Tyler Shough sees “unbelievable opportunity” in Domecoming anniversary

By Ross Jackson

One of the most highly-anticipated games for the New Orleans Saints this upcoming season will be their Week 4 Monday Night Football matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. 

The game will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the “Domecoming” game, which marked the Saints’ Sept. 25, 2006 return to the Superdome following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. 

Saints quarterback Tyler Shough has gathered an impressive understanding of the team’s connection with its local community, which is often benchmarked with the 2006 win. 

With that knowledge, he sees his chance to lead the Saints into the Week 4 commemorative game as a significant and important moment. One that he has little trouble understanding and embracing. 

“I think it’s an unbelievable opportunity,” the quarterback said during Monday’s celebrity golf classic. “For me it’s really special because one of the first people I met was Steve Gleason when I first got here, and in his whole family, and going to his camp. That was a really cool thing for me early on to see what he meant to the city, and then also the kind of person that he is, and their whole family. So, what a cool opportunity to be able to play them at home week four.”

Gleason, of course, famously blocked the punt attempted by the Falcons in the first quarter of the Saints return to the Superdome. The punt was recovered by Curtis DeLoach, marking the first touchdown scored in the stadium since Hurricane Katrina. 

I think we all know what happened on this day in #Saints history (9/25/2006) and we all shed a tear when our team returned home and gave us this moment when we defeated the #DirtyBirds 20-3 on Monday Night Football! #WhoDat #WhoDatNation pic.twitter.com/fzAqwI5Vho

— New Orleans Saints History (@SaintsHistory) September 25, 2022

The moment has become known by the name “Rebirth,” signifying the revitalization of a community that countered destruction with its trademark residence. A statue now stands outside of the Superdome remembering the hallmark instance for the franchise. 

The Saints, led by Shough, have a chance to commemorate that moment again this fall. 

With the quarterback’s concerted and celebrated efforts to connect with the city and fanbase since his arrival, this will be his first primetime opportunity in the pros. It’s a game that carries a significance for New Orleans and could be a legacy-defining moment for Shough and head coach Kellen Moore.