His FIRST GAME in a #Saints uniform 👏@haleyboy10 picks it off in the end zone!! #SAINTS | 📺: Fox pic.twitter.com/UTKw3Fg7TI
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) January 3, 2021
It’s always important to make a nice first impression, which Grant Haley took to heart in his first game with the New Orleans Saints. Having been called up from the practice squad to fill in as the team’s slot cornerback, the third-year pro rose to the occasion with a drive-killing interception against the Carolina Panthers.
And it was his first career interception, too, following 25 games with the New York Giants from 2018 to 2019. Before making the jump to the NFL, he played at Penn State, where he was coached by future Saints assistant Phil Galiano.
Coming away with that turnover had to feel great for Haley after grinding in practice for months in New Orleans. It certainly helped validate the team’s decision to play him in their nickel defense over veterans on the active roster like Justin Hardee and Ken Crawley.
