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USA Today
13-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
56 days until Saints season opener: Every player to wear No. 56
A 'Dome Patrol' legend and current Saints great top our look back at the history of No. 56 We are down to a 56-day wait before the New Orleans Saints kick off their 2025 regular season by hosting the Arizona Cardinals. Wearing No. 56 for the Saints is one of the best players in franchise history, linebacker Demario Davis. One of 19 players to wear 56 for New Orleans, Davis has worn it longer and arguably better than all others. Here's a look at all that wore the number in New Orleans history. Saints' History of No. 56 James Ferguson was the first to put on 56 for the Saints, doing so for four games in 1968. A 17th round pick, Ferguson was also the first player drafted by New Orleans to wear 56 and along with center Lee Gross (32 games), one of only two offensive players to wear the number. Willie Hall, Gross, and Reggie Mathis were all Round 2 draft picks by New Orleans, but played a combined 96 games and seven seasons with the team. At 31st overall in 1972, Hall is the highest drafted player by New Orleans to wear No. 56. Dennis "Dirt" Winston came to the Saints in 1981 as a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Winston played four seasons with New Orleans before ending his career back in Pittsburgh. With New Orleans, Winston had 2 sacks and 7 interceptions, returning two of those for touchdowns in 1984. Of the 19 players to wear No. 56 for the Saints, 16 were linebackers. That includes two who are among the best players in the history of the franchise. The Saints used a third-round choice in the 1986 NFL draft on Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets linebacker Pat Swilling. He'd have 4 sacks as a rookie reserve in 1986, but would be entrenched as a starter by 1987 and become the final piece in the iconic Dome Patrol foursome of linebackers. Swilling played in 107 regular season games for the Saints over seven years, second only to Demario Davis as the longest to wear No. 56. He had 76.5 sacks as a Saint, still fourth on the franchise's all-time career list. Swilling had 16.5 sacks in 1989 and an NFL-best 17 sacks in 1991, still a single-season franchise record as he won the 1991 Defensive Player of the Year award. Additionally, Swilling had 3 interceptions, returning one for a touchdown, along with 24 forced fumbles with New Orleans. He earned four Pro Bowls and 1st Team All-Pro honors twice with two 2nd Team All-Pro accolades. Pat Swilling has been criminally overlooked for what is a rightful a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame in 2000, joining Dome Patrol teammates Rickey Jackson, Sam Mills, and Vaughan Johnson. Ernest Dixon and Charlie Clemons had some success at linebacker wearing No. 56 for the Saints through the late 1990s and early 2000s. They combined to play 94 games in six seasons, recording 18.5 sacks and 3 interceptions. Clemons led the Saints in 2001 with 13.5 sacks. Orlando Ruff followed Clemons in No. 56 in 2003. Ruff played two years with the team, managing 2 interceptions and was among the team leaders in tackles both seasons. Jo-Lonn Dunbar also flashed great potential when arriving to New Orleans as an undrafted rookie in 2008. Dunbar was a special teams star that also started 28 of his 56 games in New Orleans. A knee injury sidelined him for the team's Super Bowl XLIV championship run in 2009, but Dunbar was otherwise a solid all-around defender. He'd return to the Saints in 2015 to finish out his career, but wore No. 54 that year. Ronald Powell showed that same kind of potential, but a knee injury ended his career early. Michael Mauti played three seasons in New Orleans, suiting up in 35 games for mostly standout special teams duty. Mauti also followed in the footsteps of his father, wide receiver Rich Mauti, in a career as a Saint. It would take tremendous fears to surpass the accomplishments of Pat Swilling in No. 56 with the Saints, but Demario Davis did just that. Once arriving as a free agent in 2018, Davis helped transform the New Orleans defense into an elite unit. He's also been an iron man, starting 114 regular season contests while missing just two outings over seven years with the team. Davis has often been overlooked in Pro Bowl and All-Pro voting, but has still managed to go to two Pro Bowls and earned first-team All-Pro recognition during the 2019 campaign and 2nd Team honors four Davis has averaged over 115 total tackles per year with the Saints. He has 72 stops for loss, 31 sacks, 3 interceptions, and 45 passes broken up. More than just filling up the stat sheet, Davis' elite instincts, athleticism, versatility, and leadership has made him one of the best all-around defenders in the NFL. Once he concludes his career, Davis will certainly be alongside Pat Swilling in the Saints Hall of Fame and should have enough of a resume' for a spot in Canton as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
USA Today
10-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Who's on your Saints Mount Rushmore? Our staff makes unanimous picks
Who is on your New Orleans Saints Mount Rushmore? Bleacher Report made their picks earlier this week, but they didn't quite hit the mark -- overlooking players already representing the Saints at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in favor of modern-day fan favorites isn't what we were looking for. When looking for the best four players in franchise history, accomplishments like Pro Bowls and All-Pro votes matter more than sentimentality. So our contributing writers here at Saints Wire made their own choices, and they each picked the same four players, though not in the same order nor with the same qualifiers in mind. What are the odds? Ballots were collected separately so there wasn't anyone cheating off of someone else's homework here. Do you agree with our picks? Or are there other deserving players you'd nominate? Let's break down each selection. Drew Brees Come on. There can't be an all-time list of greats if it doesn't include Brees. He's the most accurate passer in NFL history and makes a strong argument that no quarterback tops his ability to lead a rhythm/timing-based offense. -- Bob Rose This is the obvious one, greatest player in the team's history, led the Saints to a Super Bowl victory and made them into one of the best teams in the sport for a stretch. I may not even be a fan of football if not for Brees. -- Dylan Sanders Does this pick really need any explanation for any of those who watched him play? One of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, maybe the greatest depending on who you ask, the greatest free agent signing in franchise history, and the man