Q&A: Saints linebacker Curtis Lofton bids farewell
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) fumbles the ball as Atlanta Falcons linebacker Curtis Lofton (50) moves in with Giants offensive tackle David Diehl (66) defending in the first quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009, in East Rutherford, N.J. The Giants recovered the ball on the play. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
New Orleans Saints linebacker Curtis Lofton was still putting his arms around the fact that he’s crossed rivalry lines when we chatted on Monday.
He’s following in the footsteps of Bobby Hebert, Morten Andersen, Craig “Ironhead” Heyward and Joe Horn as players who have played for both teams.
Here’s the Q&A:
Q: Are you pretty glad this process is over?
A: Oh yeah, I’m definitely excited to be done with the process and know where I’m going to be living and what team I’m going to be playing for. I’m happy.
Q: How did the meeting and the dinner go with the Saints?
A: The Saints called my agent and they were real excited that I was a free agent. They had me as the No. 1 linebacker in free agency. They had crossed me off their list because they thought there was no way the Falcons were going to let me go. But it turns out that they did and they had a chance. When I got down there coach (Sean) Payton, (defensive coordinator) Steve Spagnuolo, (assistant coach) Joe Vitt and (general manager) Mickey Loomis, all of those guys, kind of wrapped their arms around me and didn’t want to let me go. They were just happy that I was down there. We had great visits; talking about the defense, the team and the direction it was going. I was excited to be a part of it.
Q: Where did you all go out to eat?
Curtis Lofton amassed 577 tackles in four seasons with the Falcons. (Curtis Compton/CCompton@ajc.com)
A: We went out to Emeril’s.
Q: Was it pretty good?
A: Yes, I had some crawfish. I never had crawfish before so I got some of those. It was just good. I had pre-draft visit there, but we never really spent time with the coaches and all of that. Then I got drafted to the Falcons, so you kind of grow up hating the Saints. It was a very important visit for me to take just to get a feel for the coaches and the players and see how they are.
Q: Any bad after taste in your mouth because the Falcons showed you the business side of football?
A: I was one of those people (who thought I’d finish my career with the Falcons.) But there is no bad taste in my mouth. . . it is a business. The teams are going to do what’s best for them. I had to do what is best for me. A team is going to put a value on a guy and other teams put more value on a guy. That was the situation. The guy has to go to the team that wants him more. The Saints wanted me more, so that’s where I went.
Q: Have you thought about putting on the Saints uniform yet?
A: I have and I’m excited. It’s going to be a little different for me, but I think I’ll fit right in. Gold was one of my colors in high school. We used to wear the black uniforms and Atlanta stopped doing that. I always wanted to wear the black uniforms so I’m excited about it. I can’t wait to get down there.
Here back in 2010, Curtis Lofton was being interviewed by Britton Lynn, a University of Alabama student who was a finalist to become the Falcons Taco Maco Insider. Lofton was set to visit the hospital and play with kids the following day. (By D. Orlando Ledbetter/AJC)
Q: Where are you going to play?
A: I talked to (Jonathan) Vilma and I talked to Coach Spagnuolo yesterday and they said they are going to get their best players on the field. They really don’t have everything all worked out. When I talked to Vilma he said “that if you feel comfortable and you’re the better [middle linebacker], then you’ll play the [middle] and I’ll play the [weakside] or vice versa or whatever.” I just want to win. Whatever we have to do to win, that’s what I want to do.
Q: With the Saints being in trouble with the league was that a factor in your decision?
A: Not at all. I wasn’t there when the bounty stuff went down. I have no issue with that. My main thing was, I went down there and they have a winning mentality. They’ve won a lot of games over the years. I wanted to go play for a team that has a chance to win the Super Bowl and I think that’s them. They are kind of taking on the mentality that it’s “us verses them.” That’s how I feel and can’t wait to be a part of it.
Q: Do you have a better chance to win a Super Bowl with the Saints?
