Spencer Rattler grew up in an actual desert, which makes his assessment of Louisiana's weather conditions all the more telling.
"Man, that was the hottest place I’ve ever been in my whole life," Rattler said on WWL after he was picked No. 150 overall to the New Orleans Saints.
Rattler, a native of Phoenix, Arizona, can say that because he spent multiple days out in the beating at the annual Manning Passing Academy in 2022. It was that year that he developed a relationship with Saints legend Archie Manning and the rest of the Manning clan, one that's extended to weekly texts over his past two seasons at South Carolina.
Speaking on WWL Radio minutes after being picked, Rattler shared that Archie had reached our directly to congratulate him on being picked.
Listen to the full interview in the player above. Can't see the embed? Click here.
“It’s awesome. I’m looking forward to more talks with him. … He’s a big fan of me, which is awesome, because obviously I’m a big fan of not just him," Rattler said, "but the Manning family as a whole, coming up watching all them be successful and, you know, what a great family, what a great guy to have in your corner and I think it’s awesome that I’m in New Orleans where he paved the way and I wish I could do half of what he did.”
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Rattler will join a crowded QB room in New Orleans, which already included Derek Carr, Jake Haener, Kellen Mond and Nathan Peterman. The competition to make the roster will happen closer to home during camp in Irvine, California, but it won't feature the 115 degree summer days he grew up with.
The former Gamecocks stay in New Orleans will also be a chance to show he's grown from adversity that plagued him early in his college career, starting at Oklahoma before being beat out for his job and transferring to South Carolina.
"I think I just experienced a little adversity in college, that helps you grow. I call it a natural curve of growth at every position you need to grow in," Rattler said. "So when I made that transition to South Carolina I wanted to come in and acclimate with my new teammates, not force anything early, just naturally kind of work my way into there and just earn trust and respect through my work habits. I’m going to have the same mindset coming into the Saints."