Last week, I had the chance to speak with New Orleans Saints legend and current New York Jets punter Thomas Morstead. We discussed the launch of the ‘Punt for ALS campaign’, his reaction to being released after spending over a decade with the Saints, and his thoughts on the upcoming 2024 season.
For every punt that Morstead lands within the 20-yard line, he will donate $1,000 to ‘Punt for ALS’, with a minimum pledge of $10,000 for the season. Steve Gleason inspired his teammates, the city of New Orleans, and football fans around the world with his blocked punt against the rival Atlanta Falcons during the Saints’ return to the Superdome following Hurricane Katrina in 2006, a moment symbolizing hope and resilience for the city of New Orleans and their fans. Despite being diagnosed with ALS in 2011, Steve continues to inspire the ALS community with his relentless “never punt” approach to life. In a lighthearted moment, Thomas surprised Steve by crossing out the “Never” on his “#neverpunt” shirt, saying, “I’ve been waiting 10 years to do this.”
Morstead revealed the campaign to Gleason at the Saints facility this summer, a moment captured in this touching video:
NJ: Steve Gleason’s story has impacted all of the Who Dat Nation, but I’m curious as to how it has specifically shaped your outlook on life and changed your perspective on how to face adversity?
TM: Well, I have known Steve since before he was diagnosed, and I’ve seen him go through his entire transformation over time. He provides perspective, whether it’s what he’s tweeting out or words from his new book “A Life Impossible,” looking in a place of constant change and loss while continuing to have a great attitude. I just think he has been a really bright light for a lot of people. Something that I think about is that no matter how good you have it or how bad you have it, somebody always has it better or worse, and when I think about Steve, I think, “Man, it's probably hard for him to say that some days,” and he continues to decide to keep living. Just very inspirational, and I know if he provides that for me, he provides that for so many other people that have followed along his journey. As far as me deciding to do this, I think the foundational motivation is just as pure as wanting to do something to thank Steve, encourage him, and hopefully inspire him to keep going.
NJ: How much has the league-wide support for ‘Punt for ALS’ meant to you? (Autographed jersey donations from New York Giants P Jamie Gillan, Carolina Panthers P Johnny Hekker, and Washington Commanders P Tress Way)
TM: It’s super cool to have people on other teams supporting it! It means a lot personally. You know, I’ve been doing this for a long time and some of these guys have looked up to me and are trying to have the career that I’m having or trying to be me in a certain way. With guys like Johnny Hekker and Tress way that have been in the league for a while competing against each other, it’s kind of a level of respect that’s hard to describe, but it’s very humbling.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25599075/usa_today_11595260.jpg "CSC Interview: Thomas Morstead reflects on the launch of the ‘Punt for ALS’ campaign, his time with the Saints, and his thoughts on the team’s future (1)")
NJ: Given your history with the Saints organization and connection to the city of New Orleans, how was the adjustment to joining another team for the first time, and how long did that process take?
TM: I think the process of getting to the opportunity was a very frustrating process. I felt like I had been the player of the decade in the 2010’s, and I had a down year for the first time with an injury attached to that, along with some not-so-great tape for the first half of that 2020 season, and I couldn’t even get an opportunity with anybody. I mean, nobody would even bring me in for a workout, and to me, that was really difficult to deal with. I kind of put my head down and said, “Alright, I just need to get back to good health and strength and just see where I can get back to.” Once I got the opportunity and went to New York, I had the chance to go out and play and do my thing. New energy, new people, and having to prove yourself again while making the most of the opportunity—you know, I was excited. I was excited just to be able to have the chance. I’ve talked about this before, but my kids being old enough to see Dad kind of get knocked down, and having a legitimate opportunity to show them how to handle that, was really personally motivating for me. So yeah, it was different, but it was rejuvenating in a way. New building, new environment, new everything.
NJ: As a rookie, what was going through your mind before and during the famous onside kick to start the second half of Super Bowl 44, also known as the ‘Ambush’?
TM: Leading up to it, we were told we were going to do it the day before, though I didn’t believe Coach that we actually would do it. When he made the call, I was kind of panicked, anxious, not confident, and had a negative mindset. I had 30 minutes of halftime to have a little psychological session with myself to work through that. By the time I went out for warmups to start the second half, I was in a positive mindset with it; I was excited to do it. I was still tremendously nervous, as it was obviously a big decision. The moment of doing it I kind of blacked out to be honest, and after the longest scrum ever, I was seeing if we had the ball, and it was so cool in retrospect that it obviously worked out and we won the game. Also, for Coach Payton to put his one chance at a Super Bowl to that point on my back for that play, and with no one ever doing that before, the level of confidence he had in that as a play, to go for it and take a risk, has really carried me a long way in my career. Through days that you aren’t confident, you’re not yourself, you’re not feeling great, or things aren’t going as well as you’d like, kind of remind yourself of the things you’ve done, that you do have the goods to get it done, and that you are capable of handling the moment. You know, people can try to say that they think they can, but if you know you’ve done it before, some real confidence can be derived from that. So that’s really carried me in many moments throughout my career. In the biggest moments, when we need it, I can do it.
NJ: What are your thoughts on the direction of the Saints’ roster for the 2024 season, and do you envision a positive future for the team moving forward?
TM: To be honest, I have no clue. I keep up with the Saints beat writers still, and we live in New Orleans, but honestly, if it’s not my job or anything to do with my wife and kids, I really don’t keep up with anything other than what the general fan sees. But I definitely have been sad to see that it feels like the past few years there has been quite a bit of negativity, at least on social media, but when you go from Drew Brees, Sean Payton, and winning seasons every year to not, that’s a transition. All I can tell you is that we do keep up with the team as a family. I remember when I got cut, my son Beckett was like, “Does this mean we can’t be Saints fans anymore?” and I said, “We will be Saints fans forever; that’s part of our family.” So yeah, these guys keep up with it. When the Saints are on, the TV’s on, and we’re watching it. We’re pulling for those guys; we really are. But as far as where things are at with the direction of the team, I don’t know enough to have any comment on it.
Thomas added that he hopes to return to New Orleans in February for the Super Bowl, believing the Jets have a legitimate shot at hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in the Superdome. I wish Thomas a successful and healthy 2024 season and look forward to seeing how much they raise for ‘Punt for ALS.’ Please consider donating here. Every contribution makes a difference.
I sincerely appreciate Thomas’ time, especially with his busy schedule preparing for the New York’s season opener against the San Francisco 49ers. It was truly an honor to speak with a Saints icon.
