Most casual football fans know of punter Thomas Morstead’s on-field accomplishments since the New Orleans Saints selected him in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL draft out of Southern Methodist.

Morstead, a 2012 Pro Bowl selection, is widely regarded as one of the league’s top punters and boasts a career 46.9 yards per punt average, the third-highest mark in NFL history. As a rookie, he delivered the perfectly executed onside kick at the start the second half of Super Bowl 44 to help energize the Saints to a championship over the Indianapolis Colts.

Still, there is more to Morstead when it comes to his connection to New Orleans.

While he ranks as one of the region’s beloved figures for his exploits on the football field, he is also recognized for his work throughout the community. And despite being born in Texas, Morstead fully embraces his status as a true New Orleanian.

“I would say I have no problem saying we are locals now, and I take pride in that,” Morstead said. “I’ve lived here for 10 years and all four of my kids were born here.

“We definitely feel like we are home, and I would never commit to saying we’d live here forever since things happen, careers change, circumstances change. But I went to college for five years in Dallas and it always felt like a rental. New Orleans, it definitely feels like home.”

Saints kicker Wil Lutz, one of Morstead’s closest friends in the locker room, has observed Morstead’s impact in New Orleans, both through a night on the town and the “What You Give Will Grow” foundation.

Lutz joined the Saints in 2016 and acknowledges he was initially skeptical of his surroundings and the city’s party reputation. But Lutz said he heeded Morstead’s advice to embrace the city to the point where Lutz now loves everything about The Big Easy.

Nevertheless, Lutz continues to be amazed just how big a figure Morstead is whenever the two are out on the town.

“To give you a single statement to tell you what this city means to Thomas, as well as what Thomas means to this city: When people ask me about Thomas I say, ‘In this city, it’s Drew Brees, then Thomas Morstead,’ ” Lutz said. “He is that involved.”

Lutz pointed out that it isn’t uncommon for people to approach them whenever they’re out for a night on the town to engage in conversation or a photo opportunity.

But instead of a fan capturing the moment with two Saints players, Lutz often finds himself in the role of photographer as fans focus on Morstead.

“I go out to dinner or grab a drink with Thomas, and people run up to me and say, ‘Can you take a picture of Thomas and me?’” Lutz said. “Like I’m some random pedestrian and it’s actually very entertaining.

“It’s a little bit of a running joke that when we’re out I’ll offer to take pictures and no one will even know who I am. He’s a staple in this city and a great mentor on how to live in and embrace New Orleans.”

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The maturation process

Morstead credits the past 10 years of living year-round in New Orleans in helping him blossom as a person.

He further praises past leadership figures in his life in helping his development, specifically naming his special teams coach in college, the late Frank Gansz Sr.; Jamie Kohl, who has served as Morstead’s kicking coach since high school; and former Saints special teams coordinator Greg McMahon.

Additionally, Morstead said being around former Saints kickers John Carney and John Kasay and long snapper Jason Kyle early in his career helped him learn the ropes as a young NFL player.

“I just think I’ve been very fortunate to have a lot of amazing people with a lot of wisdom and experience that have kind of mentored me in different ways,” Morstead said. “Whether they intended to mentor me or not, they did.”

Personally, though, the 33-year-old Morstead believes his transition from a young 20-something man to a fully responsible adult took place off the field.

Morstead and his wife, Lauren, are the proud parents of two sons, Beckett and Maxwell, and two daughters, Maggie and Rosalie, and all of their children were born in New Orleans.

The punter often shares photographs of his family on his Twitter account (more than 131,000 followers) and Instagram (more than 91,000).

“I think the biggest thing that has made me grow is being a parent,” Morstead said. “That taught me more about life, and that’s made me a better professional, for sure.

“I don’t care if you have one kid or four; it’s a tough deal, a tough transition. It’s not about you anymore, so that was really a tough transition to being a parent. But now I feel like I’ve planned better the past few years than I did during the early part of my career.”

‘You better pay it forward’

Morstead knew he wanted to eventually do something in the community since arriving in 2009.

He often felt blown away by the unwavering support from the city early in his career and a desire to reciprocate the backing grew with each passing day.

So, Morstead and his wife started the “What You Give Will Grow” foundation in 2014 with the purpose of helping others, especially children in need or battling cancer, throughout the city.

“You almost feel obligated to give back in really the best way you possibly can because people in New Orleans, they’ll give the shirt off their back,” Morstead said. “I mean, they will do anything for you, and that type of support when you’re making the money I’m making doing the job that you couldn’t have imagined ever having, you just feel like, hey, you better pay it forward.

“You better help out the people that support you, so that’s the big thing for me. When people make a donation to our charity, our foundation, there’s a pressure to make sure you put that dollar to good use, and I just don’t take that lightly.”

Morstead’s approach has led to the foundation blossoming over the past five years, and he takes the lead at numerous charitable events, including visits to hospitals and providing food for children in need, among other functions.

To date, “What You Give Will Grow” has donated more than $2.5 million to a variety of causes and programs, according to the organization’s official website.

Zach Strief, the Saints radio broadcaster and former right tackle, said Morstead’s humble personality and genuine selfless nature to place others ahead of himself are contributing factors for the foundation’s success.

Strief further points out that Morstead blew away any perceived stereotypes of his playing position when considering the success of the “What You Give Will Grow” organization.

“The punter is usually a position that doesn’t build and gain a lot of notoriety to create that kind of buzz and excitement in a foundation,” Strief said. “It’s just kind of part of the reality of football. There are certain positions that are going to garner more attention.

“Thomas Morstead has completely blasted through that, and I think a lot of that is his general involvement and love for the city.”

‘100 percent all-in’

Morstead reflects on the past 10 years and acknowledges he never thought he’d be where he is today.

As a football player, the former college walk-on turned his love of punting into an art form, painting the ball with pinpoint accuracy anywhere on the field.

His success is attributed to his work ethic during offseason workouts, which he proudly displays on social media, and an overwhelming desire to never be satisfied with the status quo as a player.

“My whole professional career has just been kind of icing on the cake for my mindset when I originally started playing in college,” he said. “I’m really grateful when, whatever your expectations were, (the reality is) better than that.

“I kind of just feel like I went to the casino with $10 and just hit blackjack repeatedly. It’s been an awesome, awesome run, and I think that’s been one of the keys to my success.”

Morstead isn’t going anywhere any time soon, of course.

During the 2018 offseason, the Saints signed him to a five-year extension, which keeps the punter in New Orleans through the 2022 season.

But if he has things his way when the time eventually arrives to hang up the cleats, Morstead would enjoy nothing more than to finish his career where it began and not in another city.

“The team, the organization, my family, my friends, they all know that we have no interest,” Morstead said. “We never felt the grass was greener anywhere else. We were 100 percent all-in on being here, being local.

“And, so I guess my big pressure I put on myself every year — it doesn’t matter if you’re going in the last year of your contract or just signed a new contract — is I better be really, really good this year and I better be a tremendous value to our team this year. So next year they feel like we have to keep Thomas.”

In the spirit of the foundation he founded, Morstead has given his all to the city he enthusiastically calls home and the love affair between the two parties has solidified over the past decade.

And given Morstead’s desire to remain in black and gold for the rest of his career, New Orleans arguably wouldn’t have it any other way.