PARIS (AP) — Justin Reid called his tailor when he found out the Saints would be playing in Paris this season.
"I had a custom fit made a couple months ago,” the New Orleans safety explained of his pregame outfit. “I made it especially for this trip. I’ve been waiting to put it on.”
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FILE - New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) arrives before an NFL football game against the New York Giants, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman, File)
An exterior view of the Stade de France with NFL branding on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, ahead of Sunday's game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New Orleans Saints. (AP Photo/Greg Payan)
FILE - New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara arrives in his car at the Caesars Superdome before an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers in New Orleans, Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023. The Saints won 28-6. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)
FILE - New Orleans Saints safety Justin Reid arrives before an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
Before they dress for the game, players dress for the tunnel. The fashion-conscious arrive at stadiums dressed to impress. It’s another way to express their personality, plus brands and the NFL benefit by gaining visibility and a wider fan base.
And where better than Paris to put your best fashion foot forward? The Saints face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday at Stade de France, despite recent civil unrest in the city.
“Especially with the NFL, there’s a lot more focus on these tunnel walks and guys stepping into fashion and really getting into it,” Saints running back Alvin Kamara said. “It’s a good crossover for both worlds — the fashion world and the sports world.”
Kamara, a regular at Paris Fashion Week, said he didn’t have anything over the top planned for Sunday.
“During the season, I’m kind of mellow with it,” he said. “I don’t know if I’m going to up my game, really, I think I’m just going to do what I do.”
The NFL has certainly ramped up its interest in fashion. It hired its first-ever fashion editor, Kyle Smith, a couple of years ago. Smith had worked with Joe Burrow when the Bengals quarterback modeled at Vogue World 2024, along with Burrow's former college teammate Justin Jefferson.
Paris Saint-Germain teamed up with the Saints on a customized jersey, and the club’s chief brand officer, Fabien Allegre, was scheduled to speak at “NFL House” in the French capital Friday on “how collaborations between sport and fashion shape trends and influence contemporary culture.”
Just as the NFL can commercialize the crossover, brands hope the collabs lead to increased sales. Last year, global sales of personal luxury goods were forecast to contract with shoppers rejecting high-priced offerings.
Fashion headlines aren’t unique to the NFL, of course. Tunnel fits in the WNBA have helped boost the league’s popularity. Tennis star Naomi Osaka has even found a way to bring fashion directly onto the court, creating a buzz with her walk-on outfits.
Teams and leagues thirst for cultural crossovers that attract attention — think Taylor Swift's impact on the Kansas City Chiefs and NFL.
Steelers safety DeShon Elliott used to care more about his fashion choices.
“I haven’t bought an outfit of clothing in almost a full year. I don’t need anything else," said Elliott, a Liverpool fan who plans to wear his Virgil van Dijk jersey in Paris.
Still, he offered some advice.
“For me, I usually go pants first, the dimensions on the pants and how it sits on you matters depending on your shirt or your shoes,” Elliott said. "But I used to be a very big street wear guy back in the day.”
Elliott sees some athletes spending thousands of dollars when “you can still go to the Goodwill and pick out those same pants that don’t have the name brand on them for less.”
In fact, that's what DeAndre Hopkins did with the NFL’s Smith when they went to a Goodwill and found a tunnel-walk outfit for $35.
It can be personal, as well. Steelers defensive lineman Cam Heyward had a letterman jacket made that feature pieces of jerseys from the teams that his father — the late Craig “Ironhead” Heyward — played for as a fullback, including the Saints.
Heyward also works with a designer who customizes his cleats each week. A recent theme was “The Godfather,” one of the player’s favorite films. It included both his dad’s nickname and his own: Killa Cam.
“It’s fun to just show some personality on the field,” Heyward told The Associated Press in Pittsburgh before the team left for Paris. “He’s like, ‘give me some things you really like and you want to show off’ and he was able to get creative and add some flair to it.”
Saints wide receiver Devaughn Vele did some light shopping in Paris this week, but he said it was mostly for his wife.
He was asked what he'll be wearing to Sunday's game.
“I’m wearing Saints gear. I’m not a big fashion guy,” a smiling Vele said. “I definitely have got to step up my fashion, I kind of dress like a bum.”
