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Saints Former Stars Devery Henderson and Fred McAfee Elected to the Franchise's Hall of Fame

Two of the great players in New Orleans history will take their place among the all-time franchise greats in the Saints Hall of Fame.

Bob Rose

Former Saints WR Devery Henderson and RB Fred McAfee have become the latest New Orleans players to be elected into the Saints Hall of Fame, in an official announcement on Thursday by the franchise.

Trainer Kevin Mangum was also announced as the recipient of the Joe Gemelli Fleur de lis Award, given yearly to a person who has made significant contributions to the organization. Mangum has been with the franchise since 1981.

Henderson and McAfee become the 57th player, coach, or front office member to be inducted in the franchise Hall of Fame. The Saints Hall of Fame was established in 1988. There have been inductees every year since, outside of 2020 during the Covid pandemic.

FRED MCAFEE, RB

Oct 3, 1993; FILE PHOTO; New Orleans Saints Fred McAfee (25) in action against the Los Angeles Rams. Mandatory Credit: Peter Brouillet-USA TODAY NETWORK

A native of Philadelphia, MS, McAfee was a sixth-round choice by the Saints in the 1991 NFL Draft out of Mississippi College. He’d play ten seasons with New Orleans over two different stints of a 17-year NFL career that included one year with Arizona and Tampa Bay and five seasons with the Steelers.

A backup running back for most of his career, McAfee rushed for a total of 1,274 yards and 8 touchdowns on 304 carries. He picked up 897 of those rushing yards, along with five scores, with New Orleans.

McAfee's most productive year was during his 1991 rookie campaign. He'd rush for 494 yards, second on an 11-5 Saints team that won its first division title in franchise history.

McAfee was considered one of the NFL's best special teams players during his career. He served as a special teams captain for the Saints and had five fumble recoveries during his New Orleans career. In 2002, he earned a Pro Bowl bid for his special teams contributions.

After leaving the Saints following the 1993 season, McAfee returned to the team in 2000, where he remained until the end of his career in 2006. Upon his retirement in 2007, McAfee accepted a role of Director of Player Development with the Saints, a job he’s held since.

McAfee was a part of four playoff teams and two division championships as a player with the Saints. While in the New Orleans front office, the franchise has made the postseason nine times and won seven division titles, including a victory in Super Bowl XLIV.

DEVERY HENDERSON, WR

October 21, 2012; New Orleans Saints receiver Devery Henderson (19) after a catch as Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Ronde Barber (20) defends. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

After growing up in Opelousas, Louisiana, Henderson would go on to stardom at LSU in both football and track. He was a sprinter on the Tigers’ 2001 National Championship track team, then had 53 receptions for 861 yards and 11 touchdowns for the 2003 BSC National Champion football program.

A second-round pick by the Saints in the 2004 NFL Draft, Henderson would play his entire nine-year career in New Orleans. He’d have 245 receptions for 4,377 yards and 21 touchdowns, adding 31 catches for 464 yards and four scores in eight postseason games. He ranks seventh in franchise history for receiving yards.

A feared deep threat, Henderson led the NFL in yards per reception twice and averaged nearly 18 yards per catch through his career. He had at least 740 yards receiving in three different seasons. The best year of his career was in 2009, when Henderson caught 51 passes for 804 yards, both ranking second for the eventual Super Bowl champions.

In the Saints Super Bowl XLIV win over Indianapolis, Henderson had 63 yards on a team-high 7 receptions. That capped off a strong three-game postseason stretch where he had 15 catches for 182 yards and two scores.

Henderson would be on the receiving end of one of the most iconic plays in franchise history.  During the first quarter of a 2012 game against the Chargers, he'd pull in a 40-yard touchdown pass from QB Drew Brees.  The score marked the 48th consecutive game that Brees threw a touchdown, setting a new NFL record.  Henderson would catch 8 passes for 123 yards in the Saints come from behind victory. 

An underrated route runner, Henderson was the primary deep threat for the league's most productive passing attack over a seven-year period.

After the 2012 season, Henderson left the Saints to sign with the Washington Redskins. He’d retire before the start of the regular season.

Henderson missed just five games over his last eight years with New Orleans and has 18 games with at least 80 yards receiving. From 2015 to 2019, he ran the Devery Henderson Skills and Drills Football Camp for children near Opelousas, LA.

Henderson, McAfee, and Magnum will officially be honored on the weekend of October 28-30. New Orleans will host the Raiders on Sunday, October 30.

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Bob Rose
BOB ROSE

Covers the New Orleans Saints as a senior writer for the Saints News Network.  Co-Host of the Bayou Blitz Podcast.

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