Patrick Sean Payton was called after the "Rosary Priest", the irish-born Father Patrick Peyton who was a huge figure in irish Catholic circles in America.

But there is little of the priest abut Payton, who despite the altar boy looks has a deadly streak of competitiveness in him which has now landed him in trouble.

If his Irish Catholic childhood in a Chicago suburb taught Peyton one thing it was not to turn the other cheek but to compete and be the best.

Not good enough for pro football he made his way through the coaching ranks and quickly won a reputation as a coach who would do what it takes.

That now seems to include ordering up a bounty on opposing players, and accepting that injuring opposition players was a a part of the game.

It is not of course, and in the macho world of NFL Payton failed to stamp it out before it became a huge problem for his team.

Now he faces a one-year ban and is tainted goods wherever he ends up in future.

It is highly unlikely that will be back at the Saints. While he has been a superb coach there he has now blackened the reputation of the team and no doubt they will want a fresh start.

he made need the rosary priest's intercession to coach in the NFL again.