New Orleans Legends Honored: Modern-Era Hall of Fame Nominees Revealed

Several former Saints are prominent among modern-era Pro Football Hall of Fame Nominees.

Jan 7, 2012; New Orleans Saints running back Darren Sproles (43) breaks a big gain against the Detroit Lions / John David Mercer-Imagn Images

On Wednesday, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced 167 modern-era nominees for their Class of 2025. Several New Orleans Saints are among the initial nominated players.

In mid-October, this group will be slimmed down to 50 candidates. Later in the year, that will be trimmed to 25 semi-finalists, then to 15 finalists. Prior to Super Bowl weekend, up to five modern-era players will be selected for the Hall of Fame Class of 2025.

Fifteen of the 167 nominees spent at least a portion of their career with the Saints. Ten of them spent just a short time with the team or had the majority of their accomplishments with another team.

• Marc Bulger, QB
• Jake Delhomme, QB
• Terry Allen, RB
• John Kuhn, FB
• Lorenzo Neal, FB
• Jeremy Shockey, TE
• Wesley Walls, TE
• Olin Kreutz, C
• Eric Allen, CB
• John Kasay, K

There are five players among this year's initial nominees that either spent the majority of their careers with the Saints or had significant achievements with the franchise.

Jahri Evans, G (2006-2016)

Dec 18, 2016; New Orleans Saints guard Jahri Evans (73) against the Arizona Cardinals / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

New Orleans selected Evans with a fourth-round choice in the 2006 NFL Draft out of tiny Bloomsburg State in Pennsylvania. Evans went from obscure to highly relevant immediately, earning the starting right guard spot for the Saints by the end of rookie training camp. It was a job he performed at a high level for the next 11 seasons.

The Saints had a historically prolific offense for over a decade under QB Drew Brees and coach Sean Payton. What often gets overlooked was the dominance of their offensive line, a unit which Evans was one of the most prominent members.

Evans was part of a line that often allowed Brees to shred defenses untouched by the pass rush. New Orleans also had one of the league's more consistent rushing attacks. Evans was annually considered one of the NFL's top interior blockers throughout a decorated career.

Jahri Evans was voted to six Pro Bowls during his time with the Saints. A member of the 2006 All-Rookie Team, that was just the start of many accolades to come. Evans was a four-time 1st Team All-Pro and once a 2nd Team All-Pro. He was also a member of the 2010s All-Decade Team.

Evans was inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame in 2020. This is his third year of eligibility for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was a finalist in 2024.

La'Roi Glover, DT (1997-2001)

New Orleans Saints defensive tackle La'Roi Glover (97) against the Atlanta Falcons / neworleanssaints.com

A fifth-round choice in the 1996 NFL Draft out of San Diego State by the Oakland Raiders, Glover was allocated to the Barcelona Dragons of NFL Europe in 1997. After being released in training camp the following summer by Oakland, the Saints immediately signed him.

Over five years with New Orleans, Glover was one of the most disruptive interior defenders in the NFL. He had 50 sacks and 11 forced fumbles over those five seasons, including an NFL-high 17 in 2000 that remains tied with Pat Swilling for the Saints franchise single-season record.

Glover left New Orleans to sign with the Cowboys as a free agent in 2002. He played there for four years before playing his final three seasons with the St. Louis Rams. Over a 13-year NFL career, Glover had 83.5 sacks while forcing 16 fumbles.

La'Roi Glover was a 1st Team All-Pro with New Orleans in 2000, his first of back-to-back Pro Bowls with the team. His dominance also earned him a spot on the NFL All-2000s Team.

Joe Horn, WR (2000-2006)

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Joe Horn (87) makes a catch against the Philadelphia Eagles / WWL-TV

Horn was originally a fifth-round choice by the Kansas City Chiefs out of Itawamba Community College in Mississippi in 1996 after playing in the Canadian Football League. He had some decent moments for the Chiefs, but few thought it was a significant move when the Saints signed Horn as a free agent in 2000.

Horn immediately made a huge impact in New Orleans. He'd catch 94 passes for 1,340 yards in his first season with the team in 2000, both franchise records. Over his first five seasons with the Saints, Horn had at least 75 receptions five times and over 1,200 yards receiving four times.

In seven years with New Orleans, Horn made four Pro Bowls and had 523 receptions for 7,622 yards and 50 touchdowns. He was the first player in Saints franchise history to eclipse 1,000 yards receiving in three straight seasons.

Horn left the Saints after the 2006 season to play out his final year with the Atlanta Falcons. He left second in franchise history in both catches and receiving yards behind only Eric Martin. Today, he remains third on the team's career list in receiving yardage and fourth in receptions. Horn was inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame in 2010.

Darren Sproles, RB (2011-2013)

Jan 14, 2012; New Orleans Saints running back Darren Sproles (43) breaks away against the San Francisco 49ers / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

A fourth-round choice by the San Diego Chargers in the 2005 NFL Draft out of Kansas State, Sproles had a solid first six years with the Chargers as a complementary back. He'd sign with the Saints as a free agent in 2011. There, he'd be reunited with Drew Brees, who was San Diego's quarterback during his rookie season.

Sproles exploded with arguably the best passing attack in NFL history in 2011. His 86 receptions were second on the team that year and remain a single-season franchise record for running backs.

Sproles contributed 710 yards as a receiver, 603 rushing yards, and 1,383 as a returner in 2011 while scoring 10 touchdowns. His 2,696 all-purpose yards that season remains an NFL single-season record.

In three seasons for New Orleans, Sproles was a feared all-purpose weapon. He finished his New Orleans career with 1,067 rushing yards, 232 receptions for 1,981 yards, 2,498 return yards, and 22 total touchdowns.

Darren Sproles played the last six years of his career with the Philadelphia Eagles. He was a member of the All-2010s NFL Team and will likely be inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame someday. In 2021, Sproles was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Ricky Williams, RB (1999-2001)

Aug 13, 1999; FILE PHOTO; New Orleans Saints running back Ricky Williams (34) runs the ball against the Miami Dolphins / RVR Photos-Imagn Images

After a spectacular collegiate career with the Texas Longhorns that culminated with a Heisman Trophy in 1998, Williams was one of the most coveted players in the 1999 NFL Draft. The Saints, coached by Mike Ditka, made one of the most infamous trades in sports history by trading their entire 1999 draft along with a first and third-round selection in 2000 to select Williams with the fifth overall pick.

Williams was solid if not spectacular as a rookie in 1999, rushing for 884 yards in 12 games. He picked up 1,000 rushing yards in only 10 games in 2000 before missing the last six contests and playoffs with an ankle injury. He'd stay healthy for the entire 2001 campaign, running for 1,245 yards. After that season, the Saints traded Williams to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for two first-round picks and a fourth-round choice.

In his first year with Miami, Williams rushed for an NFL-high 1,853 yards. He followed that up with over 1,300 rushing yards in 2003 before ''retiring'' for a year. He'd return to the Dolphins in 2005, but would be suspended by the league for a year and a half from 2006 into 2007.

Williams returned to the Dolphins late in 2007, where he'd remain until 2010 and played out the last year of his career in 2011 with the Baltimore Ravens. Through an 11-year NFL career, Williams rushed for 10,009 yards and scored 74 touchdowns.

In three years with New Orleans, Ricky Williams rushed for 3,129 yards and reached the end zone 18 times. His best production came in Miami. However, Williams' career will always be remembered for odd behavior, a controversial retirement, return, and suspension, and one of the most incredible trades in sports history that started in New Orleans.