WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va. – It was appropriate that when Broncos practice began Wednesday, blaring out of the loudspeakers was John Denver’s “Country Roads.
” The song extols the virtues of “West Virginia, mountain mama,” and asks to “take me home.” And in a way, Broncos coach Sean Payton has come home to the state. When Payton coached New Orleans for 15 seasons through 2021, the Saints held training camp at The Greenbrier resort from 2014-16.
And now the Broncos are practicing there this week between games in the Eastern Time Zone at Tampa Bay last Sunday and at the New York Jets on Sunday. “This is the first time for me being back since (2016),’’ Payton said Wednesday, the first of three days of practice at the resort. “It's just how we kind of envisioned it.
Logistically, everything fits.” Broncos lose LB Alex Singleton for season with torn ACL, promote RB Tyler Badie to active roster Payton sought to bring the Saints to West Virginia for training camp for a cooler environment. He dealt with Jim Justice, the owner of The Greenbrier who is now West Virginia’s governor.
“We were looking for a place to get out of the heat,’’ Payton said. “(Justice) was looking to build something to attract an NFL team. We'd met, and he put me in his car and drove around where it might be.
That was Fourth of July week (in 2014). Then I remember going back and talking with Mickey (Loomis), our general manager (of the Saints), and pretty soon they sent some.
