On Sunday, the New Orleans Saints and veteran offensive tackle Jon Stinchcomb -- a native of Gwinnett County and a graduate of the University of Georgia -- play host to the Falcons. In his eight NFL seasons, Stinchcomb witnessed immense change in his new hometown.
Before I was drafted, my perspective was New Orleans was a city of debauchery. The reason to go there was to drink in abundance, to take in what Bourbon Street had to offer, which wasn’t exactly the picture I had of spending the next eight-plus years of creating and growing a family. Not to mention the crime.
Today I’ve done almost a complete 180. My wife, Allison, and I and our 7-month-old son Mason love it. We have a better understanding of the true community and family relationships that exist here, and the culture that runs so deep.
After Hurricane Katrina hit, we were reeling, at rock bottom. Not only was the team and organization in disarray, we had to relocate to San Antonio. What’s forgotten now were questions whether New Orleans could support and sustain an NFL team.
We wanted to make sure that relationship was not broken any further. I give a lot of credit to the Saints organization and coaches for opportunities to give back to the community.
I worked for Habitat of Humanity, building houses. My wife taught at Desire Street Academy in the Ninth Ward. We really got to see how families were in turmoil. That affected how our team operates.
What’s inspiring is the resilience of so many people down there. So many things are negative, but they find ways to feed upon the positive, stay focused and find the way through to another day. Many lifelong New Orleanians go back generations in the city. Anyone who leaves, it’s only a matter of time before they come back.
Today, you’d be hard pressed to find a closer relationship between a team and a city. We are an organization that not only has had success but rose to the top. It’s hope for a community that has come so far. It may seem like an exaggeration, but I can tell you there is real truth to that.
Having just won a Super Bowl, we are recognized at a gas station and restaurants, and the first thing people say is “Thank you.” They have ownership of the team, and are saying, “Thank you for winning for all of us.”
It’s a positive outlook, especially with this new oil spill. Fishing for crawfish and shrimp is not only a way of making a living, but a way of life.
There are so many good lessons here. One, there are a lot of good people in this world despite the bad things happening. Two, no matter how bad things seem, if you just stay focused and keep working and grinding away, things will get better.
I hope my son gets a piece of the New Orleans way.
-- As told to Michelle Hiskey
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