Saints Legends Voted Among NFL's All-Time Greats
Several outstanding players have donned the Fleur-de-lis for the New Orleans Saints. Nine former Saints players are enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, headlined by Rickey Jackson, Willie Roaf, Morten Andersen, and Sam Mills. At least a few more former New Orleans greats are expected to receive this ultimate honor in the coming years.
There are tons of elite talent that has come through the NFL over the generations. In an article for TouchdownWire.usatoday.com on June 29, writer Doug Farrar outlines that site's top all-time players for each jersey number.
Two New Orleans Saints were voted as the best players in NFL history to wear their respective jersey number by TouchdownWire.
9 - Drew Brees, QB
Saints quarterback Drew Brees throws a pass against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Nov. 18, 2018.
This is a no-brainer and shouldn't have been close. At the time of his retirement after the 2020 season, Brees was the all-time NFL leader in passing yards (80,358), passing touchdowns (571), completions (7,142), and completion percentage (67.7%).
Brees led the league in passing yardage seven times in his 15 years as a Saint. He was the Super Bowl XLIV MVP, made 13 Pro Bowls, and was the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2011. His 5,476 passing yards in 2011 shattered Dan Marino's 27-year-old NFL single-season record.
There have been 15 seasons of over 5,000 passing yards in NFL history. Brees has been responsible for FIVE of them, three more than any other player, and was just the second player in league history to pass the threshold. In 2018, his 74.4% completion percentage set an NFL record for a single season. He holds the top three marks and four of the top five in that category.
Brees beat out fellow quarterbacks Sonny Jorgensen, Matthew Stafford, Steve McNair, Tony Romo, and offensive lineman Steve Owen for the top spot at Number 9. He'll almost certainly become just the 16th QB in NFL history to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on his first eligible ballot.
77 - Willie Roaf, OT
Nov 30, 1997; FILE PHOTO; New Orleans Saints tackle Willie Roaf (77) in action against the Carolina Panthers. Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports
During the 1993 offseason, New Orleans traded All-Pro LB Pat Swilling to the Detroit Lions in a controversial move. In return, the Saints got back several draft picks. One of those was the eighth overall selection in the 1993 NFL Draft, used on Louisiana Tech OT Willie Roaf. It turned out to be a fantastic trade for the Saints.
Over his 13-year career, including nine with New Orleans, Roaf would be one of the most dominant blockers in NFL history. Most of his career was spent at left tackle, where he's considered one of the best in league history. He made 11 Pro Bowls, seven with the Saints, and was named All-Pro four times. Roaf was named to both the 1990s and 2000s All-Decade Teams.
Willie Roaf was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012. He took the top spot at Number 77 by beating out Honorable Mentions Andrew Whitworth, Jim Parker, Tyron Smith, Jim Tyrer, Lyle Alzado, and Red Grange.
Another former New Orleans Saint, RB Jim Taylor, took the top spot at Number 31. However, Taylor played only the Saints inaugural season of 1967 at the end of his career. Most of his achievements were for the Green Bay Packers from 1958 to 1966.
Several New Orleans Saints players were also named as Honorable Mention choices for their respective jersey numbers.
Oct 22, 1989; FILE PHOTO; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jim Everett (11) is sacked by New Orleans Saints linebackers Pat Swilling (56) and Rickey Jackson (57). Mandatory Credit: Peter Brouillet-USA TODAY NETWORK
• OO - Ken Burrough, WR
• 7 - Morten Andersen, K
• 27 - Malcolm Jenkins, S
• 32 - Tyrann Mathieu, S
• 34 - Ricky Williams, RB
• 41 - Alvin Kamara, RB
• 46 - Danny Abramowicz, WR
• 51 - Sam Mills, LB
• 56 - Pat Swilling, LB
• 56 - Demario Davis, LB
• 57 - Rickey Jackson, LB
• 81 - Doug Atkins, DE
• 94 - Cameron Jordan, DE
• 97 - La'Roi Glover, DT
Nov 7, 2021; New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) runs against the Atlanta Falcons. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY
Perhaps one of the most questionable of the TouchdownWire top numbers list is at 57, where Dolphins Hall of Fame C Dwight Stephenson edged out New Orleans icon Rickey Jackson. The Saints were among very few teams that had two players listed at a single number, with Swilling and Davis were both being recognized at 56.
Davis, Jordan, Kamara, and Mathieu were among a handful of active players named that could still etch their names deeper into NFL lore. It seems unthinkable that Davis will be able to unseat Lawrence Taylor at Number 56 or Mathieu overtake Jim Brown at 34.
Jordan has a strong shot at surpassing 2023 Hall of Fame inductee Demarcus Ware. Their career stats are already comparable. One could make a case that Kamara will soon, or already has, had a better career than S Eugene Robinson, who was the choice of Farrar and TouchdownWire at Number 41.
