New Orleans Saints fans packed the Superdome Monday night to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the team’s return to the iconic venue following Hurricane Katrina. But before the game began, Who ‘Dat Nation gathered at Champions Square to pump up the party.
Elise Felix said she was in the Superdome in 2006. She told WDSU what it feels like to return decades later.
“We will always snap back,” Felix said. “And when it happened after Katrina 20 years ago, and I was in the dome, it just felt so much able to come back home.”
The Saints, she said, are more than just a sports team.
” for us to just be able to have a place to go and we can release everything,” Felix said. “Football for the city of New Orleans, it’s one and one. It’s hand in hand, and it means a lot. It’s when you release all the stress, everything.”
From diehard fans to houses divided; Among the attendees were Vernon and Cheryl Swanier, a couple who traveled from Georgia to watch Vernon’s Saints face Cheryl’s Falcons.
“Yes, we are a house divided, and we’re taking home the win; we’re taking home the W,” Cheryl said.
“We already got a ring,” Vernon replied.
The night was filled with excitement, with fans chanting, dancing, and celebrating in true New Orleans style. Saints legends Drew Brees and Steve Gleason took the stage and shared reflections on the significance of the team’s return to the Superdome two decades ago.
“There was certainly hope in the night, that night in 2006. But there was also desperation,” Brees told the crowd. “You know, what I feel right now is there’s still a lot of hope and there’s a lot of happiness.”
The event highlighted the resilience of New Orleans and the deep connection between the city and its football team, as fans came together to honor a moment that symbolized recovery and unity.
READ MORE:Saints fans mark 20 years since return to Superdome after Hurricane Katrina
