Marquez Valdes-Scantling may be new to the New Orleans Saints, but he's far from unfamiliar with the area. He has family roots within the city. His dad's side of the family is from New Orleans.

Valdes-Scantling said he visited New Orleans quite a few times during his childhood and is "very familiar with the area, the food and the atmosphere."

He's a Florida native and he's happy to return a familiar climate. Valdes-Scantling spent his playing days in Buffalo, Wisconsin and Kansas City. He called the change in weather "good for him."

His journey on the field to New Orleans feels like it took forever. The team has pursued Valdes-Scantling in 2022. Ultimately, he chose to sign with the Kansas City Chiefs. It's a hard decision to argue with and resulted in two Super Bowl rings.

The receiver revealed how close he was to joining the Saints at that time: "I was super close. I was actually on my visit to the Chiefs. I was on my way out the door to come down here, to get on the plane. The Chiefs wouldn't let me leave and that's the history of it."

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This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Marquez Valdes-Scantling's family has New Orleans roots