A: Yes. I look at it like this. When you go to a team, it would be dumb not to think that you don’t have a better chance to win a Super Bowl with that team. I feel like Atlanta and the Saints have been evenly matched. But I really feel like there is more talent with the Saints. I will say that.
Q: Did you pick a number yet?
A: Yes, I think I will be wearing No. 50.
Q: Anything in closing?
A: Yes, I would like to thank the fans, Mr. Blank and the organization for taking a chance on a guy like me. The best of luck to them. Coach (Glenn) Pires really helped me grow on the field. Coach (Mike) Smith helped me grow on the field and off the field. I’m just thankful for them and the guys that I played with over the last four years.
Q: The fans have been on your case?
A: Yeah, I did an interview with someone from New Orleans and they said what do you look forward to? I said I look forward to playing on a team that has a chance to win a Super Bowl and that has truly great fans. I guess all of the Atlanta fans took it as me taking a dig at them. It’s been crazy. You can see all of the crap on my twitter timeline. But, hey, that’s part of the game I guess.
–D. Orlando Ledbetter, The Atlanta Falcons beat blog
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168 comments Add your comment
BIRDSFLYHIGH
March 27th, 2012
12:34 am
@ Rivercard, We dont have great fans! We dog our organization & complain about everything Falcon! We have made the playoffs 3/4 years which is a first & have one of the winnest teams records over that period! We are headed in the right direction. New O.C & D.C thank god! Now just watch, we are about to ball on a whole nother level! BIRDSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Terrance jones
March 27th, 2012
12:58 am
Wat is so funny all u saints fan need loftn lot more deb we did I mean loftn a beast but we got other player an was so funny out uf all the lb yall get loftn cuz yall no falcon defense better den saint yall tryn 2 streal falcon player ha da aints still sorry an den yall cheated 2 win super bowl but im not go lie da only thing I lke bout da saints is dat dey play us harder den any team an better den any team but yall will never win a super bowl agin an dats real shyt
Terrance jones
March 27th, 2012
1:06 am
Da falcons go fuk drew brees up no more super bowlan loftn did no wat he was say he goy all dat damm money an jys said wat da saint fans wanted 2 her real shyt
FalconFan4life
March 27th, 2012
2:49 am
WOW.. Com’on Falcons fans, it’s a business Lofton was classy why can’t ya’ll be? He Played hard for us I dislike seeing a former Falcon going to the Saint as much as anybody else, but please don’t sink to the Saints fans level wish him luck and move on!! Good luck Curtis!! thanks for your play
E Love
March 27th, 2012
3:49 am
Falcons are slowly coming apart. I am a big fan of the Falcons but I am a realist also. We are not looking good on paper right now.
average QB
aging RB
terrible OL
Recipie for disaster
jack dulaney
March 27th, 2012
6:58 am
Is keith brooking available?
Strange Murphy
March 27th, 2012
7:27 am
Piss off Lofton!
birddroppings
March 27th, 2012
7:45 am
Good deal for Lofton, going from a losing team to a winner.
Mookie
March 27th, 2012
8:05 am
Lofton’s tired of getting his ass beat by the Saints, If you can’t beat um join um !!!!
New Orleans where trash goes to live
March 27th, 2012
8:16 am
birddroppings
Good deal for Lofton, going from a losing team to a winner.
AND ONE WITH NO DAMN COACH….HA HA HA
Peachtree John
March 27th, 2012
8:26 am
I wish Lofton the best. Certainly showed a lack of knowledge on the part of the Falcons to let him go. Of course, the organization has years and years of lack of knowledge of what it takes and the innovation to accomplish what it takes to be the best. Oh, the frustration of the Atlanta sports scene. Again: wishing nothing but the best for Mr. Lofton.
DePort
March 27th, 2012
8:28 am
Well he was one of my favorite players til he changed teams to those cheats .. and even worse he threw Atlanta and the fans under the bus…I really dont even know what to say about this …
Section 138 Season Ticket Holder
March 27th, 2012
8:41 am
Lofton is NOT a traitor and anyone who says so is an idiot!
