New Orleans Saints Review

One of the true stars (and nice guys) of the game over the last decade has been #97, La’Roi Glover.  He came to the Saints in 1997 after he was let go by Oakland and proceeded to become one of the best all-around defensive tackles in the NFL.  Named to 6 consecutive Pro Bowls, La’Roi proved that you didn’t need to be 6-8, 350 pounds to be a monster in the middle of the line.

In 2000, he led the NFL with a whopping 17 sacks and was first team All-Pro.  He left for Dallas after the 2001 season, and frankly, the Saints have never had nearly as much production from the DT position since.  He retired this year after 3 successful seasons in St. Louis.  He finished his brilliant career with 83.5 sacks and 436 tackles.

It’s an absolute honor to present 11 questions with #97!

1. You came to New Orleans in 1997 after a short stint in Oakland.  As I recall, you made a big impact in the middle of the defensive line very quickly.  Everybody was wondering how the Raiders could have let you go (looking at their organization now, it’s not as hard to see).  What did Mike Ditka see in you that the Raiders didn’t?
Mike Ditka was not concerned about my weight or height. All he was concerned with was, can I play football. The organization saw what I did in the World League, and that was enough for them to give me a shot and pick me up off of waivers. (Thank God)

2. 2000 was a pretty special year for the Saints and for you.  You led the league with 17 sacks and the Saints won their first playoff game. What was the key to your success, and the team’s success that year?
The key to our success was the fact that we were a team! Our front four was great! Joe Johnson, Norman Hand, Darren Howard, and myself. We feed off of each other. As long as we play on our opponents’ side of the line of scrimmage, our defense was successful.

3. I’ve always wanted to ask an NFL player – how does your body feel on the Monday morning after a game?
That is a good question. It never feels normal. I just was accustom to being sore. Typically Monday is the worst. Takes a bit longer to get out of bed. Getting a workout, a run, and ice is important. I also had to get a massage and visit a chiropractor. Usually by Thursday, the body comes around.

4. You were considered a bit on the small side as far as defensive tackles go (well, compared to Norman Hand at least!).  Do you think that provided you with an advantage or disadvantage?
I used my size to my advantage. What I lacked in bulk, I made up for with hustle, a motor, quickness, and a never quit mentality. That was and will forever be my edge. I HAD to have near perfect technique to survive. There was no room for error in my game.

5. Now that you’ve retired from the NFL, how does it feel to watch games on Sunday?
I am and will always be a FAN of the NFL. I try to watch as much football as possible now. It is the GREATEST sport in the world.

6. During opening week, I noticed you were using Twitter to comment on games.  Do you plan on using Twitter throughout the season?
I do plan on using Twitter a lot during the season. It’s fun to communicate with fans, and share thoughts about the games.

7. Have you had a chance to just sort of sit back and reflect on your career?  If so, what moments stand out to you?
That is a tough question. There were so many, it’s tough to choose one. It’s about the relationships you build with the different guys I played with and against.  Coaches, owners and front office personnel. It’s about the people you share that common bond with.

8. In my opinion, the Saints have never been able to replace your presence at defensive tackle.  But they do have a talented young man by the name of Sedrick Ellis.  Have you had the chance to see him play?
I have had a chance to watch him play. He is going to be as good as he is willing to work. I can see all the things you want in a DT. Size, quickness, toughness. He also has two guys on the outside to complement him (Smith and Grant). He has a shot to be a real STAR in the NFL.

9. Have you ever had the chance to play against Drew Brees?
When Drew was with the Chargers and I was in Dallas, our paths crossed. He is a heck of a competitor. We have a few things in common. People questioned us about our size early. I think we both had to fight for everything we earned in the NFL.

10. Now that you’re not on the field, what are your career plans?
I am doing Radio and TV in San Diego. That is a lot of fun. I also plan on going back to SDSU to start a MBA program in Jan. I need to be challenged and I know this will be exactly the type of challenge I need.

11. You’ve made a great effort to help young people with your foundation.  Please do tell us about some of the charitable work that you do.
That has been exciting as well. I have been involved in a scholarship program for my high school (Pt Loma) for quite some time. I put on a free football camp in San Diego as well. My wife and I just started a back to school program with Target. We provided school supplies to 200 local kids from the Boys and Girls Club of San Diego.

