During the month of June, the Last Word On Sports NFL department will construct a Mount Rushmore for each team. For this series, we will only consider players. Today, the New Orleans Saints are the focus.
New Orleans Saints Mount Rushmore
Drew Brees
As he enters his tenth season with the franchise, critics and pundits have already deemed Drew Brees as the greatest player to wear the black and gold. Coming from the San Diego Chargers during free agency in 2006, Brees has led all NFL quarterbacks in touchdowns, passing yards, and 300-yard games. Also during his tenure in New Orleans, he has set numerous league records, including the most 5,000-yard passing seasons (4), the most consecutive games with a passing touchdown (54), the most seasons as the league’s passing yards leader (5) and the highest single-season completion percentage (71.2). In nine years with the Saints, Brees has been selected to eight Pro Bowls (nine total in career), named a two-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year and chosen as a Super Bowl MVP. After helping the franchise claim its first championship, Brees holds a special place in both Louisiana and in Canton, Ohio.
Willie Roaf
After being drafted No. 8 overall in the 1993 NFL Draft, Willie Roaf immediately made an impact along the Saints offensive line. Widely known as a gentle, classy guy off the field, he was the polar opposite on it. Nicknamed “Nasty” for his punishing blocking, Roaf helped pave running lanes for Ricky Williams and momentarily for Deuce McAllister, who ultimately became the franchise’s all-time leading rusher. Roaf made seven of his eleven Pro Bowls as a Saint and he was named to both the 1990s and 2000s All-Decade teams. He was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012 as one of the most dominant offensive linemen in league history.
Rickey Jackson
When then-Saints head coach Bum Phillips selected Rickey Jackson in the second round of the 1981 NFL draft, he found the team’s defensive anchor for the future. Jackson was the leader of the team’s famous “Dome Patrol” linebacking corps, which has been considered arguably the best in NFL history. His dominating pass rushing ability helped elevate the Saints defense and their relevancy as a franchise as they achieved their first winning season in 1987. Upon his retirement in 1995, Jackson ranked third all-time in sacks with 128, not including the eight takedowns he had in his rookie campaign of 1981 that were not counted since the statistic wasn’t officially recorded until 1982. Jackson also concluded his career with 1,173 tackles, eight interceptions and 29 fumble recoveries, which ranks third all-time among defenders. He was named to all six of his Pro Bowls with the Saints and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010.
Morten Andersen
It may seem strange to have a kicker deemed as one of a team’s best players, but Morten Andersen fits the distinction. During his 13-season tenure in New Orleans from 1982-1994, Andersen made 302 of 389 field goals attempts along with converting 412 of his 418 extra point tries (all of which are team records). His clutch kicking earned him the nickname “Mr. Automatic” during his career. He made six of his seven career Pro Bowl appearances as a member of the Saints. Retiring from the league in 2009, Andersen finished as both the New Orleans Saints and the NFL’s all-time leader in points scored (2,544) while also holding the league record in most games played (382).
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