If the New Orleans Saints need some depth this season, they won’t have to look too far considering the kind of shape that head coach Sean Payton is in.
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Payton used the yearlong suspension he was (unfairly) handed in the bounty gate investigation two years ago to work on his health and to get into great physical condition.
Despite battling a chest cold, Payton took part in the Saints conditioning test on Thursday in a classic case of leading by example.
Sean Payton did the conditioning drills with the players. Loomis: "He's in a lot better shape than I am. He put himself out there."
— Jim Corbett (@ByJimCorbett) July 24, 2014
Sean Payton did the Saints conditioning test with the players today, fought thru a chest cold to do it. "It was tough."
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) July 24, 2014
Sean Payton on taking conditioning test today: "It was tough. The first 5 yards of pushing that sled was like biting too much off + chewing.
— Jim Corbett (@ByJimCorbett) July 24, 2014
Talk about a great leader getting out on the field and gutting through the grueling test.
How many other coaches around the NFL do you think could pull off what Payton did today?
I’d venture a guess that Mike Tomlin, Jim Harbaugh would have little problem passing the test and maybe another four-five coaches could pull it off, but I would pay “straight cash homey” see Andy Reid, Bill Belichick and Tom Coughlin out there with their players and going through the conditioning test with their players.