A big thanks to La’Roi Glover!  Be sure to check out La’Roi’s website and his charitable foundation.

Toi Cook was a 1987 draft pick of the Saints and was part of the greatest defenses in team history.  As a starting cornerback, Toi made his mark with 294 tackles and 16 interceptions as a Saint, including a career high 6 in 1992.  Then, in 1994 he was off to San Francisco and won a Super Bowl.  He finished his career with 2 seasons in Carolina, but will forever be known as a Saint!

Toi was kind enough to sit down to discuss his illustrious career and fill us in on what he’s doing these days:

1. You were drafted in 1987, the first year the Saints made a playoff appearance. Are there any moments from that season that stand out to you?
Yes, training camp in Hammond Louisiana. Practicing in full pads twice a day for like a month straight and remembering that all I had to do was not miss a practice because I knew guys would drop like flies and it worked out. Then once I made the team we went on strike the second game and I refused to cross the line and after we came back the Saints rewarded the guys who crossed like Gene Atkins and Milton Mack by putting them on the active squad and penalizing me by putting me on the inactive squad. Which don’t get me wrong, I love Geno and Mack the knife, we were rookies and everyone had to do what they had to do and I understand how the Saints activated them as they had had 2 weeks of practices during that time but it still hurt. All was forgiven though cause we went to the playoffs for the first time and the city was crazy wild and fun and then Anthony Carter returned that punt for a td in playoff game but I do remember coming into the Superdome and it being louder than anything I had ever heard. You couldn’t even have a conversation with the person next to you it was that loud.

2. When the Saints were in the NFC West, there were a lot of tough receivers out there (Jerry Rice, John Taylor, Henry Ellard). It seemed like every week the opposition had a Pro Bowl receiver. What was it like to defend those guys?
Don’t forget Flipper Anderson, Andre Rison, and Michael Haynes. It was great and fun. I tell people that the NFC West had the best receivers in the NFL and that if you could cover them, you could cover anyone. I mean those guys 8 games a year!!! The best part is that I can walk into any room with them and keep my head high cause none of them ever beat me for a two TD game. Jerry Rice never scored on me so that is pretty cool. It also helped to have the Dome Patrol and our line and Brett Maxie and Gene Atkins. We had a great defense and great coaches in Jim Mora, Dom Capers, Steve Sidwell, Vic Fangio, and John Pease, and Jim Mora jr. (even though he is not a junior).

3. You were a part of probably the most dominating defense in the NFL during your Saints career. What was the key to your success as a unit?
Great coaching and smart players. Everyone had pride and you didn’t want to be the guy that let everyone down and then have to hear about from Rickey Jackson or Pat Swilling!

4. How difficult was it to play under Jim Mora?
I thought it was great. I always tell Jim when I see him that because he was so tough and I learned so much from him, I was able to last 11 years in the league. He was such a stickler for detail and didn’t accept b.s., that I was forced as a player to perform because I refused to have to hear him yell at me. Plus I liked talking smack and you can’t do that and not perform. I learned a ton from Jim Mora and the rest of our defensive staff.

5. You, along with Rickey Jackson, eventually went on to play in San Francisco, where you won a Super Bowl. Tell us about that experience, and, do you still wear your championship ring?
It was great. When we beat the Chicago Bears the first game of playoffs I told Rickey that we were off the schnide. That 49er’s team was unbelievable. It was like a pro bowl team. Ken Norton, Richard Dent, Tim Harris, Deion Sanders, Tim McDonald, Merton Hanks, Eric Davis, Dana Stubblefield, Charles Mann, Gary Plummer, and Bryant Young was a rookie along with Lee Woodall AND that was just the defense. I used to say that we had the most well rested defensive coaches in the NFL cause they could sleep at night like babies with all the talent we had on defense. Also, we were 18.5 point favorites in the Super Bowl and we covered. I mean how crazy is that?!!! 18.5 point favorites!!! That’s how good we were plus Mr. DeBartolo was a super owner who made sure that we had everything we needed and the players really played for him. It was like Camelot but with better players!!!

