"We are very excited to be partnering with the Paris Musketeers for Sunday's game, which will pit a team with a record of five wins and two losses against a team with a record of six wins and one loss," said Demario Davis on Friday during the meeting between the Saints and the Musketeers at the US Embassy in Paris.
An ambassador for his franchise on this trip across the Atlantic, the 36-year-old linebacker spoke in praise of the importance of the moment.
"I just wanted to make sure that we take full advantage of this weekend, which is unprecedented, creating a model for the rest of the world in terms of international relations and the growth of American football, in order to make it accessible to as many people as possible," he said at the end of his speech.
The man who has played in two Pro Bowls (2022 and 2023) insisted on the partnership that was officially formed on Friday between two American football franchises. In many ways, it makes sense because of its historic links.
"We're simply excited by the atmosphere and energy that will reign in the stadium on Sunday. It brings us together. Being here with our twin city, with our brothers who are on the other side of the ocean, is going to be a lot of fun."
Davis didn't hesitate to tell his own story to show that American football can be the starting point for great stories. France can take that route too, and from a sporting point of view, the Musketeers have an important match to win on Sunday against the Vienna Vikings.
"I started out in the back streets of Mississippi, on a one-lane road, playing American football between two lampposts. I'd play against my older cousins, and they'd beat me and I'd cry. And my uncle just said, "Don't give up. I remember it like it was yesterday, he said, "Run to the lamppost and we'll throw you the ball." I remember running, the ball was in the air, I caught it and scored a touchdown. I thought, "I want to feel that for the rest of my life."
American football is a discipline that offers opportunities. "Little did I know that I was embarking on a sporting career that would see me travel the world. So I went from the back roads of Mississippi to Arkansas, then to New York, and now to New Orleans and Paris," Davis testified.
A historic partnership
"American football can literally create access and opportunity around the world, and that's why sports diplomacy works. You see, we're here to talk about American football, but it goes way beyond football," said the Saints player. In the end, he very aptly described this meeting between two countries in three distinct aspects.
Culturally, Paris and New Orleans share a strong history. Indeed, it was the French who founded the American city, because the region in which it is located, Louisiana, was French territory. American football can and should benefit from this link.
"You see, Paris is the city that best suits New Orleans, because it's our big sister city. In America, New Orleans was founded as a French colony, and all those cultural elements still exist today. So there's no better place than Paris and New Orleans to host cultural exchanges, setting a precedent for a sport that's growing globally and fostering relationships, access and opportunity."
Secondly, this is a key issue for young people. Flag football, and more broadly American football, can be a vehicle for social and cultural advancement for young people in France, just as it is in the United States.
"I think flag football offers many opportunities. Flag football allows people who wouldn't otherwise have access to American football to play it. Not everyone can play American football. Not everyone is ready to be roughed up like some of us. But it opens up a world of possibilities for our young men and women.
"It opens up opportunities for those who are still trying to understand the rules, and it creates access to this sport that opens up an infinite world of possibilities, as we have done today. And so being able to create those bridges and opportunities."
Finally, there is obviously a certain amount of economic development involved. This partnership between the Saints and the Musketeers should generate enough resources to provide an even greater framework for American football in France.
"When you think about why the Saints are here in partnership with the Paris Musketeers, think about what American football means to our economic environment in New Orleans and in our state of Louisiana, what it means in terms of jobs, what it means in terms of tourism, what it means in terms of work-life dynamics. And all those things that have the potential to stimulate the economy, and we want to make sure that they can multiply across the world."