The New Orleans Saints knew they drafted an exceptional athlete when they picked up Alvin Kamara back in 2017. Saints coach Sean Payton knew Kamara was a highly-intelligent football player, too. But what Payton didn’t consider was that Kamara would end up commanding the Saints offense more than any other player he’d encountered.
Even with added wrinkles like Kamara’s role as a receiver and lining up with Taysom Hill on option plays, the third-year running back has learned the Saints system so thoroughly that Payton had to grasp for ways to keep his attention.
Payton discussed the challenge of finding new, creative ways to get the football in Kamara’s hands during media availability following the last Saints minicamp practice. “When we drafted him, it starts with he has real, real, exceptionally high football IQ, so he can get bored with it. That is why we give him one of those little fidget things you twist when you can’t pay attention. So he gets one of those fidget spinners.”
Fidget spinners were invented to help schoolchildren with anxiety or ADHD concentrate during class, so they often feature colorful designs or patterns. But Payton made sure to find the most basic version he could get. “Nope. Just simple. Hey, when you’re getting bored, like you do sometimes, again, he’s real smart. So he had his little fidget spinner.”
And it makes sense. Kamara has done anything and everything the Saints have asked of him during his brief career, something Payton is acutely aware of.
“He’s got the ability to return punts, return kicks. His flexibility in the passing game and in the running game allows you, I’d say moreso your game week preparation relative to the team you are playing (than creating new plays in the offseason),” Payton said.
Payton isn’t the first member of the Saints organization to compliment Kamara’s intelligence. Quarterback Drew Brees complimented Kamara last year, describing his teammate as, “One of the most intelligent guys I’ve been around when it comes to just absorbing the game and then being able to go out and execute it.”
That high-level comprehension of the playbook and ability to recall everyone’s responsibility on every play — in addition to his own — has been a large part of Kamara’s success with the Saints. Combine that with his elite athleticism and knack for making opponents look foolish when they try to tackle him, and the Saints have another superstar in the building.
