METAIRIE, La. ― Matt Tennant sat at his locker Friday and couldn't help but smile when asked about his mother Pam.
'I hear her in my head all the time,' Tennant said. 'I know the type of woman she was.'
As the NFL promotes breast cancer awareness during the month of October, including Sunday's game between New Orleans and Carolina, Tennant will constantly be reminded of his mother, who died of a rare form of brain cancer on July 28, the day the Saints began training camp.
While Tennant wouldn't mind seeing the NFL change its focus from breast cancer specifically to cancer in general, he's alright with what the league is doing. The league is at least bringing attention to a devastating disease.
It's a lesson he learned from his mother.
'I'd rather maybe see something that's all cancer than one singled out, but breast cancer affects millions of people,' Tennant said. 'So obviously it's important and I know my mom would want me to say as long as people are getting helped, that's all that matters.'
Tennant's story isn't singular to him.
In fact, right tackle Jon Stinchcomb, who will wear pink shoelaces and a pink chinstrap, said it was surprising to hear how many of his teammates have been affected by breast cancer.
'I know Goody (Jonathan Goodwin), it has affected his family,' Stinchcomb said. 'There are a number of guys that you bring it up and talk about it in the offensive line room and it's multiple cases. I think it's a wonderful thing the players and league is doing.'
Sedrick Ellis will don pink accoutrements as will Will Smith. According to Stinchcomb, more players will be wearing pink this season than last, saying 'there's more awareness this year than there was last year.'
That the NFL is doing this for the second year in a row and, according to Tennant, it's a way for a large business to put its strongest foot forward.
'People just maybe look at the NFL as just a game,' Tennant said. 'It's really not. This business entity, it does so many different things supporting so many different causes helping out people all over the world.
'Being my rookie year, I'm really starting to understand that. This is a great place and you can really impact people's lives here.
Still, for Tennant, it's a reminder that his mother is no longer with him.
Now he just falls back on the lessons of his mother.
'The only thing I would say is, I know my mom always said you have to fight,' Tennant said. 'You have to keep fighting, all the way until your last day. In the end, you have family, friends to take care of and be there for. My mom would never be selfish about any of this stuff.
'Anytime while she was sick, she'd still want to come to games, she still did everything. Just fight and try to be yourself.'
