James Conner sat during a break in the video shoot, where movie magic was eventually going to take the running back from a soundstage into a swirling sandstorm.
He had just seen for the first time the Cardinals' new uniforms for the NFL/Nike Rivalry series, and he was in awe.
"Desert vibe, the sand, everything plays into it," Conner said. "The copper, the details, I just think it’s awesome. The perfect fit."
For more than a year, the Cardinals let the world know a storm was coming. That will ultimately be on display Sept. 25, when the team hosts the Seattle Seahawks on "Thursday Night Football" at State Farm Stadium as their Rivalry game – the first played this season by any team.
They will do it in a uniform mirroring the harshness of the desert heat, the shards of sand in a storm, the tan, red and copper that echo both the Desert Cardinal and the commerce that helped built the state. The state flag returns to the jersey through an outline of Arizona. The helmet is a sandblasted matte, with a 3D birdhead logo featuring a copper beak.