Jameis Winston is only entering his second season in New Orleans, but the Saints quarterback's message to the city and south Louisiana was heavy with the clear and strong connection he's formed in that short time.
Speaking after the team's practice at the TCU facility in Fort Worth, Winston opened his comments with an emotional statement to thank those working to help the area recover after Hurricane Ida, and to share a message of resilience.
“First off, I have something on my heart. I want to say thank you to all the first responders, the people on the ground right now, and all the people in the grassroots organizations working in New Orleans to help our city be resilient," Winston said while also encouraging Saints fans to come support the team in Jacksonville. "New Orleans, I know we’ve been through this before, but our culture is strong, and we are going to feed off of this adversity to make us stronger. We are with you. Everybody in Louisiana, we are with you. We’re going to represent you."
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And those weren't empty words. New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell shared Wednesday that Winston and Alvin Kamara, both of whom call her "Teedy," had been in touch to ask how they could help the area throughout Hurricane Ida's aftermath.
Cantrell said Winston's goal was to "help the people who were helping other people." Some of that work has included Winston's foundation working to bring generators, water and cooling stations to people in need, as well as working with World Central Kitchen to drop off hot meals.
"You have been a shining star," Cantrell said of Winston.
The Saints will open up their season at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, but Cantrell said she expects the team will be able to return to play at the Caesars Superdome by their Week 4 matchup against the New York Giants. The team hadn't yet come up with a set plan for their return to their facility in Metairie, which avoided any major damage during the Category 4 story that made landfall in south Louisiana with winds in excess of 150 mph.
After winning an offseason quarterback battle to earn the starting job, Winston will make his first "home" start in an unfamiliar location. He'd obviously prefer to be running out on the field at the dome, but he says that won't affect his preparation. Even while he does that, though, he and teammates Demario Davis, Alvin Kamara, Terron Armstead, Malcolm Jenkins and Cam Jordan -- many of whom have been named team captains -- put their heads together to team up with the United Way to support recovery programs throughout the city.
"We know we have to focus on this game, but there are other elite professionals out there that our built to do this," Winston said. "We want to support them as much as we can and focus what we need to focus on so we can bring some excitement back to the city.”
It's just one example of NFL support after the disaster, though. Team owner Gayle Benson, Falcons owner Arthur Blank each donated $1 million, as did the Panthers and Ravens organizations. New Orleans native Leonard Fournette also pledged $100,000 to his beloved city.
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While many still remain without power or other utilities across New Orleans and south Louisiana, the entire Who Dat nation will have a chance to come together in support of the Saints Sunday afternoon -- whether they make it out to Jacksonville or not. It's a fact Winston and his teammates are keenly aware of.
"The more you can get together and help build each other up, the better you’re going to be and the stronger you’re going to be," Winston said. "That’s why I take pride in uplifting the community. God gave me this platform, so I have to use it. I have to support those in need, and a lot of people are [in need]."