A local celebrity will be suiting up for next Sunday’s game at the Caesars Superdome — though Tyjae Spears will have a lot of fans wearing Tennessee Titans colors at the New Orleans Saints’ home game. The rookie running back was sensational at Tulane and became something of a folk hero while helping the Green Wave to their historic turnaround.
He was certainly a favorite among Saints fans throughout the pre-draft process. But between his subpar size (by their standards) and a concerning injury history, New Orleans passed on Spears in favor of Kendre Miller, a bigger back who better fit the athletic thresholds they value. Miller was held out of offseason practices while recovering from a college knee injury, and he’s missed more time as of late with a hamstring issue.
Buy Saints TicketsThat doesn’t mean Spears isn’t excited to come back home — far from it. He told ESPN’s Turron Davenport that he’s excited to play his first game as a pro in New Orleans, adding that he’s been inundated with requests for tickets from friends and family. The Ponchatoula High School graduate has plenty of local support, and it’ll be on display Sept. 10 when he and his new teammates kick off the NFL regular season with the Saints.
How big of a role Spears will have in the lineup behind Derrick Henry remains to be seen, but the Saints will need to guard him carefully every chance he gets.
