Darren Rovell, Hurricane Katrina, and the One Thing I Saved Over My Own Clothes: The Joe Horn Cell Phone

It’s not every day you get a call from sports business reporter Darren Rovell. It’s even rarer when he calls you for a second time, years after your first interview, to talk about one of the most iconic moments in New Orleans Saints history.

Earlier today, Darren did just that, and he tweeted out the pictures to prove it.

The subject was, of course, the legendary Joe Horn cell phone from his 2003 touchdown celebration. I’m lucky enough to own that piece of history, but for me, it’s more than just memorabilia.

It’s a symbol of priorities, passion, and a reminder of one of the craziest decisions I’ve ever made.

A Hurricane, a Cell Phone, and a Crazy Decision

Most people on the Mississippi Gulf Coast have a Hurricane Katrina story. Mine involves this phone.

Back in August 2005, as Katrina was bearing down on us, my family and I were doing what thousands of others were doing: evacuating. When you’re facing a storm like that, you make split-second decisions about what’s truly irreplaceable.

As I was grabbing what I could, I made a choice that sounds crazy in hindsight but made perfect sense to me then. I grabbed the Joe Horn cell phone.

My clothes? I didn’t take my clothes.

I mean who needs clothes when you have Joe Horn’s cell phone, right? I said what would a real Who Dat fan do in this situation?

I guess I figured I could buy new shirts and pants, but I could never replace that one-of-a-kind piece of Saints history. I had no idea how bad it was going to be.

The Rovell Connection

That story is part of why the phone is so special. Darren Rovell first interviewed me about it years ago, and it was a blast to share the story of how I acquired it.

So when he called again today to follow up, it was great to reconnect and relive that piece of NFL history.

Meeting a Legend

My connection to the phone goes beyond just owning it. I’ve even had the chance to share a moment with the man himself.

I have a fantastic picture of me and my kid with Joe Horn, all of us posing with the famous phone. It was a special moment to connect the history of the object with the player who made it legendary.

That phone is more than just plastic and wires. It’s a good luck charm and I even took it with me to the Super Bowl in Miami when the Saints won it all.

It’s a symbol of a legendary Saints moment, a reminder of the resilience of our community after Katrina, and a testament to the crazy things we do for the teams we love. It’s traveled with me to away games, even to the Super Bowl.

As a lifelong Mississippian, moments and stories like that are part of our shared history, and I was thrilled to share it with a national audience once again.

If you want to know more about the lawyer behind the phone collector, visit my Jay Foster Ocean Springs Attorney page. If you or someone you know has been hurt in a wreck or injured on the job on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, find out how I fight for real people at Ocean Springs Car Wreck Lawyer.

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