A number of banners hang in the New Orleans Saints indoor practice facility on Airline Drive in Metairie.
*A portrait of Steve Gleason's memorable blocked punt
*A banner honoring the roster from the 2009 Super Bowl team
*Multiple team photos from the Super Bowl season
*Division title banners
And now a new poster hangs in the building.
On Saturday, the team revealed a photo banner of Owner Tom Benson holding the Lombardi Trophy in the practice facility.
The idea for the banner came from head coach Sean Payton.
Below are statements from Payton and Drew Brees on the Benson banner.
Sean Payton
"It was the one thing when you look around that was missing. I mentioned it to Mickey and he thought it was a great idea. You try to think of things that will send a message or make an impact on our staff, our players seeing something every day, while we practice. We have photos up on the walls of our indoor facility of our Super Bowl game, Steve Gleason's blocked punt – great team images that have captured what we have built here and what we continue to build. The guy that has meant the most to our organization and our success is Mr. Benson. No one deserves that more. It is a simple but important gesture. We could not have had the success that we have enjoyed without Mr. Benson. He has one goal every year: to win a championship for our fans. I think putting that image of him up there reminds us daily of what we are working for."
Drew Brees
"This is a great gesture by Coach Payton to honor a man that has played such a big part in not only my success individually but also the success achieved by the organization as whole. Mr. Benson played an important role in my decision to come to New Orleans and join the Saints and I treasure the relationship I have had with him over the past nine years and look forward to tightening that bond in the years to come.
"Mr. Benson plays an important role as an active and engaged owner of this football team. He embodies everything that you could hope and want from an owner. I know how much he cares for the players and coaches, as well as the city of New Orleans, and how important it is to him to be a champion on the field and in the community. I see it constantly on a daily basis in everything he does. To have a man as passionate as Mr. Benson who is extremely supportive and continuously puts our football team in a position to succeed, there is really nothing more you can ask of an owner.
"Words can't express the appreciation and respect that I have for Mr. Benson. He is the true definition of a self-made man who has achieved the highest level success both on and off the field through hard work, dedication and determination. He instills a championship mentality in everything he does, we now will have a constant reminder each and every time we step on the practice field of the man who has meant so much and given so much to everyone in this organization, the Gulf South region and especially the city of New Orleans. As a football team each year set out to attain our goal of winning a championship through hard work, dedication and determination and there is no better reminder of reaching that goal than Mr. Benson holding the Lombardi Trophy."
