I've never really been a big fan of the New Orleans Saints.
That may come as a surprise to some folks as I'm a proud alum of Louisiana State University and huge LSU Tigers fan. I grew up in Jackson, Miss., just about a three-hour drive from New Orleans.
My sister lives in Uptown in New Orleans and our family loves to go see her. They love the Saints.
The "Who Dat" nation wearing the black and gold is a rabid fan base and it makes for a fun time in the Superdome when the Saints are winning.
My NFL loyalties bounced around quite a bit when I was a kid, mainly with favorite players and where they played.
Of course my parents grew up in the Atlanta area so the Falcons have always had sort of a soft spot in my heart. The same can go for Tampa Bay. My grandparents lived in the Tampa area all my life, and the Bucs have usually been so bad, aside from a few good years in the late 1990s and early 2000s when they won the Super Bowl.
Throw in some love there for the Indianapolis Colts and now I'd say the team I watch and cheer for the most would be the Dallas Cowboys.
I suppose my lack of loyalties for NFL teams may explain why I go hot and cold in following the league, and that's OK. I suppose a lot of us are like that when it comes to pro sports.
But I'll tell you this: When it comes to the NFL, there may not be any player I respect more than Drew Brees.
Brees -- the Saints' quarterback for the last 15 years -- likely played the final game of his career on Sunday night when Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated New Orleans 30-20 in the Superdome.
About 10 years ago, not long after the Saints won the Superbowl XLIV, I purchased a copy of Drew Brees' book "Coming Back Stronger" for my Kindle.
In the book, Brees gave a great insight into his life as a pro football player, a husband, father and a Christian.
Sure he'll go into the history books as a great, prolific passer and motivator from his NFL career, but what I'll remember most is the great human being he is.
We need more Drew Brees in this world.
Brees took a lot of heat back in the summer and fall for his stance on social justice with his brothers -- black and white -- in the NFL.
I saw people, at least on my social media feed, turn their back on Drew Brees for his courage to stand up for what he felt was right.
Based on what I read Sunday night, some of those same people appear to have forgotten some of the hateful things they said about Brees just a few months ago.
It will be tough to see Brees leave the league, but if his NFL career is any indication, I know great things are still ahead for him.
-- Graham Thomas is the managing editor for the Herald-Leader. He can be reached at [email protected]. The opinions expressed are those of the author.