New Orleans Saints fans lined up to watch practice 7 hours before gates opened

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Arriving five hours before the New Orleans Saints opened the gates to minicamp Tuesday (June 14) – and a full hour before sunrise – Willie Chess expected he'd be first in line to catch his favorite NFL team practice.

Tony LeMon had the same idea.

But LeMon set his alarm a little earlier than Chess and started the line outside the team's outdoor practice facility in Metairie at 3 a.m.

"I had the title of coming out here earliest every year," Chess, who's from New Orleans, said. "This guy showed up from out of nowhere."

LeMon, a Covington resident, joked that since he "came out in the dark, I'm the dark horse."

The men, who didn't know each other before Tuesday but say they're friends now, were among dozens of Saints fans who showed up at the team's practice facility on Airline Drive for the first open-to-the-public practice this offseason.

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By 9:30 a.m., still a half-hour before the gates were open, a solid line had formed. Fans wore their favorite player jerseys, and brought along helmets and footballs for players to sign.

Once inside, they got to watch about an hour of practice before the team moved indoors because of heavy rain and thunder.

Chess, a Saints fan for 32 years, said he wanted to watch the team practice because he's excited about the upcoming season.

"I'm excited to see former Saints player Roman Harper return from the '09 season, and just see what's new," he said.

And LeMon, who cut grass when he was younger to make money to buy tickets to the games at Tulane Stadium, said he's also looking forward to the season.

"I love the Saints, and I'm optimistic about this year," he said. "As long as we have Drew Brees, we have a chance to go all the way to the Super Bowl."

Speaking of titles, Chess is certain he'll reign supreme in the earliest to arrive at Saints practice competition in 2017

"Next year I'll be out here before him," Chess said.

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