{"id":7804,"date":"2016-12-08T19:56:13","date_gmt":"2016-12-09T00:56:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/?p=7804"},"modified":"2016-12-11T18:55:48","modified_gmt":"2016-12-11T23:55:48","slug":"new-orleans-saints-50-team-celebration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2016\/12\/08\/new-orleans-saints-50-team-celebration\/","title":{"rendered":"New Orleans Saints All-50 Team Celebration"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Sunday, December 4, 2016, the New Orleans Saints<\/strong> were defeated by the Detroit Lions<\/strong>\u00a028-13. Sandwiched between two halves of lackluster and forgettable football was a half-time event the likes of which will not soon be forgotten by the “Who Dat Nation”.<\/p>\n

New Orleans Saints All-50 Team Celebration<\/h3>\n

As the Saints celebrate their 50th anniversary, they have assembled the Saints All-50 team. It is comprised of the 50 greatest Saints in their history. While some very deserving names were left off the list (Kyle Turley<\/a><\/strong> and Tracy Porter<\/a><\/strong> to name a couple), the team is a who\u2019s who of greats that have flourished in the black and gold. For the players, it was a chance to step back on the field and remember those years in New Orleans. For the fans, it was one more opportunity to thank the players that worked so hard for their entertainment on football Sundays.<\/p>\n

The All-50 Saints consisted of the following players:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Quarterback (3)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Drew Brees<\/a>*<\/strong><\/p>\n

Archie Manning<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Bobby Hebert<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Running back (4)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Deuce McAllister<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Dalton Hilliard<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Pierre Thomas<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Fred McAfee<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Fullback (1)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Hokie Gajan<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Wide receiver (4)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Danny Abramowicz<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Marques Colston<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Joe Horn<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Eric Martin<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Tight end (3)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Hoby Brenner<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Henry Childs<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Jimmy Graham<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Tackle (3)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Willie Roaf<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Stan Brock<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Jon Stinchcomb<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Guard (4)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Jim Dombrowski<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Jahri Evans<\/a>*<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jake Kupp<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Carl Nicks<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Center (3)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Joel Hilgenberg<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

John Hill<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

LeCharles Bentley<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Defensive end (3)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Joe Johnson<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Will Smith<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Frank Warren<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Defensive tackle (4)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

La’Roi Glover<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Wayne Martin<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Derland Moore<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Jim Wilks<\/a><\/strong><\/div>\n

Linebacker (6)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Rickey Jackson<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Vaughan Johnson<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Sam Mills<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pat Swilling<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Jonathan Vilma<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Joe Federspiel<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Cornerback (3)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Dave Waymer<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Dave Whitsell<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Johnnie Poe<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Safety (3)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Roman Harper<\/a>*<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sammy Knight<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Tommy Myers<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Kicker (1)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Morten Andersen<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Punter (1)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Thomas Morstead<\/a>*<\/strong><\/p>\n

Special teams (4)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Reggie Bush<\/a>, PR<\/strong><\/p>\n

Steve Gleason<\/a>, ST<\/strong><\/p>\n

Michael Lewis<\/a>, KR\/PR<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tyrone Hughes<\/a>, KR\/PR<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Celebration<\/strong><\/h3>\n

For the most part, the more recently the player has played for the Saints, the louder the applause. There were a few exceptions, however.<\/p>\n

It seemed the loudest ovations came for Archie Manning, Hokie Gajan, Steve Gleason and Will Smith. Manning was the first \u201cface of the franchise\u201d and has been a fan favorite since he showed up in 1971. The combination of his play on the field, his likable on-air personality, and his recent passing made Hokie\u2019s introduction a special moment. Steve Gleason, entering the field in his wheelchair, symbolizes the rebirth of the city and has the statue outside the Superdome to commemorate his significant blocked punt during the \u201cHome Sweet Dome\u201d game. Finally, Will Smith was a major contributor on defense during the Saints sole Super Bowl run and his recent passing also made his announcement in the dome a tear-inducing moment.<\/p>\n

Of all the players that seemed to really relish in the moment, no one appeared to enjoy it more than New Orleans favorites Bobby Hebert and Pierre Thomas.<\/p>\n

The only break in the continuous cheering during the ceremony was the announcement of former Saints tight end, Jimmy Graham. Graham\u2019s name was met with equal parts cheering and booing.<\/p>\n

Obviously, not all 50 members of the exclusive club were in attendance. Seven of them are deceased (Gajan, Childs, Smith, Warren, Whitsell, Waymer and Mills). Two members are currently playing or coaching games on other teams (Graham, Bush, and Glover). Four are active members of the Saints and were in the locker room during the celebration (Brees, Evans, Morstead and Harper). Almost everyone else was there, but fans were disappointed not to see former wideout Joe Horn.<\/p>\n

The event was a fantastic look back at the 50 greatest New Orleans Saints to ever wear the uniform and was the highlight of an otherwise forgettable Sunday in the Superdome.<\/p>\n

Main Photo:<\/p>\n

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Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n