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Sean Payton comments on another ex-Saint joining his coaching staff
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- Sean Payton comments on another ex-Saint joining his coaching staff
From Zach Strief to Davis Webb to Darren Sproles , coach Sean Payton has an excellent eye for players-turned-coaches.
One of the newest additions is former New Orleans Saints wide receiver Willie Snead , who played in the NFL from 2014-2024 before transitioning to coaching. He joined the Denver Broncos as an offensive quality control coach this spring. Snead now joins a growing list of players who have gotten their first NFL coaching job under Payton.
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"I had the good fortune of being able to coach Willie early in his career," Payton said at rookie minicamp earlier this month. "I give him a hard time. I think he played 12 or 13 years, and I always tell him he played 11 too many, but he always knew who he was. He was a tremendous blocker, smart, tough, and he had to step on all the bases. He was undrafted. I think we got him off of someone's practice squad. I can't even remember how he arrived, but he played… You lose track of the years, and then you followed him with San Francisco .
"When I reached out to him, he was in Florida. His father is a coach, and he was getting into coaching so he was excited about the opportunity. The other young quality control coaches also, they all have a good story. You're looking to develop talented guys. He was so smart as a player, and honestly, that had a lot to do with how he ended up playing so long."
Snead spent time with seven NFL teams during his 11-year career in the NFL. He had his best two-year stretch from 2015-2016 playing under Payton. Snead totaled 141 receptions for 1,879 yards and seven touchdowns in that two-year run. He's now retired with 281 catches for 3,445 yards and 16 touchdowns on his résumé. The 33-year-old coach will look to follow in the path of other players-turned-coaches who found success on Payton's staff after hanging up their cleats.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Denver Broncos: Sean Payton comments on Willie Snead joining staff
