Saints Aim to Repeat as Super Bowl Champions

Who Dat? Saints Aim to Repeat

"AIN'T DAT SOMETHING" screamed the headline on the Miami Herald's front page the morning after the New Orleans Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 in Super Bowl XLIV.

The Saints displayed the resiliency of the city and region they represent as the team capped a 13-3 season with the franchise's first-ever Super Bowl title. New Orleans overcame a 10-point deficit against the Colts -- tying a Super Bowl record for largest comeback -- and became the first team in a season to win three playoff games in which they trailed by at least seven points.

"We're here because of the strength of the people of New Orleans and everything they've fought through here the last few years," says Saints quarterback and Super Bowl MVP DREW BREES, who tied a Super Bowl record with 32 completions. "These people have given us so much support, and we owe it all to our fans.

"Four years ago, whoever thought this would be happening? Eighty-five percent of the city was under water. People were evacuating to places all over the country. Most people left not knowing if New Orleans would ever come back. We just all looked at one another and said, ‘We are going to build together. We are going to lean on each other.' That's what we've done the last four years and this Super Bowl is the culmination of all that belief."

How the Saints Got to the Super Bowl?

New Orleans set a franchise record with 13 regular-season victories, including a team-best 13-0 start. The team's 13-game winning streak was the longest in Saints history. Including the postseason, New Orleans racked up a team-record 16 total wins.

The season also marked a remarkable "worst to first" turnaround as the Saints finished in last place in the NFC South in 2008 before winning the division in 2009.

During the regular season, the Saints scored 510 points, the ninth-most in a single season in NFL history. New Orleans joined the 1999 St. Louis Rams as the only clubs on the list to go on to win the Super Bowl.

 

"We just believed in ourselves," recalls Drew Brees. "We knew we had the entire city and maybe the entire country behind us. It was all meant to be. It was all destiny."

Looking ahead to the 2010 season, the Saints know that it will be a tough challenge to repeat.

"Each year you always look to improve," says head coach SEAN PAYTON. "There are benchmarks you look to accomplish and certainly all of us want to win another Super Bowl title. Those are goals that you set. You set those for your team. You also recognize how difficult the challenge is, especially having gone through that experience in the playoffs and Super Bowl. The goal is always to win."

It all gets going at the Louisiana Superdome on Thursday, September 9 when the Saints host the Vikings on NFL 2010 Kickoff Weekend.

RINGING IN THE NEW YEAR

 

Saints' Super Bowl Ring

The NEW ORLEANS SAINTS, who defeated the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 in Super Bowl XLIV for the franchise's first Super Bowl victory, received their Super Bowl rings on June 16 at a private ceremony at The Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans.

"We feel that the entirety of the greatness of the moments surrounding the Saints' Super Bowl XLIV victory have been captured in the design of the Super Bowl rings," says Saints owner TOM BENSON. "The intent all along was to commemorate the uniqueness of New Orleans and what the Super Bowl championship meant to this town and region, as well as the recognition due to the outstanding jobs of the coaches, players and staff that all played a role in our championship season."

The design of the Tiffany & Co. rings was kept confidential until the ceremony. The rings are handcrafted in yellow gold featuring the Saints' fleur-de-lis logo set with several dozen diamonds. The words "World Champions" are bezel set with eight diamonds on the top of the ring. There are 44 diamonds around the edges to commemorate the 44th Super Bowl, and there are 16 diamonds, eight on each side of the fleur-de-lis, to symbolize the number of games the Saints won last season.

"It symbolizes not just this year, but the culmination of four years of ups and downs," says quarterback and Super Bowl MVP DREW BREES. "There was a lot of work and a lot of struggle, but we found a way to become world champions -- and it was never about just one person or even just the team. It was about our city and the community."

A carved image of St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square is featured on one side of the ring, along with the Louisiana Superdome, a scene from the team's championship parade and the first few musical notes of "When the Saints Go Marching In." The other side features the final score, date and location of Super Bowl XLIV. Team mottos from last season -- "Be Special," "Finish Strong," and "Smell Greatness" -- are inscribed on the underside of the ring.

"I might sleep with it on tonight," said kicker GARRETT HARTLEY upon receiving his ring. "After that, I'll probably put it in a safety or lock box."

After examining the ring at the ceremony, Brees captured his thoughts in three words.

"It's absolutely perfect."

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NFL 2010: Saints Aim to Repeat as Super Bowl Champions