New Orleans Native and Former Saints DB Delvin Breaux Sr. Announces Retirement
Canadian Football League All-Decade Team member and former New Orleans Saints DB Delvin Breaux announced his retirement on Wednesday after an 8-year pro football career.
Breaux, a New Orleans native, overcame adversity throughout his life. From growing up in the projects, childhood abuse, surviving suicide attempts, and ultimately becoming the first player to ever break his neck in high school and make it to the NFL.
After verbally committing to LSU, Breaux's life changed forever in October 2007 when he made a tackle on kickoff coverage and remained on the field unable to get to his feet. "A bright white light appeared." Breaux said. "I can reference it to the movie Bruce Almighty when Morgan Freeman was in the all-white building. That's how bright it was."
The Roneagles' star would walk off the field under his own power before a sharp pain shot down his neck. It was then that Breaux went to the hospital where he was told he fractured 3 vertebrae in his neck. "You should be dead." his doctor told him. Breaux underwent over 10 hours of surgery to repair his neck and just months later was not only walking but winning a state championship in track and field.
Following his injury, the road to the NFL was not conventional for Breaux. He was never medically cleared to play football at LSU, who honored his scholarship. To pursue a potential football career, Breaux left school early and joined the Gridiron Developmental Football League, a semi-pro league, where he starred for the Louisiana Bayou-Vipers before catching the eye of the Arena Football League's New Orleans Voodoo.
It was not long after signing with the Voodoo in 2013 that another league noticed the talent that Breaux possessed. However, this time it was a league outside of the United States. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League signed Breaux in 2013 where he immediately shined. The 6'1 tall cornerback played in back-to-back Grey Cup games (Canada's Super Bowl) in his first two seasons and was named an All-Star his sophomore season in 2014.
At the conclusion of his stellar 2014 CFL campaign, Breaux had scheduled workouts with nearly 20 NFL teams including his hometown New Orleans Saints. The "hometown hero" inked a three-year deal with the Saints immediately after his workout and was expected to compete for a spot on the 53-man roster.
Breaux impressed throughout camp and would go on to start all 16 games for the Saints in 2015. He collected 45 tackles, 1 fumble recovery, 19 passes defensed and 3 interceptions in his rookie season. Those efforts earned him the Saints' 2015 Defensive MVP honors and the 2015 Ed Block Courage Award.
Unfortunately, the remainder of No. 40's time in New Orleans was riddled with injures, including a misdiagnosis from Saints team doctors in 2017. Breaux missed 22 games between the 2016 and 2017 NFL seasons and returned to the CFL in 2018.
After returning to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Breaux became the highest-paid defensive back in the history of the league signing a 3-year contract worth nearly $200,000.
Breaux concludes his football playing career after being named to the CFL's First Team All-Decade (2010-2019) and spending three-years as a fan favorite with his hometown New Orleans Saints.
Upon retirement, Breaux looks to make an impact as a public speaker, entrepreneur and Cannabis advocate. Breaux began an apparel brand over the pandemic that he owns alongside his three-year old son called "BreauxShow". He also released his debut book, an autobiography, UNBREAUXKEN: The Story of Delvin Breaux in December of 2020. You can buy your copy HERE.
You can watch Delvin Breaux's full statement to Saints News on retirement below.
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