Sean Payton got emotional when Drew Brees asked him to present at Hall of Fame

Sean Payton for sure has a soft side for his former star quarterback Drew Brees.

The Denver Broncos head coach will serve as the presenter for Brees at his Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement on Aug. 8 in Canton, Ohio, hand-picked by his former quarterback after 15 seasons together in New Orleans

It happened over FaceTime in late April. Brees asked Payton to “put me in the Hall of Fame.”

“I hadn’t thought about it, and he caught me right in the temple,” Payton said, choking back tears during a phone call Wednesday from his office in Denver. “I got just as emotional then as I am with you now. I’m honored.”

Payton will place the iconic gold jacket onto Brees at the eve-of-ceremony dinner, then join him on stage for the unveiling of the bronze bust. A pre-recorded video tribute, filmed with an NFL Films crew in Denver last month, will air on the big screens before Brees delivers his acceptance speech.

The trip means Payton may miss two days of Broncos training camp — Aug. 7-8. He’s bringing a crew of former Saints assistants now on Denver’s staff, including Zach Strief and Joe Vitt, to Canton for the weekend.

Asked if skipping two practices was a first in his 19-year head-coaching career, Payton cracked: “The last time I missed two practices was when the league told me I had to miss practice” — a nod to his 2012 Bountygate suspension.

Payton is seeking to become the first coach in NFL history to win Super Bowls for two franchises, if he accomplishes the feat — he’ll almost for sure one day join Brees in Canton.

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