IRVINE, Calif. — After announcing the Saints' only 4-time First-Team All-Pro and current offensive assistant coach Jahri Evans will be inducted in New Orleans' Ring of Honor, the 6-time Pro Bowl right guard spoke with media following Day 9 of the team's training camp at UC-Irvine in California on Saturday.
Following his 12-year career, including 11 seasons with the Saints before retiring have a single year with the Green Bay Packers in 2017, the 6-foot-4, 318-pound Evans was named to the NFL's 2010s All-Decade Team in 2020 and the Saints Hall of Fame in 2021. One of the all-time O-line greats has also been a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the past two years.
But an induction in the Ring of Honor atop the Caesars Superdome means a lot to Evans, both professionally and personally.
"It means it means a ton," Evans admitted. "I guess it kind of should have been on my radar, but it really wasn't. I was really just dialing into coaching and working to get the guys better and working on being a better coach and learning, you know, my role and my responsibility as assistant coach, and I wasn't really thinking about it. Obviously, we had the Hall of Fame happening this weekend -- the guys going in, congrats to them. But this is a huge honor, It's awesome. The only thing I kept thinking about is when my children come to the game this year...they'll see daddy's name up there, so that's pretty awesome."
Evans reflected on the elite players with whom he will share the Ring of Honor in a stadium filled with positive memories.
"Every time I played and you walked into that stadium coming off the bus, and one of the first things you look at is you look at the bowl, you look at the ring, and to be up there with those guys it's an honor," he said.
Saints head coach Dennis Allen, who was an assistant defensive line coach (2006-2007) and secondary coach (2008-2010) during the first four seasons of Evans' career in New Orleans, heaped praise on the former player and current coach.
"I don't think people really understand what a great player Jahri Evans was, you know, he's as good a guard as I've seen and when you have Drew Brees as a 6-foot-1 quarterback that the interior of the pocket is precious, precious territory. And I don't think anybody protected the interior pocket better than Jahri Evans did. He's a mauler in the run game, was great and protection, was a great teammate, tremendously hard worker and I think is gonna be a pretty good coach.
"I was ecstatic that he got that honor and I don't think he's certainly going to be the last one out of that regime that's kind of find their way up into the ring."
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Evans on Penning's progress...
Switching to Evans' coaching role, the media asked his thoughts on third-year offensive tackle Trevor Penning, who has not fulfilled expectations tied to the No. 19 overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft.
According to Evans, Penning is a better, more confident player in Year 3.
"Trevor is doing a good job transitioning to the right side, and you're seeing the player that he was growing to be before the injury a couple of years ago," explained Evans. "But Trevor is a big physical guy and the more we can get him using his physicality and having confidence in his physicality he's gonna be alright."
Rashid Shaheed was noticeably absent from practice due to what Dennis Allen called "hamstring tightness." Allen said it was simply a precautionary measure for the 25-year-old speedster receiver to take the day off and then be back on Sunday.
Linebacker Demario Davis is still recovering from a hamstring, as is running back Kendre Miller. Meanwhile defensive end Cameron Jordan was out due to a veteran's day off.
Prior to practice, the Saints announced the signing of former Tennessee Titans tight end Kevin Rader and rookie free agent TE Mason Fairchild (Kansas). On the flip side, tight end Jesper Horsted was waived as was injured wide receiver Jermaine Jackson. Meanwhile, non-vested veteran TE Tommy Hudson, who was waived on Friday, was placed on IR after no teams picked him up off waivers.
Dennis Allen, Head Coach
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Jahri Evans, Offensive Assistant / Saints legend
Saints 'Ring of Honor' inductee and coach talks induction, progress in Penning
Jamaal Williams, Running Back
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Kool-Aid McKinstry, Defensive Back
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Khristian Boyd, Defensive Tackle
Sixth round defensive tackle on what he's taking from Saints veterans in camp
Dallin Holker, Tight End
Undrafted rookie tight end studies 49ers great to dial in new Saints playbook
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