Broncos' Sean Payton returns to New Orleans, where he's known as the coach who 'changed this city'

METAIRIE, La.

On Jan.

25, 2022, when news broke that Sean Payton had resigned as coach of the New Orleans Saints, special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi was out to dinner at a local restaurant.

All eyes shifted to a television.

Rizzi remembers a man, who was with his family, approaching him.

The guy didnt know who I was, Rizzi said Tuesday at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center, where the team practices.

He tapped me on the shoulder and pointed at the TV and said, That guy changed this city.'" Rizzi later recounted that story to Payton, who is now coach of the Broncos (3-3).

And on Thursday night at the Caesars Superdome, Payton will return to New Orleans for the first time to face the Saints (2-4).

Payton coached the Saints for 15 seasons before he stepped down and was replaced by Dennis Allen.

He led a downtrodden franchise to its first NFC championship game in his first season of 2006, a year after Hurricane Katrina had devastated the city.

And he led the Saints to their only Super Bowl win, in the 2009 season.

Bo Nix, certified fighter, must find his peace in the pocket | Mike Sanford's Coach's Corner The Vince Lombardi Trophy won by the Saints is prominently on display in the Ochsner lobby.

So is a big photo of Payton celebrating the Super Bowl win.

For people around the city, (the Super Bowl win) is still a great memory, said defensive back J.T.

Gray, who is in his seventh season with the Saints and played for Payton from 2018-21.

It changed a lot of peoples lives around that era.

For that reason, Gray expects Payton to be greeted warmly before Thursdays game.

I feel like its going to be a great experience to get him back here, Gray said.

I feel like he earned his respect.

He did a lot for this organization.

Payton said Monday he isnt expecting a lot of flowers and warm fuzzies in his return.

There was plenty of disagreement about that Tuesday in the Saints locker room.

I think the fans will receive him well and I think former players are going to come up to him and just congratulate him, said tight end Juwan Johnson, who is in his fifth season with the Saints and played for Payton from 2020-21.

I think its going to be electric, said long snapper Zach Wood, who is in his eighth season with the Saints and played for Payton from 2017-21.

The fans love him.

I think the city is going to welcome him back.

Wood has kept close tabs on Payton since he took 2022 off to serve as a Fox studio analyst and then joined the Broncos in 2023.

When footage was shown of Payton and quarterback Bo Nix jawing at each other on the sideline of Denvers 34-18 win over Las Vegas on Oct.

6, it brought back some memories for Wood.

Sean has an alter ego, Wood said.

On game days, hes super intense.

I did myself a favor by staying away from him on game day, but some guys couldnt avoid him.

He has so much passion for the game.

I dont think half the stuff he says and does he remembers the next day.

But theyre all funny stories when it doesnt happen to you.

It did happen to Johnson when he was an undrafted rookie in 2020.

I was playing wide receiver then and I ran the wrong play and (Payton) was like, Who did that? Johnson said.

I owned up for it.

Then I saw that quirk of his face and it looked like it had turned sour.

I knew I had messed up and it was tough.

...

He holds guys accountable and if you mess up, you dont want to be around him.

You want to leave the stadium.

Fortunately for Johnson, he survived that mistake.

And he gives plenty of credit to Payton for turning him into a solid NFL tight end.

He meant a lot to me, said Johnson, who caught 42 passes in 2022, 37 in 2023 and has 12 this season for the Saints.

He went into the decision to move me from wide receiver to tight end and it was a big jump start to my career.

Rizzi said Payton, who hired him in 2019, also meant plenty to his career.

Rizzi spent three seasons under Payton and is now in his sixth New Orleans season.

I have the utmost respect for him as a coach, but hes a Jekyll-Hyde type person, Rizzi said with a laugh.

I think everybody has those game-day stories about him, but to his credit hes got amnesia when its over and the next day moves on.

Rizzi offered one story to illustrate that.

In his fourth regular-season game under Payton, against Dallas on Sept.

29, 2019, Rizzi was concerned the Cowboys might try a fake punt on fourth-and-2 in the fourth quarter when trailing 12-10.

So he left the defense on the field.

(Payton) really got mad at me, Rizzi said.

We got into a screaming match.

He probably said some things he didnt want to say and I definitely said some things I regretted.

Fortunately for Rizzi, the Cowboys, who punted on that play, ended up losing 12-10.

But the next day Rizzi sent a text, asking to speak to Payton.

So 45 seconds later, hes in my door saying, Rizz, whats up? Rizzi said.

I said, Hey, coach about yesterday.

He said, What are you talking about? I said, The situation at the end of the game.

And he said, You were right.

As for Payton, he was plenty right himself during his Saints tenure.

He went 152-89 and New Orleans made the playoffs nine times in his 15 seasons.

The Saints havent been back to the postseason since he left.

Thursday, Saints fans will have a chance to thank the guy who changed the city..

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