Sam Mills Deserves Hall of Fame Honors in 2020
Samuel “Sam” Davis Mills, Jr. did not have the prototype stature of the legendary Chicago Bears linebacker Dick Butkus. Nor did Mills possess the raw power of the great Baltimore Ravens Ray Lewis. He rivals Chicago middle linebackers Mike Singletary and Brian Urlacher in intensity and instincts, respectively. Sam Mills was a smart, courageous and tough football player.
Mills patrolled the then Louisiana Superdome turf as a New Orleans Saints player for nine seasons with his fellow brothers of The Dome Patrol. Sam Mills left New Orleans and continued as the unquestioned leader of the Carolina Panthers defense. Mills’ departure hurt the Saints organization for years. Truthfully, the 2008 Saints-Jets trade for Jonathan Vilma helped to restore a true leadership role at the middle linebacker position in New Orleans since Mills.
If you circle the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, you will encounter the statues of the past owner Tom Benson and Saints legend Steve Gleason’s “Rebirth”. Yet, noticeably missing is a statue of The Dome Patrol. NFL experts considered them as the greatest group of linebackers in NFL history. I believe one day Mrs. Benson and her staff will immortalize the likenesses of Sam Mills, Rickey Jackson, Pat Swilling, and Vaughan Johnson on the Superdome’s landscape.
In 1992, Mills, Jackson, Swilling, and Johnson made NFL history. They were the first linebacking corps to have every player in the NFL Pro Bowl. They voted the Dome Patrol stars to a minimum of 4 Pro Bowls in their careers. So far, they have enshrined only Rickey Jackson into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010. Thus, why hasn’t Mills or even Swilling been close to receiving a bust in Canton until today?
Mills’ NFL career does not have Twitter feeds of highlights and Fantasy Football stat lines. But what Mills had was special. His character, leadership, intelligence, and work ethic were without question. He brought raw intensity to the field on every play. From his days at Long Branch High School, Montclair State University, to the USFL and NFL, Sam Mills was always a leader, on and off of the football field. He was a solid family man.
Coach Mora said it best, "..he's the type of football player you want that should be in the Hall of Fame..." New Orleans Saints Podcast
Dom Capers accepted the head coaching position for the Carolina Panthers and targeted Sam Mills to become the main focal point of his defensive strategy. Capers coached Mills on the USFL (Baltimore Stars) and NFL (New Orleans Saints) teams. Capers recognized Mills’ leadership, talent, and ability. Signing Mills away from New Orleans was a well-calculated coup. It paid off of Capers, Mills, and the Panthers organization.
Mills brought to the game of football what no other 5-9 middle linebacker ever did before - courage, smarts, and talent. There wasn’t much Sam Mills could not do on the football field. He played the run, and he played the pass. He could rush the passer or cover a tight-end. He anchored the New Orleans Saints defense for 9 seasons (1986-1994) before signing with the Carolina Panthers in 1995. His former USFL and NFL head coach, Jim Mora, said of Mills:
"...he [Mills] was the total person you want leading your football team. He was." Jim Mora on the New Orleans Saints Podcast
Sam Mills was a competitor and elevated the position of middle linebacker in the National Football League. He was a football player at his finest. Mills retired from football as a player in 1998 at 38. They diagnosed him with intestinal cancer in 2003 and died on April 18, 2005 at home with his family.
Mills NFL statistics: Tackles (1,319), Sacks (20.5), Interceptions (11), and Touchdowns (1).
Significant Honors: All-Pro (1x), Pro Bowl (5x), NFC Defensive Player of the Month (3x), NFC Defensive Player of the Week (1x).
Many Saints and NFL fans have lobbied for Mills’ enshrinement in Canton. Hopefully, this will be the year Mills’ family will receive the honor for his years of commitment to the NFL.
Listen to The Athletic's Columnist Jeff Duncan present Sam Mills' candidacy to the Hall of Fame voters:
The NFL will announce the Hall of Fame Class of 2020 on Saturday, February 1, 2020.
The other 2020 Pro Football Hall of Fame finalists joining Sam Mills are:
Troy Polamalu
Reggie Wayne
Torry Holt
John Lynch
Edgerrin James
Richard Seymour
Steve Atwater
Zach Thomas
Isaac Bruce
Leroy Butler
Tony Boselli
Alan Faneca
Steve Hutchinson
Bryant Young
