Carroll Angeles

cancer the previous week, and Saturday's act of humanity struck just the right conciliatory tone between the
rival sides that were now once again business partners.
"So many people gave so much of their time and energy, players and owners alike,'' Saturday said. "It was
important to all of us. But the thing that separated Mr. Kraft for me in that moment was what he was going
through with the loss of Myra. And that she had encouraged him to go to these meetings, that was the most
impressive part to me.
"Here's this lady who knows where she is, and she's fighting a good fight. But the reality is, she was
fighting an uphill battle. Despite that, she would still encourage him to come work this deal, because she
knew it was for the betterment of our game and our country. It was super impressive to me, and I know if I
was in his place, I would have appreciated the gesture. It was heartfelt, and I meant it.''
Saturday's role in the CBA negotiations was largely a selfless one in many respects as well. As a 36-yearold
veteran in the final year of his contract with the Colts, the only team he has ever played for, he wasn't
likely to benefit much from a new labor deal. He was working on behalf of the NFL players to come, and
the NFL players who had come before him. He could have easily said, as many league veterans in essence
did, "Call me when this thing's over, I've already got my money. I'm set.'' But talk to anyone who knows
Saturday, and they'll tell you that's not who he is, or what he's about.
"I told my team when we started this thing, this really has no effect on me,'' Saturday said. "I'll play a year
or two under this thing, but my contracts were well before it. I'm doing this to leave the game better than I
found it. That was always a goal I had. I really felt strongly that the position of leadership I was in, and the
career I had gave me some credibility. Not only to the players, but to the owners as well. And when you get
in that position, I feel like you should be able to use it to help.
"Going into the process, I realized really quickly how important this thing is, not only to players and
owners, but to people outside of our game. My city in particular, with the Super Bowl coming up, there
would have been consequences if we hadn't gotten a deal. When you just look at everything around our
game and how good it is, and the impact people in the NFL make on their communities, to stop it, unless it
absolutely had to be stopped, made no sense. I never saw a reason why we couldn't get something done that
was fair for both players and owners.''
Peyton Manning's name might have been one of the most prominent on the lawsuit filed against the NFL by
its players, but the reality is, it was Saturday, Manning's longtime friend and dependable center, whose
fingers were all over this new labor deal. Not to mention the sweat equity and attention to detail he's known
for. For a guy who owns a Super Bowl ring, has played in that game twice and been to more than his share
of Pro Bowls, Saturday's most lasting contribution and legacy in the game might wind up being how he
spent his long 2011 offseason.
"I'm obviously very proud of where we are, and for the majority of men in this game, getting this deal done
is even more impactful to players that I'll never meet compared to me winning a Super Bowl,'' Saturday
said. "Don't ever underestimate the Super Bowl. That's why you play the game.
"But I'm very proud of the deal that we put in place and I really do feel like our players will be better in the
future for it, health wise, which is most important to me, and financially. These guys are going to make lots
of money and be good football players for a lot longer than they have in the past because of the rules we
have now. The game is going to be better because of this.''