Maason Smith grew up in Louisiana. His mother grew up rooting for the New Orleans Saints. Something has to give Monday night.
Smith returns home when the Atlanta Falcons visit the Saints at Caesars Superdome, and the Falcons defensive tackle will have plenty of family and friends watching one of the most meaningful games of his NFL career.
That includes his mother.
There’s just one problem. She’s a longtime Saints fan. For at least one night, however, she’s changing sides.
Smith told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that his mother will attend Monday’s game wearing his Falcons No. 92 jersey.
That’s a pretty significant sacrifice in one of the NFL’s fiercest rivalries.
Maason Smith Makes Emotional Return To Superdome
The story goes much deeper than divided family loyalties. Smith grew up in Houma, Louisiana, roughly 45 miles southwest of New Orleans, and became one of the nation’s best high school football players.
He stayed close to home for college, signing with LSU and quickly emerging as a potential future NFL star. Then everything changed inside the same stadium he’ll enter Monday.
Smith tore his ACL during LSU’s 2022 season opener against Florida State at the Superdome.
He was only 18 years old.
Smith later described the injury as one of the biggest turning points of his career because it forced him to deal with significant adversity for the first time.
He recovered, returned to LSU and eventually became a second-round NFL Draft pick.
Atlanta acquired Smith from the Jacksonville Jaguars during the offseason, giving him another opportunity to establish himself.
Now he’s coming home.
Smith Will Have Plenty Of Support Monday Night
Smith reportedly secured between 20 and 30 tickets for family and friends. His mother will be among the Falcons supporters despite her Saints allegiance.
Even Smith’s grandmother, another lifelong Saints fan, is getting involved. She’ll watch from home with some newly acquired Falcons gear.
Smith enters Monday as a starter on Atlanta’s defensive line and has generated five quarterback pressures through his first three games with the Falcons.
A big performance would make the homecoming even sweeter. Four years ago, Smith left the Superdome on crutches with his football future suddenly uncertain.
Monday night, he’ll run onto the same field as an NFL starter.
And somewhere in the crowd will be a lifelong Saints fan proudly wearing No. 92.
Sometimes family beats football rivalries.
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