The Saints had a rough ending with Eli Apple, however, the former cornerback spoke fondly of his time in New Orleans in a recent interview with ReadWrite's Kyle Odegard.
Apple was drafted to the New York Giants with the No. 10 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. After a three year stint with the Giants, he was shipped off to the Saints. He started 25 games in his two years in the black and gold. After a loss to the Rams in the playoffs, they elected not to re-sign Apple. This caused him to bash the team and city on Twitter which made him a villain to the fanbase. Fast forward to now, he is regretful of his comments and speaks highly of his time in New Orleans.
Apple’s career took a major shift when he was traded from the Giants to the Saints. He received major backlash after not living up to the standards of being drafted top-10. His criticism was multiplied by being in the big market of New York. In retrospect, Apple was grateful for being traded to a smaller market.
“Chaotic is what I knew from being in the media storm of New York. So when I got to New Orleans, the media wasn’t as ruthless when I got out there. It was more calm for me.” Apple said, “I was leaving a tornado, and I was coming into more of a family, more of a group of people that had more love and appreciation for what I brought to the table”.
Besides being shielded from the media, New Orleans also gave Apple a chance to develop, both on and off the field. On the field, he had to develop like any other young player. However, he faced more challenges off the field. Apple had some family issues that popped up during his stint in New York which distracted him from playing. Moving to New Orleans relieved some stress and allowed him to focus on the game he loved.
“Being a young guy coming in, you try to balance everything, and you try to play Superman. Sometimes it’s tough. You have to leave people where they are, because you can’t save everybody. That was my mistake, trying to do too much.” Apple said, “And then a lot of stuff with my family ended up becoming public, and it unraveled. It played with my peace, played with my emotions. I think that ended up carrying out onto the field, not being able to focus. New Orleans was a great reset, and the love I got there was something I’ll always appreciate.”
The Saints and Eli Apple may not have had the cleanest relationship. Although his actions at the time didn’t show it, it’s clear Apple still has ample respect and admiration for the organization.