Q&A with Colts WR Reggie Wayne

Colts WR Reggie Wayne became the elder statesman in the team's receiving corps this season after Marvin Harrison departed in the offseason, and the role suited him just fine. He racked up 100 catches for 1,264 yards and 10 touchdowns for the AFC champions. The ninth-year veteran has had at least 1,055 yards each season since 2004 and he'll be a tough matchup for the Saints' secondary on Sunday. The New Orleans native spoke with reporters at Media Day on Tuesday and discussed Peyton Manning's place in history, the prospect of facing some of his college teammates in the Super Bowl and whether his roots in the Big Easy have led him to cheer for the Saints.

Q: Do you think Peyton Manning is the best quarterback in NFL history?
A: I don't know. That's up to you all. The only thing I can do is help build that foundation. He's definitely one of the best, in my mind. He puts in so much heart and hard work and preparation. He just wants to be a winner and whenever you have a quarterback that wants to win and do whatever it takes to win, you want him on your team. So I'll let you all decide if he's the best and what his legacy is but I guarantee you if we win Sunday it would make it a lot easier for the critics to say who is.

Q: How many Super Bowls would you like to win before your career is over?
A: The more the merrier. One thing about winning one is that you have to figure out a way to win another. It's kind of like tattoos, it gets a little contagious after a while. In this case, two is better than one, and after you get this one, three is better than two. It never stops. It works for infinity, so hopefully we can get this job done because we understand it's not easy."

Q: Have you had discussions with some of your former college teammates from Miami that are on the Saints?
A: I haven't talked to them yet. I'm sure I'm going to get a lot from them soon, but those are my brothers at arms and I'm looking forward to playing against them this Sunday. May the best team win.

Q: Has the offense changed much this season without WR Marvin Harrison?
A: It has changed, simply because now more attention is keyed on me. Now I'm seeing a lot more double coverage. I guess the grass isn't always greener on the other side. Every receiver wants to be the No. 1, but it comes with a lot of heartache, I must say. But I learned a lot from him and hopefully I can take that with me in this game on Sunday."

Q: What do you think of the Saints' defense?
A: They're a scrappy bunch. They play with a lot of intensity. Those guys seem like they always find a knack for punching the ball out and creating turnovers. A lot of that is on momentum with the offense. The offense really gets those guys fired up, so you really have to do a good job of disguising coverages, changing things around. Hopefully we can do what we've been doing, and that's make plays. The more plays we can make with them doing all the disguising, hopefully that can keep them sane a little bit and we can go from there."

Q: Are you still a Saints fan?
A: Deep down inside I'm still a Saints fan. Growing up in New Orleans, it's like you really have no choice. I've seen a lot of brown paper bags in my lifetime and just to see those guys where they are today is just outstanding, the things that they're doing for that city. A lot of times, coming home from church with my mom and sitting down with my dad, the game was blacked out and we had to listen to the game on the radio. I've seen Bobby Hebert, I've seen John Fourcade. I've seen so many names come through there. I remember Saturday night, getting ready for the game, wanting to see Eric Martin have a big game. So I'm a huge fan of the Saints. I always have been. It's going to be tough to take that away from them, but just to see what those guys are doing this year and the years prior to this, keeping that city together, keeping that city on the map, it's outstanding."

Q: Will the Saints' lack of Super Bowl experience affect them on Sunday?
A: It's been three years for us, so I guess you could say we don't have much experience either, so that's the beauty of it. With this game, it changes. You never know who's going to be there, so when you do get the opportunity to be there, you have to take advantage of it and hopefully it works out to your advantage.

Click here to order Reggie Wayne’s proCane Rookie Card.



(profootballweekly.com)