NEW ORLEANS – Everyone knows the pride of watching your child reach some goals and achievements in life. Even though he may be seen as the distant head coach of an NFL team and all that comes with it – time away from family, terribly long hours and massive responsibility – Sean Payton is no different from the rest of us in that way.
We all know, or at least think we know, how coach Payton feels about the media. His tongue-in-cheek ‘welcome’ to new play-by-play announcer Zach Strief (You are now a member of the media and will be treated accordingly) pretty much sets the tone.
But there is at least one member of the media that Sean Payton talks to warmly – and often. Heck, he even talks to them one-on-one!
His daughter Meghan was a sideline reporter for last week’s Saints preseason game against the Cardinals.
“It was an amazing experience,” Meghan said. “It’s something I’ve had dreams of doing for so long, so it was really cool to get to have that experience.”
Payton, who can sometimes be terse in responses after practices or games, had no trouble expounding on his daughter’s work.
“She rode home with me, and she went through the different pieces she was asked to do,” he said. “We went through each of the pieces, which ones she felt good about, which ones she thought maybe didn’t come out as well.”
“It’s an insane adrenalin rush,” said Meghan. “You’re excited, and kind of nervous, sort of like you had just run a marathon.”
The head coach said he added his daughter’s work to part of his ‘film study.’
“I got a chance to watch them all,” he said. “I got feedback from all sorts of family and friends who saw it. There’s nothing like it as a parent when you get a chance to see… they’re growing up and all of a sudden they’re in this role. I mean, when we moved here she was 9 or 10 years old and now she’s doing sideline reporting.”
Meghan says her dad even helped come up with a game plan for her debut.
“He was really proud. He was helping me come up with some ideas and some pitches, and after he was calling me and he was excited.”