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Nine schools participate in High School Football Media Day hosted by Saints, Ochsner

46 athletes participated in interviews, photo sessions and spoke with Saints legend Devery Henderson

Sep 05, 2025 at 11:54 AM

Andrew Lang

Chalmette senior linebacker Tyray Darensburg poses for a photo at the High School Football Media Day hosted by the New Orleans Saints and Ochsner Andrews Sports Medicine Institute on Sept. 4, 2025. Saints legend Devery Henderson joined the students for a Chalk Talk to share insights from his personal football journey.

Before they play under the Friday Night Lights this season, 46 athletes from nine schools in Louisiana came to the Ochsner Sports Performance Center and kicked off the season at our first High School Football Media Day in partnership with the Ochsner Andrews Sports Medicine Institute.

The players participated in interviews and photo sessions as well as listened to a chalk talk with Saints legend Devery Henderson about his football journey.

For Willow junior wide receiver Ahmad Vappie, it was an honor to be selected as one of five to represent his school and teammates at the event.

"For me I take it as an accomplishment showing I am a good leader, but then also I'm still here representing the rest of my school," Vappie said. "It's not just me. I got five other guys all here for the same goal, to get better and even if you brought any of our other teammates from down to seniors, juniors, sophomores, freshmen, we all got the same goal. We're all going to say the same thing. We all want to win."

The nine schools that participated were Brother Martin, Chalmette, Holy Cross, John Ehret, L.W. Higgins, St. Augustine, St. Martin's Episcopal School, The Willow School and West St. John.

Every school expressed excitement that they were finally getting the chance to take their summer of hard work and put it to the test on the field when the season kicks off. The players were eager to take on school rivals and run back narrow defeats from the previous season.

The New Orleans Saints and Ochsner Andrews Sports Medicine Institute hosted local football athletst for a High School Media Day on September 4, 2025. Saints legend Devery Henderson joined the student athletes for a chalk talk to share insights from his personal football journey.

Henderson spoke with the players about his journey from Opelousas High School to LSU to the New Orleans Saints and the lessons he learned along the way.

"Everything in life is a learning experience, the negative, the positive things, they are all learning experiences, everything you go through," Henderson said to the athletes.

Henderson talked about the opportunities football presents and the challenges that can come along the way. Chalmette senior linebacker Tyray Darensburg said hearing from Henderson was motivating.

Darensburg is a testament to some of the opportunities success on the field can lead to. The linebacker transferred to Chalmette as a junior after spending his first two years of high school at Edna Karr and helped the team to a the District 7-5A title and reached the Division I nonselect quarterfinals the previous season.

"Everybody told me, when I came to Chalmette, man, I'm not going to go anywhere, get any college offers or anything like that. And after my junior season, I finished with 16 offers, and I'm a three-star and the second-ranked linebacker in the state of Louisiana," Darensburg said. "So, I feel like it doesn't matter where you are from or what you come from, it's just all the matter of how much you want it, how bad as a person you want it."

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The New Orleans Saints and Ochsner Andrews Sports Medicine Institute hosted local football athletst for a High School Media Day on September 4, 2025. Saints legend Devery Henderson joined the student athletes for a chalk talk to share insights from his personal football journey.

Kat Anderson/New Orleans Saints