6. Do you still follow the Saints?
Of course. I will always be a Saint. I love the Saints. God forbid if they were to have our “Jim Mora” defense with the offense they have now. I really like the Darren Sharper pick up and he proved it this past weekend versus the Lions with 2 picks. I also think Sean Payton is like a young Jim Mora and is the perfect coach to get them to the Super Bowl. If their defense steps up and they can get home field advantage, and they gotta stay healthy, I like the Saints to get to NFC Championship this year.

7. Tell us about your life these days – what have you been up to?
I am out in Santa Monica, California trying to grow my own firm, Toi Cook Management Group and raise my 3 kids with my wife, Kristine, of 18 years. And I love watching the kids of former players, Gene Atkins, Craig Heyward, Bobby Hebert, playing college football, not to mention Jumpy Geather’s son in the NFL. The Saints and the fans of New Orleans made me who I am and I would never change it. Playing in New Orleans was the greatest and the city of New Orleans is the greatest. I’m just sorry that I haven’t been back since Katrina but I will. I speak with Lenny Alsfeld, who is the president of FBT Investments, and the hockey coach of LSU, all the time. So we are working on things that will hopefully bring me back.

The greatest kicker of all time. Need more?  Well, his 2,544 points are the most in NFL history.  He also holds NFL records for games played (382), most consecutive games with at least 1 point (360), most field goals (565) and most attempts (709).  The list can go on and on (and it does on Morten’s website).

He’s also headed to the Saints Hall of Fame this fall, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame can’t be too far behind.  Heck, if he didn’t play until his late 40s, he might have already gone into the Hall!

Did I also mention he was a pop sensation back in the 80s?  Here he is, the most famous NFL player from Denmark, the one, the only MORTEN ANDERSEN!

He is absolutely one of my boyhood heroes (who played until I was 30!) and I am truly honored that he sat down with The New Orleans Saints Review to answer a few questions:

1. What are you fondest memories of your time spent with the Saints?
Unwinding at the Port o” Call after home games, having a Monsoon.

2. You and Bobby Hebert are probably the only players in NFL history to be beloved by both Saints and Falcons fans.  How did you manage such an incredible feat?
We were born on the same day, same year. It was destined in the stars.

3. In 1991 you kicked a 60 yard field goal for the Saints.  I think it was widely assumed that you would someday break Tom Dempsey’s record of 63 yards.  Did you ever get the opportunity to attempt a kick from beyond 63 yards?
Unfortunately, not in a game. I’ve kicked some from 70 in practice, though. Also, I did get a 63 yarder in college vs Ohio State that had plenty to spare.

4. You were a big part of the first Saints teams to make the playoffs in the late 80s and early 90s.  Given the franchise’s history of losing, did you have a sense of how much those playoff appearances meant to the fans?
It’s always exciting to be a contender. Mitchell & Ness asked me to pick my favorite jersey to offer as a throwback and I went with the 91 black jersey. Our team was strong then and we won more games than anyone in the NFL over a stretch of several years.

5. Kickers have long been among the most under-appreciated players among fans & media.  Was it that way in the locker room as well?  And, if so, did you ever have to smack around a linebacker to get some respect???
Jack Del Rio once put me in my place after I mouthed off and I still twinge thinking about it. He was bigger than me and used to hitting.

6. How would you explain your longevity in the NFL?  After all, there weren’t too many guys who made it into their late 40s.
I think I found the fountain of youth after I left New Orleans and specifically, the French quarter.

7. Last season there were rumors that you were going to sign with the Saints and kick one last extra point, then retire after the game.  Did you discuss doing something like this with the Saints?  I think it would have been a great gesture by the team.
I plan to do a Gillooly on John Carney before my Saints HOF induction game…then they’ll have to use me!

8. What are your thoughts on being enshrined in the Saints Hall of Fame?  Do you think you’ll get to the Pro Football Hall of Fame once you are eligible?
Honestly, I’m focusing more on getting “Brian & Morten” into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

9. After checking out your website, it looks like you’ve been keeping busy.  What are you doing these days?
Lots of bingo and “early-bird” lunch specials!

10.  Last question – on your blog you mentioned being part of some sort of boy band called “Brian & Morten”.  The album cover features you in a pair of boxers.  I’ve got to ask – how would you describe the music, and, is it available on iTunes?
“Brian” is Brian Hansen, the punter for the Saints at the time. The record shipped gold…and was returned platinum!