by Sean Payton
First published 2010
Sean Payton takes over a football team in a broken city. Hurricane Katrina has left New Orleans devastated, and the Superdome stands as a symbol of despair where thousands sought shelter during the storm. The Saints carry decades of losing and disappointment. Payton must rebuild both team and city morale simultaneously. Four years after Katrina, his Saints reach the NFC championship game in that same Superdome. They defeat their opponents and earn the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance. Two weeks later, New Orleans faces the heavily favored Indianapolis Colts. The Saints win decisively, 31 to 17, in the most watched television broadcast in history. Payton's story reveals how leadership transforms both athletic performance and community spirit in the aftermath of tragedy.
Genres: leadership, sports, biography-memoir, football, american-history
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, underdog
Setting: New Orleans, Superdome
Period: 2000s, Post-Katrina
304 pages · Hardcover · NAL