who led the team to their only super bowl in team history, once deemed an impossible task. Statistically a legend, eye test says the same, fan favorite, amazing for the community, the best Saint there ever was, maybe ever will be. -- Jeremy Trottier It's no surprise Brees is up here as one of the most prolific passers the league has ever seen. Leading the Saints to a Super Bowl after arriving in New Orleans is a moment that'll forever be remembered. -- Luke Loffredo Rickey Jackson Just like with Brees, there can't be an all-time greats list unless Jackson is on it. The initial member of the iconic Dome Patrol foursome, Jackson was among the most intimidating defensive players of his era. Outside of Brees, Jackson should get little argument as the best Saints in history. -- Bob Rose This is another easy one. He was the first real superstar that New Orleans back in the 80s and early 90s, leading the Dome Patrol towards his induction in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. -- Dylan Sanders This tends to be the combination of players you get whenever asked about the Mount Rushmore of Saints players, and for good reason. The "Dome Patrol" was by far and away the best linebacker/OLB core the team has ever had in its history, and Jackson was at the forefront with his production. While he has since been surpassed by Jordan in many categories, he is still one of the best players in franchise history, and a man who struck fear into the heart of opponents alongside his peers. -- Jeremy Trottier A cornerstone of the Dome Patrol and the first player inducted into the Hall of Fame primarily for his time as a Saint, Rickey Jackson was a relentless force off the edge. With over 120 career sacks and six Pro Bowls, he set the tone for defenses to come. -- Luke Loffredo Willie Roaf The Saints have had a lot of very good offensive linemen in their history, but none was better than Roaf. A member of the NFL's all-decade team for the 1990s and 2000s, Roaf is on a very short list in the discussion for best tackles in NFL history. -- Bob Rose Another Hall of Famer and the bridge between the eras of Saints dominance. He made nine different All-Pro teams and is one of the best offensive linemen of all time. -- Dylan Sanders As someone who is extremely partial to offensive linemen, Roaf is the clear and definitive No. 1 in that category for the Saints. An anchor for many many years of Saints history, and a man who would not be pushed around no matter how hard the defense tried. It's fair to say that he may be under-recognized despite all his achievements, which says everything you need to know. -- Jeremy Trottier A Hall of Famer and one of the most dominant edge protectors of his era, Willie Roaf racked up nine All-Pro honors and 11 Pro Bowl selections during his incredible career. -- Luke Loffredo Cameron Jordan If I'm choosing best four to ever be associated with the Saints, my choice is Sean Payton. I went instead to go with players, where I'll go Jordan in the narrowest of margins over Dome Patrol linebacker Sam Mills and honorable mention Marques Colston. Mills was spectacular on a spectacular defense. Jordan often had no such defensive talent around him, yet still managed to be a difference maker and a disruptive force with the impressive longevity of a 14-year ironman career. -- Bob Rose There could maybe be some debate for who deserves the last spot on the Mount Rushmore, but I will give to to Cam. He has been an incredibly loyal player and has done it while being excellent on the field. He is the Saints all-time sack leader and will also be a Hall of Famer when all is said and done. -- Dylan Sanders The only active player who, at least for now, deserves the consideration. A long-time legend of the team who will surpass Brees in games played for the team as early as this year. One of the most productive defensive ends ever, an amazing character, and just an all around menace on the field for the large majority of the 2000s. -- Jeremy Trottier The franchise's all-time sack leader has to be on the Saints' Mount Rushmore. With 121.5 sacks and eight Pro Bowl nods (and counting), Cameron Jordan is well on his way to Canton sooner rather than later. -- Luke Loffredo
USA Today
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
It's past time for the Saints to honor the 'Dome Patrol' with Superdome statues
It's past time for the Saints to honor the 'Dome Patrol' with Superdome statues Hall of Fame linebacker Sam Mills would've turned 66 on Tuesday Legendary former New Orleans Saints linebacker Sam Mills would have turned 66 on Tuesday, June 3, and he's remembered fondly by many who knew him -- in two different NFL cities. After leading the great "Dome Patrol" defenses with the Saints, Mills took on a new challenge as a member of the expansion-era Carolina Panthers, first as a player and later as a coach. A life-size (5-foot-9) bronze statue in his likeness stands vigilant outside the Panthers' home stadium in Charlotte. It's well past time the Saints honor Mills and his teammates in that legendary four-man linebacker corps with a commemoration of their own. Two of them have already passed away. Mills died in 2005 and Vaughan Johnson passed in 2019, which left Rickey Jackson and Pat Swilling as the two surviving members. People should be given their flowers when they're still here to accept them and see how they're appreciated. Several statues already surround the Caesars Superdome. In 2014, a statue depicting the team's late owner Tom Benson hoisting the Lombardi Trophy began to overlook Champions Square. Since 2012, the famous "Rebirth" monument highlighting Steve Gleason's blocked punt in the first Saints home game after Hurricane Katrina can be found at the southwest corner of the plaza. The Superdome Vietnam Memorial has stood on the Poydras Street side since 1984. There's plenty of room for a space to honor the "Dome Patrol." Just look at what they accomplished together. All four linebackers were selected for the Pro Bowl in 1992, and to this day three of them rank in the top three solo tackles leaders for the Saints -- Jackson first (1,104), Mills second (894), and Johnson third (664), with Swilling, who played the fewest games in New Orleans of the bunch, ranking 14th (354). The group combined for 18 Pro Bowl nods and 12 spots on the All-Pro teams. They have all been inducted to the Saints Hall of Fame and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, too. Jackson was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010 with Mills joining him posthumously in 2022. Swilling has gained a lot of support as a senior candidate. They gave Saints fans something to cheer for when the team really, really needed it. We're in a similar spot today with a brutal playoff drought and organizational upheaval.
