cool article that I missed last week.

Royce LaFrance hoping to eventually stick with hometown Saints



Rod Walker

The good news for Royce LaFrance is he keeps getting the phone call.

The bad news for the defensive end is he keeps getting the call.

Eventually, he hopes he no longer has to.

Someday, sooner rather than later, he hopes to finally stick with the hometown team he grew up rooting for. He hopes to continue playing football in the only city he's ever called home.

LaFrance, who played at Helen Cox High School and then Tulane, just finished his second straight minicamp with the New Orleans Saints.

It's his fourth time being called by the Saints after finishing up at Tulane in 2015 with the third-most sacks in school history.

He was with the Saints for rookie camp and minicamp last year. Then the team brought him back in October on the practice squad, then let him go, then signed him again in January. The team will likely bring him back for training camp.

"It's real special," LaFrance said. "It's like a dream come true. But I have to keep going until I get where I want to get. You have to always be reedy because you know this chance can be gone quick. So I always stay ready. I just always stay ready, waiting for my name to be called."

LaFrance impressed during minicamp, even getting a highlight-reel interception on the next-to-last day by snagging a Garrett Grayson pass out of the air. The play wowed the crowd. And it also wowed LaFrance.

"I can't even explain it," LaFrance said. "I'll be honest. It was a blur. I saw the ball at the last second. All I remember was he rolled out and I rolled out with him."

Those types of plays make the Saints keep calling LaFrance back.

"He has such great athletic ability and is a really intelligent player who gives his all," Saints defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen said. "When you get those three qualities, you can't help but to like him. You always want to be ready, and he'd done a good job of being ready. He had a really good minicamp."

Players have noticed, too.

Cornerback Delvin Breaux, a New Orleanean like LaFrance, likes what he has seen.

"Royce has got it," Breaux said. "I watch all the tapes because I want some dogs on this team. I saw him bulldozing people and told him that he had a helluva rookie minicamp. I tell him to keep balling, keep your head down and just keep working, because they are watching."

At least one other team has noticed, too.

LaFrance had a workout scheduled with the Falcons last season, but the Saints signed him right before he left.

"That would have been crazy playing for them," LaFrance said. "I don't think my mom would have liked that."

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