Captain Kamara Reflects On Saints History, Coach Rizzi, And 'Getting Swag Back'
Captain. It's a well-deserved new title for Alvin Kamara, who has been the consummate professional for eight seasons in New Orleans. On Sunday, he donned a jersey signifying him as the New Orleans Saints' Team Captain.
"I decided to make Alvin Kamara the team captain," Interim head coach Darren Rizzi said — a great decision.
Kamara rushed 17 times for 55 yards and caught five passes for 54 yards as the Saints leader helped the team end their seven-game skid with a 20-17 victory over the Falcons.
The All-Pro running back discussed his new role as team captain, expressing pride and gratitude for the recognition. Kamara reflected on registering another milestone, eclipsing his friend Mark Ingram's record to become the New Orleans Saints all-time rushing yardage leader.
"I'm not one to really celebrate too many of my successes. I just keep moving, keep my head down. But, this one is special. It is special."
Mark Ingram II told Kamara, "You got 12 more yards. You should've broken it." Ingram acknowledged that the achievement would have been better done in New Orleans.
"It's special to be able to do it in New Orleans. Do it in one city. It's amazing. So I'm going to cherish that."
He credited Coach Rizzi for emphasizing "unity, which was one of the words of the week." Once he took over for Dennis Allen, the strategy was clearly to foster a united front.
"I think we got we got some swag back. The preparation, details, the fundamentals, I think everybody was accountable to each other, and we hadn't had that. It hasn't been there. Like I've been saying these past couple of weeks, we all want to win."
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Although New Orleans won, Kamara can breathe a sigh of relief after dropping a game-sealing pass from Derek Carr in the contest's final minutes. He told a coach, "That was the lamest thing I've ever done in my life playing football." However, besides Kamara's disappointment, the Saints' defense stopped the Falcons to ice the game.
"Alvin has made so many plays in his league, I mean, it's kind of hard to kick him when he dropped one," Tyrann Mathieu pointed out to the media. "So really, on to the next play."
As Kamara cemented his legend in the annals of New Orleans Saints history, its hard to not envision him as a "Super Hero - Captain Kamara!"
Winning the season's last seven games would be a miraculous achievement for the Saints. It would also encourage both themselves and their fans regarding the club's future. With the Tampa Bay Bucs lost to San Francisco, and the Carolina Panthers beating the New York Giants in Germany, could an improbable run happen in New Orleans? It would simply be reversing a seven-game losing skid into a seven-game winning streak.
Should they make a run with Captain Kamara leading the team, we'll look back at the word UNITY. Where has it been this season, and can it propel these New Orleans Saints players to end the season on a high note?
We shall see.