Saints Best Hall of Fame Player?
A lot of great players have suited up for the New Orleans Saints in their 56-year history. The Saints have had just four players who played most of their career with the franchise inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Linebacker Rickey Jackson, OT Willie Roaf, K Morten Andersen, and LB Sam Mills have received football's ultimate honor. Jim Finks, the team's General Manager from 1986-1992, is also in the Hall of Fame.
Other Saints like LB Pat Swilling, WR Marques Colston, and late owner Tom Benson have been criminally overlooked by the Hall of Fame. Still others, like QB Drew Brees, coach Sean Payton, G Jahri Evans, and DE Cameron Jordan are either locks or have a great chance of having their busts in Canton once eligible.
In an article for the33rdteam.com, distinguished former Associated Press writer Barry Wilner highlights every NFL team's best Hall of Famer. Here's what Wilner had to say about his selection for the Saints.
New Orleans Saints
Willie Roaf
Oct 8, 2000; FILE PHOTO; New Orleans Saints tackle Willie Roaf (77) in action against the Chicago Bears. Mandatory Credit: Paul-Chapman-USA TODAY
As with (Tom) Brady (Patriots), in a few years, this will be Drew Brees for the Saints. For now, it’s Willie Roaf. Oddly, Roaf had left New Orleans for Kansas City before the Brees-Sean Payton duo turned around the franchise. But during his nine seasons in the Big Easy, Roaf went to seven Pro Bowls and started all 131 games in which he played. As dependable as drinking a hurricane in the French Quarter.
Runners-up
LB Sam Mills (see Carolina), K Morten Andersen (see Atlanta), LB Rickey Jackson.
It had to be tough to choose between Roaf and Jackson, who, along with Brees, are easily on the ''Mount Rushmore'' of all-time New Orleans greats.
Oct 31, 1993; FILE PHOTO; New Orleans Saints linebacker Rickey Jackson (57) in action against the Phoenix Cardinals. Mandatory Credit USA TODAY Sports
Jackson, who was even underrated in his time, had an incredible 15-year career that included 13 with New Orleans. He had 128 official sacks, ranking 16th in NFL history, and forced an eye-popping 40 fumbles on his way to the 1980s All-Decade Team.
Roaf, on the other hand, is a generational talent considered one of the best tackles in NFL history. He had a decorated 13-year career, the first nine with New Orleans, that included 11 Pro Bowls and four 1st Team All-Pro honors. The dominant Roaf was elected to the All-Decade Team of both the 1990s and 2000s.
Interestingly, Wilner also listed Sam Mills as the top Hall of Famer in Carolina Panthers history and Morten Andersen as Honorable Mention for the Atlanta Falcons. He said this about Mills as his choice for Carolina.
Sam Mills was too small and slow to make an NFL impact. Yeah, right. The 5-foot-9 Mills went from Montclair State (it’s in New Jersey) to USFL stardom when the NFL ignored him. That changed in 1986 when he joined New Orleans and was a major factor on the Saints’ defense.
But it was in his last three pro seasons with the Panthers that Mills solidified his Canton candidacy with 331 tackles, six forced fumbles and the kind of leadership that lands you in the Hall of Fame.
Whoa, wait a minute.
Aug 10, 1992; New Orleans Saints linebacker Sam Mills (51) lines up against the Chicago Bears. FILE PHOTO; Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports
Andersen had a special 25-year career with five different teams. His first 13 years were spent with the Saints, where he earned six of his seven Pro Bowls and two of his three All-Pro accolades.
There's no doubt that Mills was terrific during his final three seasons with Carolina. However, his first nine years were spent in New Orleans. It was there that he teamed with Jackson, Swilling, and Vaughan Johnson to form the Dome Patrol, the best corps of linebackers in NFL history.
Willie Roaf, Rickey Jackson, Sam Mills, and Morten Andersen are legends of the game. They have all earned their iconic spots among the best to ever suit up in the NFL.
