Why Saints’ 2006 Return to Superdome Still Resonates 20 Years Later

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The New Orleans Saints' emotional return to the Superdome two decades ago stands as far more than a celebrated milestone in team history. It represented the rebirth of New Orleans.

On Sept. 25, 2006, the Saints secured a 23-3 triumph against the Atlanta Falcons, marking their first appearance back in the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina brought widespread destruction to the region the year prior. Steve Gleason's early blocked punt captured the spirit of the evening, becoming an enduring emblem of New Orleans' resilience and healing.

With New Orleans set to host the Las Vegas Raiders just two days after the 20th anniversary of that iconic matchup, head coach Kellen Moore, quarterback Tyler Shough, and offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier offered their thoughts on Hurricane Katrina, the significance of the Domecoming, and the deep-seated bond shared between the city and its football team.

Nussmeier Remembers Katrina's Devastation

Nussmeier's connection to New Orleans gives him a different perspective than many members of the current organization.

The Saints' offensive coordinator played quarterback for New Orleans from 1993-96 before eventually returning to the organization as a coach. Although he was no longer living in Louisiana when Katrina struck, Nussmeier and his wife, who is a native of Lake Charles and former Saints cheerleader, later returned and saw the destruction firsthand.

"When you saw the destruction and the things that this community had been through, that really hit home hard," Nussmeier said. "We had both lived up in the Lakefront area there and drove up to the area where the levee had broken, and you saw that devastation and destruction."

For Nussmeier, seeing what residents endured made him realize that the Saints represent more than just the team the city roots for. It represents the city and what they had to overcome.

"You just feel for the people and what people went through," Nussmeier said. "To me, it's way bigger than football."

Nussmeier also recalled his wife, Christi, helping people who had been displaced after Katrina.

"I remember people being displaced, and they were bringing buses of people into the community," Nussmeier said. "My wife, Christi ... was very active in trying to help those people and made some really nice friendships through that and acquaintances."

Those experiences remain more significant to Nussmeier than anything that occurred on the field.

"When you see the devastation and destruction of what people go through, losing family members, losing property, all the things that go along with a hurricane, football is the furthest thing from your mind," Nussmeier said.

Moore, Shough Understand What the Domecoming Meant

Moore, who is from eastern Washington State, did not have Nussmeier's personal connection to New Orleans in 2006, but he remembers watching the Saints' return to the Superdome from across the country.

Then a high school senior, Moore recalled coming home from football practice to watch the Monday night matchup. However, as the night went on, he realized how special it was and the significance of the night stuck with him.

"I remember it well," Moore said. "A really special moment. And I think all of us, it's kind of one of those you remember where you're at type moments as a kid growing up watching Monday Night Football. And that was one of the top Monday night games of all time."

Looking back, Moore said the game helped those outside Louisiana understand how deeply connected the Saints were to New Orleans following Katrina.

"I think it allowed you to see the impact, how tied the community was and how important that game was to the community," Moore said. "I think when you're not necessarily in it, you don't realize all that when you're younger."

Moore has since tried to pass that understanding to his players.

The Saints watched several documentaries about Katrina and the team's return to the Superdome, giving players who were not old enough to remember the disaster a chance to understand the significance of the event, the effect it had on the city and why the Saints helped give rebirth to a city that was left dead in the water.

"I think it was just for a lot of us who haven't spent as much time in this community, it allowed us to kind of recognize it and realize the impact it had," Moore said.

Shough was only a child when the Domecoming occurred, but one moment from the game has remained familiar to him: Steve Gleason’s blocked punt that led to the first touchdown in the Superdome since the final home game of the 2004 season, ironically against the Falcons.

Now that he plays for the Saints, Shough said he has gained a better understanding of what the Superdome and franchise mean to New Orleans.

"I think being here now, you start to feel just the energy about the Dome and when people come together inside of it," Shough said. "It feels different when you go to certain other places or other places I've been."

That connection has become increasingly apparent to Shough simply by living in New Orleans.

"You feel, driving around the city, just what it could — imagine what it could have been like for all the people and the family and the lives lost, and even in the Dome and what it kind of means and what the Saints mean to the city," Shough said.

"We wear that on our sleeve, for sure. I feel like that's one of the most unique teams in the NFL, us being the Saints, controlling the pulse of the city from that standpoint and everyone being invested in."

Two decades after the Saints returned home, many members of the current roster were either children or not old enough to remember the night as it happened. Moore has made sure they understand why it still matters.

"Kellen did a good job of kind of helping us and educating a lot of us on how that matters and how it feels to everybody," Shough said.

For the current Saints, that history provides additional context as they return to the Superdome around the anniversary of one of the franchise's defining moments.

"There is a difference when you step in the Dome," Shough said. "I feel like it's an advantage for us, so we're really excited to get back and play in front of the home crowd."

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