AP Sports Writer Will Graves contributed from Pittsburgh
See AP’s full NFL coverage here
FILE - New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) arrives before an NFL football game against the New York Giants, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman, File)
An exterior view of the Stade de France with NFL branding on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, ahead of Sunday's game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New Orleans Saints. (AP Photo/Greg Payan)
FILE - New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara arrives in his car at the Caesars Superdome before an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers in New Orleans, Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023. The Saints won 28-6. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)
FILE - New Orleans Saints safety Justin Reid arrives before an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Virginia state Sen. L. Louise Lucas, one of the state’s most powerful Democrats, was charged Thursday with leading what authorities alleged was a wide-ranging criminal enterprise that acquired and distributed large quantities of marijuana and laundered the proceeds.
Lucas, who has been in elected office for decades, used her political power to insulate the operation from scrutiny, according to an indictment charging her and six other defendants, including several of her relatives. She “put her own financial interests before the people she was elected to serve,” said U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, who spoke at a news conference with FBI Director Kash Patel.
Lucas surrendered, the Justice Department said. She made a brief appearance in federal court in Norfolk on Thursday afternoon, where she was released on her own recognizance, according to court records. She left the court without addressing journalists who shouted questions her way and went straight into a waiting vehicle.
The charges, including drug trafficking and money laundering, came after the FBI searched Lucas' hometown office and a cannabis shop in which she has a stake in May. At the time of the search, Lucas — who has been a vocal critic of Republican President Donald Trump’s administration — characterized it as an attempt to intimidate her.
A statement attributed to Lucas posted on her social media account did not directly address the substance of the charges but said Thursday's actions amounted to the federal government wielding its “full weight” against a great-grandmother.
“I will not be intimidated. I will not be bullied. And I will not back down,” Lucas said in the statement. Her attorney at the hearing declined comment outside.
The brash 82-year-old lawmaker has spent decades ascending the ranks of Virginia politics and has served since 1992 in the state Senate, where she's the president pro tempore, overseeing the chamber in the lieutenant governor’s absence. More significantly, she leads the powerful Senate finance committee, through which all legislation with any budget impact must flow. She’s used the position to kill legislation she opposes.
The indictment comes as Trump’s Justice Department has faced intense scrutiny over investigations and prosecutions against foes of the president that critics have called politically motivated.
Blanche rejected any suggestion politics played a role in Lucas’ case, noting the investigation began well before the second Trump administration started in January 2025.
“We don’t do political paybacks,” Blanche told reporters.
A person familiar with the May search told The Associated Press at the time that the probe was opened during Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a continuing criminal investigation.
Patel said in a statement that “Lucas and a close-knit group of family members and associates orchestrated a multi-year scheme to enrich their own criminal marijuana enterprise, ‘the Lucas Enterprise’ — using Lucas’ position as Chairwoman of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee to insulate the enterprise from criminal scrutiny and influencing legislation to financially benefit themselves.”
The indictment describes Lucas as the “leader of the enterprise” who “approved and directed criminal activities,” including arranging for the acquisition and distribution of marijuana and supervising the laundering of the proceeds.
The indictment alleges Lucas worked this year with another of the defendants to use her political position to obtain a recreational marijuana license for him, with the understanding that the proceeds from sales under the license would be shared with her to support the “enterprise.”
Since 2021, marijuana has been legal to possess in Virginia, and many shops across the state have sold cannabis-derived products. But full recreational sales are not yet underway; legislation enacted earlier this year will allow them beginning in July 2027.
Law enforcement made multiple controlled purchases of marijuana from Lucas' shop, which purported to sell hemp products, in 2024 and 2025, the indictment said.
In addition to drug and money laundering charges, Lucas faces charges of racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and maintaining a drug-involved premises. An arraignment is scheduled for next month.
Among the other defendants who face a mix of those and other charges are two daughters, Lisa Lucas Burke and Theresa Lucas-Lamb, and a grandson, Ryan Eichelberger. All three also made brief court appearances and were released on their recognizance, according to court records.
Attorneys for Lucas-Lamb and Eichelberger declined comment; Andrew Sacks, who was listed in court records as an attorney for Burke, didn't respond to requests for comment. Attorneys for two other defendants who are not family members declined comment; a third who was also released Thursday had no attorney listed in court records.
