Drew Brees and his fellow New Orleans Saints will be playing for more than just a franchise when they take on the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV in Miami on Sunday night (local time).
Their appearance in a first Super Bowl in the 42-year history of the franchise is significant enough but in the wake of the devastation left by Hurricane Katrina in September 2005, the Saints will be carrying the hopes of a city into the big game and aiming to restore a little dignity to New Orleans.
No player on the Saints roster has been left untouched by the chaos, destruction and loss of life caused by Katrina and the team have been at the forefront in the rebuilding effort, not least quarterback Brees.
He joined the Saints in the close season following Katrina, signing as a free agent in the spring of 2006 for first-year head coach Sean Payton.
Both men have played their part in the bid to restore New Orleans to its former self through their charitable foundations and Brees is acutely aware of what the Saints reaching the Super Bowl means to the city.
"You have to understand how much it means to that community and what they've been through," Brees said.
"Our success as a team over the last four years, but especially this year, has been tremendous just in regards of giving so many of the members of that community hope and lifting their spirits."
"There is still a lot of work to be done there in regards to the rebuilding and the recovery post-Katrina. There are still a lot of people in some pretty dire straits."
"For us to be able to have the success we're having, it just does so much for that community as far as bringing everyone together."
"There's a bond that we have with our fans, between our organisation and our fans, that's truly special."
"This has been, obviously, a storybook season for all of us; a 13-0 start, a lot of firsts, our first time to host an NFC Championship game and the first Super Bowl appearance in the 42-year history of the organisation, so we have a lot to play for."
"We don't look at it as extra pressure. We look at it as a sense of responsibility, and we really gain strength from our fans, from the people of New Orleans, just knowing that their spirit is with us."
Head coach Payton believes the Saints will not become overawed by the responsibility of playing for their city.
"Throughout the course of the week and by game time, I don't think when we meet or talk, there's any of this 'we've got to win one for the city' speech," Payton said.
"In other words, I think that's just a sense, a feeling that exists or permeates really throughout the course of the year or throughout the course of the players' time here."
"That sense of or that feeling of 'this is pretty important to everyone' and they remind us daily how great the fans are."
"They remind us daily how important it is to them. So that being said, I think games like this come down to the execution, the details."
"Players will be excited to play. All the little things that really allow you to win games and all the little things that potentially could cause you to lose games