Samuel Davis Mills Jr. was an American professional football player who was a linebacker for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers. He also played for three seasons for the Philadelphia / Baltimore Stars of the United States Football League (USFL), where he won two championships in 1984 and 1985. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022.
Jonathan Polynice Vilma is an American color analyst and former professional football player in the National Football League (NFL). He played as a linebacker and was a three-time Pro Bowl selection.
William Raymond Smith III was an American football defensive end who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes and was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2004 NFL draft, where he played for the entirety of his career. Smith was shot and killed during an altercation after an alcohol-related traffic crash.
Hoby F. J. Brenner is an American former professional football player who was a tight end for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the USC Trojans. A Pro Bowl selection in 1987, he was named to the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame.
Patrick Sean Payton is an American football coach and former quarterback who is the head coach for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). Previously, he served as the head coach of the New Orleans Saints from 2006 to 2021, leading the franchise to its first Super Bowl victory during the 2009 season. Payton played college football for the Eastern Illinois Panthers and played professionally in 1987 with the Chicago Bears and 1988 overseas in Britain for the Leicester Panthers.
Michael Lee Lewis is an American former professional football player who is the team ambassador of the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played as a wide receiver and return specialist, earning first-team All-Pro honors and a Pro Bowl selection as a returner in 2002.
Derland Paul Moore was an American professional football nose tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the New Orleans Saints and the New York Jets. An All-American, he played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners and was selected in the second round of the 1973 NFL Draft. At the time he was drafted, Moore was the highest selected college walk-on in history of the NFL Draft, a distinction overtaken by fellow Oklahoma Sooner Baker Mayfield, the overall number one draft pick in 2018. Moore went on to set a team record for service with 169 games played in 13 seasons with the New Orleans Saints, playing for five permanent head coaches and three interim coaches in that time.
David A. Whitsell was an American football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Detroit Lions, the Chicago Bears, and the New Orleans Saints. He was selected to the Pro Bowl after the 1967 season. Whitsell played college football at Indiana University. Dave was married to Jacque Whitsell. They had four children daughters Amy and Lisa, sons Mike and Dave.
Thornton Steve Stonebreaker was a professional American football linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Detroit and was picked by the Minnesota Vikings in the 12th round of the 1961 NFL Draft as a tight end. He played one season at tight end before switching over to the defensive side of the ball as a linebacker for the rest of his career. He played a total of seven seasons in the NFL for the Minnesota Vikings (1962–1963), the Baltimore Colts (1964–1966), and the New Orleans Saints (1967–1968). He was drafted by the Saints in the 1967 NFL Expansion Draft and was one of the original New Orleans Saints players. He also played a football player in the 1969 Charlton Heston movie Number One, which featured the New Orleans Saints.
The 2005 season was the New Orleans Saints' 39th in the National Football League.
Tom Myers is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Syracuse Orange, and was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the third round of 1972 NFL Draft.
The 1967 National Football League expansion draft was a National Football League (NFL) draft held on February 9, 1967 in which a new expansion team named the New Orleans Saints selected its first players. On November 1, 1966, NFL owners awarded its 16th team franchise to the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints selected 42 players in total from every team roster except for the Atlanta Falcons, who had begun play in the 1966 season. The expansion draft included future Hall of Famer running back Paul Hornung, who set an NFL record by scoring 176 points in only 12 games in 1960 for the Green Bay Packers, but did not play in Super Bowl I. Hornung never played a down for the Saints and retired in the preseason due to a neck injury.
The 1980 New Orleans Saints season was the team's 14th as a member of the National Football League (NFL). The Saints failed to improve on the previous season's record of 8–8, instead winning only one game. The team missed the playoffs for the fourteenth consecutive season and had the dubious distinction not only of winning only a single game, but winning it by a single point against the New York Jets, who like the Saints had widely been predicted before the season to advance to the playoffs, but struggled instead. The main culprit of the Saints' collapse was the defense, which ranked last in yards and points (487) allowed.
Adam Bighill is an American gridiron football linebacker for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Hs is a three-time Grey Cup champion, winning with the BC Lions in 2011 and twice more with the Blue Bombers in 2019 and 2021. He is a three-time winner of the CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award and is a six-time CFL All-Star and eight-time CFL West All-Star. He also spent time with the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Central Washington Wildcats.
Andrus Jamerson Peat is an American football guard who is a free agent. He played the previous nine seasons for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL), which selected him in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft. Before that, he played college football at Stanford. As a high school senior, he was considered the best college football recruit by Sporting News.
Lamar Holmes is a former Canadian football offensive tackle. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Holmes played college football at Southern Miss. He is from Gastonia, North Carolina and attended Hunter Huss High School.
Delvin Lionel Breaux is a former American professional gridiron football cornerback who played in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and National Football League (NFL). He attended McDonogh 35 High School in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was a member of the Louisiana Bayou Vipers, New Orleans VooDoo, BC Lions, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and New Orleans Saints.
Jalyn Holmes is an American football defensive end for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State, and selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Juantavius Tavon "J. T." Gray is an American football safety for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Mississippi State.
Drew Desjarlais is a Canadian football guard for the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Windsor. He has also been a member of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL, as well as the New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL).
