Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton stops in Saskatchewan for Dogs’ Breakfast

The University of Saskatchewan Huskie Football Foundation hosted its annual Dogs’ Breakfast on Thursday morning at Prairieland Park.

This year, organizers brought in their biggest guest yet, Sean Payton, head coach of the Denver Broncos. The Green Zone’s Jamie Nye had the opportunity to speak with Payton before he took the stage at the fundraiser event.

Nye: You know Kelly Chase, you know Jon Cooper – how do you know all of these hockey guys?

Payton: There’s a group of us every summer that kind of enjoys the same vacation spot. We have breakfast, we golf, and see each other two or three months of the year, and then we all go back to our normal jobs. I’ve gotten to know these guys over the past four years, and became good friends with them.

How much hockey have you learned from them?

Listen, these guys are the best. I had a chance when I was younger to follow and play some youth hockey, and probably know just enough to be dangerous. It’s a great group – there’s some athletes in the group, there’s some coaches, and we really enjoy the camaraderie. I was telling the group last night that I was just involved in helping out a charity alumni hockey game in St. Louis. The irony of me helping out a hockey team in St. Louis and then speaking to a football team in Saskatoon all in the same month is pretty unusual.

There was a change in the NFL with kickoffs – you’re famous for the surprise onside kick or short kick in the Super Bowl. You can’t do that anymore, (so) what do you think of the change?

You can onside kick, but it’s in the fourth quarter – it’s when everyone knows you’re going to do it. They’re trying to reduce the high-speed collisions, and I understand that. We voted it in for a year, and it’s like anything else – if we like it, we keep it, and if it turns out to be a dud, we’ll rethink it. I think it gets the play back in and what I mean by that is the kick return. Games were just starting off with a touchback, so we’ll see how it goes.

Is it easier as you get further into it to make off season decisions, from drafting Russell (Wilson) to drafting Bo (Nix)?

Those are decisions made as an organization over a period of time. We focused a lot on when the season ended to where we are now, and we will continue to do that.

What do you think about Nix?

When I see him, I’ll have a chance to evaluate him. We obviously think highly of him; we drafted him in the first round. We’re excited about it for our fans, our team, and the other guys we drafted as well.

Finally, you’re here speaking to university sports athletes. What is your message to a young Huskie recruit?

I think there’s trials and tribulations, as they say. We were talking last night about this transfer portal. There are a lot of exit doors and reasons why we can’t be successful, and you get tested when you go to college and play a sport. You’re going to have some good weekends and some tough ones. But it’s what people ask all the time, and it’s like you get back up 1,570 times and then you get back up another time and you never stay down. I think that mindset is pretty powerful.

Editor’s note: this interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.