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Saints' Jimmy Graham on new contract: 'I'm beyond excited'

It took until the final day NFL free agents could reach long-term contracts before the season, but the New Orleans Saints finally locked up tight end Jimmy Graham to a multi-year deal and the 27-year-old couldn't be happier to put the 27-week long ordeal behind him.

"I’m beyond excited,” Graham said, via the team's website. “I didn’t get into to football to learn litigation. I got into football to win games with my teammates, friends and coaches. I am extremely happy to get back to what it’s really about.”

Graham, entering his fifth season with the Saints, had a tough time putting his excitement into words and talked about the quote that's kept him motivated since he was a child, spending time with numerous group homes before settling in with a church youth counselor that helped get him on the right track.

“It’s hard to describe, it’s surreal,” Graham said. “With my childhood and how hard the road has been leading up to this point. The quote I have always lived by is that ‘you have an opportunity to turn a dream into a reality.’ I approach every day with that mindset. Every day, every game is an opportunity. That is how I approached these last 20-plus years. I see everything as an opportunity.”

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