Former New Orleans Saints tackle Jermon Bushrod talked about Drew Brees’ leadership, his hometown in Virginia and his Visualize & Rize foundation in the lead-up to Super Bowl 54.
Former NFL left tackle Jermon Bushrod is no stranger to success stories. Born in King George, Virginia, a country town with a population under 5,000, Bushrod became one himself when he won a Super Bowl with Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints.
Though he’s retired now, the two-time Pro Bowler is intimately familiar with what it takes to find success on and off the football pitch. That’s why he’s thankful to be able to be more active with his Visualize & Rize foundation, which has supported youth sports and education programs for nearly 11 years and given away over $800,000 to his small community and the surrounding counties.
“We’re continuing to do events in Virginia, we’re continuing to do events wherever we stay,” he told FanSided’s Mark Carman in the lead-up to Super Bowl 54 in Miami. “Wherever I’m at, I wanna try to make an impact and the fact that I’m retired now, I’m able to do more, and it makes me feel good that we can do that and that I’m in this position.”
Now in his post-retirement life, Bushrod said the one thing he misses most from his playing days is the guys in the locker room and the structure of having a common goal in that locker room. Playing with a legendary quarterback like Drew Brees, it’s no surprise he admired a thing or two about his former play-caller.
“I’ve never seen anybody work as hard as he has,” Bushrod said. “That’s in the facility, outside the facility, when it comes to business, when it comes to his kids. He does a really good job of making sure that he’s leading them in the right direction. When it comes to football preparation, there’s nobody like him.”
That brand of quiet, dedicated leadership rubbed off on the former Saints guard and applies to his life both on and off the football field.
“It elevates you, because it’s like, ‘Okay, this guy’s putting in this work, he wants to be successful, I wanna make sure that I can help him be successful,’” he said. “And especially being a left tackle, his blindside, I didn’t wanna let him down. That was really my motivation to try and be the best that I can be.”
In his interview with FanSided, Bushrod also touched on his relationship with the media, his thoughts on Jay Cutler and his post-retirement life.
Jermon Bushrod spoke to FanSided on behalf of his foundation, Visualize & Rize.