Section 138 Season Ticket Holder
March 27th, 2012
8:43 am
He did NOT throw anyone under the bus. The team threw HIM under the bus by letting him go. What did you expect him to say? That it will suck playing in NO? Get real!!
Falcon Man
March 27th, 2012
8:44 am
Every interview I heard from Curtis he always was a class act…..Good luck there Curtis…There will be at least ONE Saint I can stomach now……Thats all i have to say about that !!
Peggy
March 27th, 2012
8:45 am
I really hate to see Lofton leave the Falcons. Guess I’ll have to hang my 5-0 jersey in the closet!! I hate the Saints so I won’t be pulling for him there. GO FALCONS!
Bluestreak
March 27th, 2012
8:52 am
Was the offer unacceptable D-Led or did Lofton think he was worth more. There is a difference.
And why do we care what the aint fans are saying. Look at the embarassment of a team, coach, GM that they have. They are grasping at straws to remain relevant, before pulling out the brown bags again.
They haven’t even locked up their best player yet. Wonder if he’s reconsidering staying there long term.
Take Lofton, please. He’s a great player, but not going to be that big of a difference maker. I mean, we replaced him with a guy that sat out a year. That should tell you something about his value.
flagger
March 27th, 2012
8:54 am
If he can make more money working for the Saints then that’s who he should work for, if u work for less than u are worth then u are prostituting ure talent…. that goes for eveybody!!!!
jerry
March 27th, 2012
8:58 am
uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
Saints R.E.A.M.
March 27th, 2012
9:00 am
Bottom line is the Falcons lost their leading tackler. And he signed with their arch-rival. Now the Falcons hope is for Tatupu to fill the role. We’ll see if the Falcons are adept at stopping the run. The fact that he may have struggled in pass pro will not matter if you can’t stop NFC South running backs….Legarrette Blount, Deangelo Williams, J. Stewart, Chris Ivory, Pierre Thomas, Mark Ingram, Darren Sproles….& Mike Turner in practice.
Saints R.E.A.M.
March 27th, 2012
9:05 am
The offer from the Falcons included 1ST ROUND PLAYOFF EXITS – Unacceptable, I’d say.
dirty pigeons
March 27th, 2012
9:07 am
Hey Curt Curtis,
the problem with disrespecting an entire city on your way out the door,is the fact that We pay your salary. Without a fan base to watch and pay our money and the interest in the Home Team you would be back to making a hundred bucks a game,like they did in the days before the TV contracts and having to work a regular job during the week. The playoff game where the Giants humiliated and spanked your asses spoke for itself,that game spoke louder than all the trash you could ever talk. It was an affront to the senses to watch such an armageddon of one sided asskicking. So jibber jabber on…
Whatever.
Steve-o
March 27th, 2012
9:20 am
Why would you boo Lofton??? If anything, boo Falcons management for letting one of their best defensive players walk out the door while signing a guy who is so injury prone he never hit the field last year. Additionally, the Falcons brass decided that spending huge dollars on a DB too short to cover the elite receivers in the league.
Lofton was a huge asset, and will be missed. He was the defensive play caller and had the “it” factor for linebackers in the mold of Mike Singletary. So what if he was not a 4 down player? The way the Falcons gave up 3rd and long situations over and over again was repulsive, and was not tied exclusively to Mr. Lofton.
Samantha
March 27th, 2012
9:26 am
WELCOME TO THE WINNING TEAM!!!! Yeah he knows what a REAL team looks like and plays like…I will be rooting for him….SUPERBOWL BOUND BABY!!!!! GEAUX SAINTS!!!
joewhite
March 27th, 2012
9:28 am
Thanks for your service lofton but now you are a saint man and your not one i can root for now. Hope you have a good year and we will be okay dent will make up and spoon will take over for sure.
Bryan
March 27th, 2012
9:30 am
Nice comments, way to keep it classy. Maybe this is what Lofton is referring to in his fan comments. I am a Falcons fan and dissapointed that we couldn’t keep him, but you people are vindictive and malicious when somebody leaves, but can’t support them when he is here? Lofton won’t get booed when the Saints come to the Dome because you people can’t buy enough tickets and the Saints have more fans here than we do. Get a life and get in the Dome.
