Unless you鈥檙e a die-hard Saints fan, you probably haven't heard of Mike Ornstein.
But the longtime NFL executive and agent, who died Thursday, was a beloved and important person to many in the NFL and particularly the .
"Orny," as he was known to those close to him, burst onto the New Orleans scene in 2006 as the agent for Southern Cal superstar Reggie Bush. When team executives informed Bush they planned to select him with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2006 draft, Ornstein brazenly tried to dissuade them from taking his star client. Then-Saints coach Sean Payton famously cursed out Ornstein and hung up the phone on him.
Payton and Ornstein eventually would develop a close, long-standing relationship. It was Ornstein who brokered the contract for Payton鈥檚 book 鈥淗ome Team,鈥 which he wrote after leading the Saints to the Super Bowl XLIV championship in 2010. It was Ornstein who landed Payton a sponsorship with Zebra Technologies. When Payton needed someone to surreptitiously handle his NFL business, he often used Orny as his intermediary.
Orny also maintained close contact with many of the team鈥檚 players, coaches and executives right up until the day he died.
Rest in Peace Orny.
鈥 Sean Payton (@SeanPayton)
Several team executives, including general manager Mickey Loomis and coach Dennis Allen, flew to Los Angeles to visit him earlier this summer after learning about the gravity of his condition. Owner Gayle Benson also made a separate visit to see him.
鈥淢ike was beloved by countless members of our organization for nearly two decades, from Mrs. Benson, Dennis Lauscha and Mickey Loomis, to the team's coaching staffs, to hundreds of current and former players and hundreds of staff members,鈥 the Saints said in an organizational statement Thursday. "...聽Mike truly cared about people and always wanted to help them."
Ornstein never worked for the Saints, but he was so closely connected to the club that he stayed at the team hotel on game days and regularly rode a golf cart around the field at practices. His son, Jackson, worked in the team鈥檚 video department during the 2023 season.
Ornstein's presence was so ubiquitous that Jake Haener attended the team's annual Halloween rookie talent show last season dressed as Orny, replete with walking cane and an orange prison jump suit with Ornstein's nameplate on the back.
When word reached Ornstein that Haener was declared the runaway winner of the costume contest, he beamed with pride.
Over the years, team officials enlisted Ornstein鈥檚 services to perform myriad tasks, both overt and covert.
He used his extensive rolodex to bring in guest speakers for team meetings. He booked musical acts to perform 鈥淲hen the Saints Go Marchin鈥 In鈥 and welcome Saints players and coaches as they arrived at the team hotel for road games.
At Super Bowl XLIV, he bought several billboards displaying the Saints鈥 fleur de lis logo and had them strategically posted near the Indianapolis Colts hotel and along the team鈥檚 bus route to and from practice.
It was a classic Ornstein black ops assignment. No one operated in the gray area of life better than Orny.
My first encounter with Ornstein came in 2008 in Detroit, when he confronted me in the Saints locker room at Ford Field and challenged me to a fight because of a critical column I wrote about Bush. Ornstein was well into his 60s at the time, but he wasn't about to back down.
As he did with so many friends and colleagues over the years, Ornstein quickly buried the hatchet with me over the Bush column and would become a trusted friend. He loved to bust my chops about a column or my latest selections for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
That was Orny.
Cantankerous.
Unvarnished.
Fearless.
And fiercely loyal. To his players. His team. And his friends.
Depending on who you talked to, Orny was either loved or loathed. And he certainly leaves behind a complicated legacy.
He had few fans in the NFL鈥檚 Park Avenue headquarters after he was sentenced to eight months in prison for conspiring to scalp Super Bowl tickets and for selling fake memorabilia.
He also was involved in the Saints' Bounty-gate scandal and COVID-19 violations that resulted in harsh punishments from the NFL.
Unsurprisingly, it was Ornstein鈥檚 illegal shenanigans that ensnared Bush in an NCAA imbroglio that eventually cost him his Heisman Trophy.
Despite his transgressions and infamous irascibility, he always managed to work his way back into good graces with his self-effacing charm, a beguiling quality that endeared him to his closest friends and colleagues. It was this affability that allowed him to maintain access to many of the league鈥檚 powerbrokers, including NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. NBC 乐播传媒鈥 Mike Florio described him as 鈥渁 well-known mover and shaker鈥 in the NFL with a reach that extended 鈥渢hroughout every layer and level of the league.鈥
Ornstein鈥檚 widespread influence and popularity were evident Thursday as news of his death reached NFL circles and reaction spread across the Internet.
Saints safety Tyann Mathieu posted "R.I.P." on his social media platforms with several breaking heart emojis.
Former Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas called Ornstein a "1 of 1 human" on his social media platforms, and added "I know you loved me like a son and always had my back."
1 of 1 human their will never be another Orny. Wish I had the chance to tell you bye. But I鈥檓 very grateful for all the time we did have together there was never a dull moment. I know you loved me like a son and always had my back. That will never change, but you definitely will鈥
鈥 Michael Thomas (@Cantguardmike)
ESPN analyst and former LSU defensive tackle Booger McFarland posted聽鈥淩IP Orny. The NFL family lost a good man today."
鈥淥rny was everywhere, all the time with a smile and stories for days. He was always great to me when we started NFLNet and always kind to my wife. Rest in peace, Orny,鈥 posted longtime NFL Network anchor Rich Eisen.
"Can鈥檛 tell you how many times we took the same flight from LAX to MSY and back for Saints games. I will miss seeing him and our football talks while waiting to board. RIP,鈥 added New Orleans native Stan Verrett of ESPN.
As Orny's health waned this summer, a steady stream of notable visitors made their way to his home in suburban Los Angeles, including Payton and Drew Brees. The contingent was so extensive it spurred one longtime NFL source to quip that 鈥淥rny has had more visitors than Prince Charles!鈥
Ornstein was touched and humbled by the outreach. The support motived him to keep living, and he continued to fight until the very end.
Ornstein would be the first to tell you he wasn鈥檛 a saint. But he will always be a Saint to those close to him in New Orleans.
Love him or loathe him, one thing is certain: There will never be another one like Orny.
