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Benson pallbearers to include Anthony Davis, Drew Brees, Sean Payton

"We're going to ready for big crowds. We hope we get big crowds. He deserves big crowds and I think he will be smiling down on us. We'll be prepared, but there's a lot of Who Dats and a lot of people who love him in this city."

NEW ORLEANS – A large crowd is expected as former Saints and Pelicans owner and philanthropist Tom Benson's visitation begins Wednesday.

Public visitation will take place on Wednesday, March 21 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Thursday, March 22 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Notre Dame Seminary.

A private funeral will take place at St. Louis Cathedral on Friday, March 23 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. and will be for invited guests only due to space restrictions.

The sports teams announced 12 pallbearers for the funeral. The list includes: Pelicans Center Anthony Davis, Saints quarterback Drew Brees, Saints head coach Sean Payton and administrator Jay Romig. Those four will stand behind the casket. Carrying the casket will be Saints President Dennis Lauscha, General Manager Mickey Loomis, VP of Communications Greg Bensel, Gayle's brother Wayne LeJaunie, auto executive Rick Hood, Saints VP of Sales Mike Stanfield, executive Ben Hales and CFO Ed Lang.

A steady stream of mourners went into the seminary to view Mr. Benson. Former Saints player Rickey Jackson was among them. There was a class from Dominican High School and several members of the general public.

“I remember meeting him at the press conference in Spring of 1985. When he bought the team, he was so excited. I wasn’t really sure what he knew about football, but he was so excited and he was a great man,” Jay Romig, Saints administrative director, said.

Romig knew him well and describes Benson as tough when he started, a man who never lost the intensity to win, but also a man who softened after he met and married his wife Gayle Benson. Romig help organize training camps and overseas trips for the team, and now, Benson’s funeral.

“It’s a special time and Mr. Benson a very special person to all of us and we want to make it perfect. We want to make everything good that he would be very proud of us and that Mrs. Benson would be very proud of us and very happy,” Romig said.

The Notre Dame Seminary will open for nine hours Wednesday, March 21 and five more on Thursday, March 22 with the same set-up as Archbishop Hannan’s visitation. What they don’t know is how many Who Dats will show up.

“We’re going to ready for big crowds. We hope we get big crowds. He deserves big crowds and I think he will be smiling down on us. We’ll be prepared, but there’s a lot of Who Dats and a lot of people who love him in this city,” Romig said.

“The improvements that Mr. Benson helped make to the area have been immense the last 10 years,” John Blancher said.

John Blancher owns the Ye Olde College Inn and Rock N’ Bowl which are essentially across the street from the seminary, which Benson helped rebuild. Blancher will open Ye Olde College Inn for lunch on Wednesday because he expects many New Orleanians to come.

“I think it’s going to be one of those times in New Orleans where people think this is something that I will remember decades from now,” Blancher said.

After the funeral is over, Romig says he is 100 percent sure little will change within the organization with Gayle Benson now in charge.

“Mrs. Benson is going to do a fantastic job. They have been like a team at this for a while now,” Romig said.

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