Samantha
March 27th, 2012
9:42 am
Bluestreak…We SAINTS FANS are NOT embarrassed by what happened..hell the Failcant’s fans shoud be embarrassed THINKING ya’ll have a football team, when everybody that knows ANYTHING about sports know you really don’t! You all are the laughing stock in the NFL..hahahahahahahahaha! Also I know for a fact that your sorry team also had a bounty system..you were just never caught.
Samantha
March 27th, 2012
9:53 am
Well said Bryan…Failcants’ fans are really sorry..You all don’t support your team like the New Orleans Saints fans do…I remember once upon a time when I team was sad like the Failcants’…we still supported them and we will welcome Lofton to our team…Our fans are just crazy about the Saints! We love them dearly! GEAUX SAINTS!!! I will have it no other way…by the way..I live in Atlanta, but from New Orleans!
saints smell like hot mayonnaise
March 27th, 2012
10:29 am
Huge Falcons fan win OR lose. But, again, you saints fans are something else… look at the overall series between the Falcons and the stanks. We lead the way! And by the looks of it, we always will. Good luck 5-0. But, your new teams is gonna fall from grace fast. Its inevitable. Mark my words.
Gradybaby72
March 27th, 2012
10:30 am
10 of 12, with all the recent winning the Aints have been doing, Y’ all are still behind in all time head to head match ups. SO stop with the glorious rants about winning against the Falcons. We absolutely own yall from the late 80’s to the mid 90’s. Go ahead and look it up.
saints smell like hot mayonnaise
March 27th, 2012
10:33 am
Clamantha get out of Atlanta with that garbage! This is Falcon country! Bwahaha!
North FLA Falcon
March 27th, 2012
10:39 am
The fact that Lofton was our leading tackler over the last several years tells me that we had pitiful execution from our D-line. Hopefully with this new scheme and some new talent our D will tighten up. We need a big nasty run stuffer like Grady Jackson …
saints smell like hot mayonnaise
March 27th, 2012
10:47 am
Just joking with ya. That aside I do want to add that I think Drew Brees will have an off year.. I think he will be horrible… and I think in the next few years he’ll be in a different uniform.. falcons fans RISE UP!! I trust the FO with all my heart and STRONGLY believe Mr. Ryan will have an absolute explosive year! My prediction is Falcons 12-4 with nfc south title.. saints 10-6 with wild card. With breed performing poorly I still think they will catch a wild card. BUT, it will be the beginning of their demise for years to come.. Falcons will take supreme reign of the south.. call me crazy if you will.. but let us watch as this unfolds…
saints smell like hot mayonnaise
March 27th, 2012
10:51 am
Ive also predicted the falcons last three seasons W/L record to the tee , before the seasons started. I will call it @12-4. Its been recorded here.
again, good luck to u Mr lofton.
NagoyaFalcon
March 27th, 2012
11:26 am
Scumbag.
Statick
March 27th, 2012
11:35 am
So taking shots at the fanbase and the franchise is bidding “farewell”? I think someone needs to look up the defintion to that word.
Good luck, Lofton. I sure hope those knees of yours can hold up for the length of that new contract, fat boy.
Ivan
March 27th, 2012
11:36 am
Well Lofton is right. Atlanta has the worst fans in the nation. This has been proven and cited time and time again.
Again, Atlanta. Not Falcons fans. I know many Falcons fans that watch every Sunday, no matter what. Even arrange a trip to a game or two during the season, even though it’s a 4+ hour drive.
But the city of Atlanta is the worst local representation of a NFL team in the country.
I guarantee you a free agent leaving Green Bay doesn’t say what Lofton did about coming to play for “true fans.”
