When the Saints go marching in

All-Weather Field' new den

Millsaps College will get some very large visitors for the summer when the New Orleans Saints set up training camp at the Jackson, Miss.-based school. The (Jackson) Clarion-Ledger provides an interesting look at how the College is preparing for its visitors, including field preparation (see photo also from the Clarion-Ledger).

The economic details are interesting, though there isn’t enough to make concrete conclusions here. The article mentions that the school and NFL team will share the $400,000 cost, but it’s not clear what the split is. Rose-Hulman, which hosts the Indianapolis Colts’ training camp, reports $30,000 to $40,000 in concessions and parking revenue from one month. Millsaps will also benefit from national exposure, particularly as NFL correspondents check out top pick Reggie Bush and new quarterback Drew Brees.

Other NFL teams that camp out at Division III schools include:

Baltimore Ravens at McDaniel
Buffalo Bills at St. John Fisher
Green Bay Packers at St. Norbert
Kansas City Chiefs at UW-River Falls
Pittsburgh Steelers at St. Vincent (begins Division III play in 2007)

Video blast from the past

NFL Films did a great piece on D3football.com All-America quarterback Zamir Amin back in 2001. It’s back on the NFL’s Web site.

I didn’t even know this video clip existed until I saw it this afternoon.

Amin was a two-time All-American at Menlo, born in Afghanistan but moved to the USA as a child. The piece focuses on him and Menlo in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. It is well worth the six minutes, 52 seconds to watch (plus whatever time it takes to download).

The graphics have been redone since it was originally aired, since Menlo receiver Nate Jackson is identified as a Denver Bronco.

Also worth revisiting is Mark Simon’s feature story on Amin and Jackson, which ran the week before the attacks.

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