Suddenly, Saints DE Anthony Hargrove Is Hearing Too Many Positive Things

Last year for the Super Bowl, New Orleans Saints defensive end Anthony Hargrove was in a treatment center for a dependency to alcohol. His reputation around the league dealt with drugs, suspensions and attitude problems.

This year? A completely different man.

Hargrove told me this afternoon the difference between the Super Bowl last year and this year is that, “It was a lot quieter then.”

He also said during Media Day on Tuesday that just about everyone complimented him on how well he was doing and how great things seemed to be going for him over the last year.

While that’s great news, he’s not used to hearing so much positivity. In fact, he said he went home that evening and talked to his brother.

“If you guys tell me one more positive thing,” he told his brother, “I’m going to punch you.”

He was joking of course but his story is inspirational at times and more closely resembles that of the childhoods some of these players had.