So don’t be mad at the guy for calling it like he sees it.
raymar31
March 27th, 2012
11:40 am
You guys are a never-ending source of entertainment. You all are praying so hard that the Saints defense gets decimated by suspensions. Guess what? It ain’t happening. The Saints D will be better than last year and the offense is intact. Oh, and by the way, name one person, ONE PERSON who was carted off the field because of a Saints illegal hit. The Kurt Warner hit was perfectly legal and that was a BLOCK after an interception. Dream on my delusional friends. I see another Saints sweep of the birds in 2012. Man, the truth hurts, doesn’t it?
Gatorzone
March 27th, 2012
11:45 am
My 2 cents..
Loften was a good player and a really good community guy. However, it became apparent to me that after the 2nd year that he was not going to have the impact everyone expected. He never seemed to step up to the next level. Plus, he always looked about 10-15 lbs heavier than he should be. Weatherspoon looks like the real deal when it comes to an impactful team leader…
From the Saints perspective, they get a solid tackler to take Vilma’s place, because word is he is going to get suspended along with other defensive players…
Lofton just chased the $$ and may have thought higher of himself since gracing the cover os Sports Illustrated. Yes, he made a lot of tackles but that is what linebackers do. I do not recall him blowing up plays and his coverage was atrocious! Just be real, he could not cover ANYONE.
raymar31
March 27th, 2012
11:51 am
I have a question and I invite any Falcons fan to answer: How many plays did the Saints cheat on to beat the Falcons 45 – 16? Just curious. Football genuises please enlighten me. Thank you.
Gatorzone
March 27th, 2012
11:57 am
Raymar, who knows… Good luck with no coaching staff and half of your defense suspended this year… oh, and have you signed Brees yet?
If you think you will be dominant this year with all of the coaching turmoil in NO, you are delusional.
Falcon4life
March 27th, 2012
12:16 pm
“The third down problem on this team is primarily lack of QB pressure.”
ANd you can put the lack of QB pressure on BVG’s back. He brought our D a long way, but didn’t take it far enough…Can we say PLATEAU?
New Saints MLB Curtis Lofton declares” there is more talent with the Saints” than with the Falcons. | Get In The View
March 27th, 2012
12:32 pm
[...] an interview with the Atlanta Journal Constitution Lofton was asked “do you have a better chance to win a Super Bowl with the [...]
buzzer
March 27th, 2012
12:46 pm
I thought Curtis played better than most of our defense beside Abe.
Something else going on? or the Falcons are just dimb.
The Falcaints score 1 out of 9 in draft picks.
Ackshun
March 27th, 2012
12:46 pm
This is football. The Saints were willing to pay him, so he left. As an Athlete you have a very narrow window 10-15 years tops, you have to make as much as you can before the physical strain catches up to you. I glad Lofton got the money he deserves. But he better be ready for the butt-whipping he’ll be getting twice a year from now on.
Mediocrity continues...
March 27th, 2012
1:18 pm
BTW Lofton, Brandon Jacobs made you his B*t<h in the playoffs. Good luck in douchebagville USA
Mediocrity continues...
March 27th, 2012
1:22 pm
Not to mention Breese will be gone after this upcoming season. You aint winning jack down there with a mediocre QB.
raymar31
March 27th, 2012
2:14 pm
Gatorzone, half of the defense will not be suspended and the Saints signed three good players to bolster what they already have. If Parcells takes the interim job, there will be no turmoil. If he doesn’t, proven assistants will do just fine. They already have experience from last year when Payton broke his leg. The doom and gloom you guys are praying for is NOT going to happen. The mood in Who Dat Nation is sky high right now. Oh, and Drew is going to sign the long term deal he deserves. BOOK THAT. Sorry to disappoint but things aren’t that bad in Saintsville. You will see.
atlnative
March 27th, 2012
2:25 pm
Who is asleep at the switch? The Atlanta Falcons need playmaking defensive players!
Florida Guy
March 27th, 2012
2:26 pm
The fact Curtis Lofton was our “leading tackler” speaks more to our pathetic defense than it does to his ability as a player. Congrats New Orleans, you just got the best kid from a reform school!!!! Suckers! Before its over, you’ll have a bounty on Lofton to get him on injured reserve