His phone rings in December 2014, and it’s too early. Sean Payton has a bad feeling. He is on his way to present a game ball to Bailey Elizabeth Leon, a 12-year-old patient at Ochsner Hospital in New Orleans. The pair have become friends over the course of multiple visits. Payton promises her the Saints will beat the Chicago Bears on Monday night and he is returning with a gift.
As he looked at the football in his passenger seat and answered the call, Payton knew something was wrong: Bailey was gone, passing away from pediatric cancer.
“I pulled over on the side of the road and immediately called both my children (Connor and Meghan). I was devastated knowing that I should have stopped by sooner (that week),” said Payton on Wednesday, his voice cracking. “She was so tough. And such a huge fan. I remember flying to her funeral and taking the ball to her parents and them putting it in her casket. It just reminds us of our mortality. The idea of young kids dealing with sickness is so difficult.”
Shaped by this experience, Payton and his wife Skylene, a former nurse, found themselves drawn to help, first in New Orleans, and now in Colorado. In June the couple asked to tour Children’s Hospital of Colorado. They were impressed during the two-hour visit and wanted to support the kids in a meaningful way. After discussing ideas, Sean and Skylene made a $150,000 donation to help build a playground on the backside of the hospital.
At a time when nerves are frayed and the suffering is agonizing, this space can offer a chance for kids to be kids and for their families to suspend reality.
“We shared with them an idea we had for a long time, and they thought it was a great way to engage with the youth. We are extremely grateful,” said Christy Dobson, vice president, board and community relations at Children’s Hospital. “It will be a place for some respite, for normal activities, a healthy way for them to play.”
The contribution allowed the hospital to move forward, leaving optimism that the area, with adaptive swings, wheelchair accessibility and possibly a rock-climbing wall, will be ready in spring of 2025.
“They were so generous with their time. We got back home, talked about it and we thought it would be something really cool,” said Payton, who had been reluctant to discuss the donation, not wanting any attention. “It constantly reinforces that if you are able to give, whether it’s time or resources, it creates that feeling of fulfillment and balance in your life.”
The idea of Payton with a warm heart is quite the juxtaposition to the person seen on the sidelines or in Broncos headquarters. His factory setting is abrasive. At least for public consumption.
But in his second year in Denver, Payton is becoming one of us. His understanding of this area, of Broncos Country, of what the Broncos mean to this region has evolved and grown.
It started in the spring when his comfort level was noticeably different, his energy spiked from coaching a young and hungry team. Then it was reinforced in June.
This season he has changed the culture. Changed the record. And found a fit with a rookie quarterback in Bo Nix. But it is clear it goes well beyond that, extending to life away from the field.
He is not just passing through anymore. This place is becoming home to Payton and Skylene.
“He’s all ball in the building. I would say the majority of the guys haven’t seen the other side of him. I have known him for nine years so I have seen it plenty,” kicker Wil Lutz said. “He wants to be part of and buy into the community that he’s part of. I think it is truly important. You don’t want to be a coach who only cares about the locker room. When he was in New Orleans for 15 years, you saw him embrace the city. And he’s doing it here now.”
Payton provides his team with reminders of life’s fragility. It is not uncommon on Saturdays before home games for the coach to host a patient from Children’s Hospital. Prior to the visit, Payton puts a biography of the child on the big screen in the morning team meeting, listing their favorite players, food and where they are from. He wants the players to make a connection, if possible.
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The visit concludes with the child breaking down the huddle at the end of practice. These moments, his experience a decade ago a constant reminder, can not be taken for granted.
“It’s their wish to be there, to be with our guys,” Payton said. “It’s so good for our team to see. It is humbling and really puts everything in perspective.”
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