A forceful advocate of legalizing marijuana, Lucas partnered in opening the shop, The Cannabis Outlet, in 2021. She has publicly spoken about her ownership stake as recently as June, though her most recent financial disclosure forms do not list the business by name.
At the time of the search — when marijuana was recovered at The Cannabis Outlet, according to the indictment — many Democrats spoke up to defend Lucas.
On Thursday, Scott Surovell, the Democratic leader of the state Senate, said in a statement that the indictment contained “serious allegations” but emphasized that “Senator Lucas has the right to defend herself, and she has my full support as she does so.” Attorney General Jay Jones, a Democrat who is close with Lucas, said the allegations against her must be tested in a “full and fair” legal process.
House Speaker Don Scott, Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi, and Gov. Abigail Spanberger, all Democrats, echoed those sentiments, with Spanberger adding that the timing of the indictment so close to the midterm election would “further erode” Americans' trust in the Justice Department. Lucas herself is not on the ballot this year.
Ryan McDougle, the Senate Republican leader, said he would not comment while the court proceedings play out.
Lucas, who represents a district that includes her hometown of coastal Portsmouth, operates with a sometimes-profane, unapologetic style that’s drawn comparisons to Trump.
She amassed a six-figure following on X and national attention, using the social media platform to advocate forcefully for her priorities and to bash her critics, including former GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin. She’s also occasionally blasted members of her own party, including Spanberger, with whom she’s had disagreements.
Earlier this year, Lucas helped lead Democrats’ ultimately unsuccessful plan to gerrymander the blue-leaning state’s congressional districts into a map intended to elect 10 Democrats and only one Republican. Along the way, she posted quips about four GOP members the intended map sought to oust, joking that they soon would be working at McDonald’s. She and other Democrats defended the maps as a reasonable response to Trump-backed efforts to boost the GOP’s midterm advantage in other states.
Lucas has notched several historic firsts in her career. According to a biography from the state library, in 1971 she became the Norfolk Naval Shipyard’s first female shipfitter, a physically demanding job that involves working on metal assemblies for vessels.
She launched her political career in 1984, when, the biography said, she became the first Black woman elected to the Portsmouth city council.
After Democrats flipped control of the Senate in 2019, her peers elected her to serve as president pro tempore. And in 2024, she was tapped to lead the chamber’s budget committee.
Rankin reported from Richmond. Associated Press journalists Eric Tucker in Washington and Steve Helber in Norfolk contributed to this report.
Virginia State Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, center, is led to a waiting vehicle as she leaves federal court. Thursday Oct. 22, 2026, in Norfolk, Va. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
FBI Director Kash Patel, right, US Attorney General Todd Blanche, center, and Assistant US attorney Theophani Stamos, during a press conference announcing the indictment of Virginia State Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, Thursday Oct. 22, 2026, in Norfolk, Va. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
FBI Director Kash Patel,right, US Attorney General Todd Blanche,left, and Assistant US attorney Theophani Stamos, during a press conference announcing the indictment of Virginia State Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, Thursday Oct. 22, 2026, in Norfolk, Va. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
Virginia State Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, waves as she leaves federal court, Thursday Oct. 22, 2026, in Norfolk, Va. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
Virginia state Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, is led to a waiting vehicle as she leaves federal court, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, in Norfolk, Va. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
FBI Director Kash Patel, right, and US Attorney General Todd Blanche, left, answer questions during a press conference announcing the indictment of Virginia State Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, Thursday Oct. 22, 2026, in Norfolk, Va. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
US Attorney General Todd Blanche answers questions during a press conference announcing the indictment of Virginia State Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, Thursday Oct. 22, 2026, in Norfolk, Va. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
FBI Director Kash Patel, right, US Attorney General Todd Blanche, center, and Assistant US Attorney Theophani Stamos, during a press conference announcing the indictment of Virginia State Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, Thursday Oct. 22, 2026, in Norfolk, Va. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
FILE - Virginia Senate President pro tempore Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, listens to debate on the Senate floor, Feb. 17, 2026, in Richmond, Va. (AP Photo/Ryan M. Kelly, File)
FILE - Virginia Senate President pro tempore Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, listens to debate on the Senate floor, Feb. 17, 2026, in Richmond, Va. (AP Photo/Ryan M. Kelly, File)
