Latest news with #DemarioDavis
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Demario Davis talks relationship with Saints fans, expedition to Paris
The New Orleans Saints have had a few international games over the years, with 2008, 2017, and 2022 matchups in London. The NFL has had a clear vision to push further into the international market in recent years, tying teams to respective countries to try and build strong followings for those teams in other nations, and so far, it has worked quite well. Many teams got a few markets, but were paired up with others trying to vie for the same nation. The Saints were awarded just one when it came to the Global Markets Program in 2025, but that one was France, which is an absolutely enormous country to explore on their own. It makes total sense given the deep-seated French culture throughout Louisiana, and gives them an opportunity to expand their fandom further into Europe. Linebacker Demario Davis was the ambassador of this program for the Saints, travelling to Paris to bridge the gap across the Atlantic Ocean. Locked on Saints host Ross Jacksonhighlighted Davis' comments from his media appearance, where the legendary linebacker said he felt he was representing the team when he made the trip over to Paris, and is now doing the inverse when coming back to Louisiana. He is also pushing for a game in France for the Saints, which would be a huge chance to bolster their international outreach. In the same press conference, Davis expressed gratitude for the support he's received from the Saints fanbase and his recent experience overseas. "The energy was," Davis began, "Our fans are always great. I think, it's no secret, New Orleans has the best fans in the world, and I think it's just because they genuinely care about the state of the team, they care, they watch it, they care about the position battles, they care about the coaching, they care about the personnel that's being brought in. "Like its not just fans that show up on Sunday, it's fans who are watching the transactions, they're watching the practices, they're watching progressions, and I think because we have a fanbase that's tapped in like that, it's always gonna be love, and it's no different today." Now he returns to Louisiana for training camp, but will continue to push for more international outreach, as the Saints look to land a game abroad in 2026. With three seasons between then and their last game across the pond, there is plenty of opportunity for them to pick one up as the NFL chooses who they believe should make an impact in Europe each season.
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.
Time of India
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
NFL affiliation lifts American football in France, says French Federation President Frederic Paquet
Having an franchise such as the New Orleans Saints in Paris is a benchmark for the development of American football in France, opines French Federation of American Football President Frederic Paquet. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now With the Paris Musketeers taking on the Vienna Vikings in a pivotal European League of Football match, Frederic Paquet opines that being an NFL franchise lends legitimacy to the sport's spread across the country and hastens its pace. New Orleans Saints visit gives American football in France exposure and legitimacy The arrival of New Orleans Saints representatives in Paris, including linebacker Demario Davis, was a turning point in the development of the sport in France. Their visit coincided with the Paris Musketeers' headline game against the Vienna Vikings, and an event staged jointly at the U.S. Embassy gave visiting players like Frederic Paquet the chance to show the way that American football is slowly building support in France. To Frederic Paquet, having an NFL franchise is more than just bragging rights. "Everything that unites us, fans of American football, flag football, and even cheerleading—that's the federation's objective. In fact, we have this culture, this attachment to American sports culture, this American lifestyle. So everything brings us together and, naturally, we're all drawn to the United States, or at least to a part of it. When I say the United States, I mean the American sporting culture, which is all around us," he said. The NFL, as Frederic Paquet pointed out, has resources, visibility, and developmental structure—something the local French ecosystem has traditionally lacked. New Orleans Saints and Paris Musketeers management both emphasized that this is not an isolated publicity event. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now It's about creating grassroots programs, such as flag football, and helping children in urban France find new opportunities through the medium of sport. "When it comes to American football, if the NFL supports what we're doing, it's much more credible. And then, it's a development power; it's a project power. That's what I was saying about the young Manceaux players who created a team and went off to play in Orlando. That's what the NFL can do for us. It's a power that we can't have on our own today," Paquet said. 'The Olympic Games are a bit like the NFL. In other words, it's a way of raising awareness, increasing power, and generating desire. So it allows us to develop a high-level program for the flag. We hope this is just the first step. We hope that the IOC will renew the flag license for 2032. So it's also an opportunity to perhaps send young and older athletes to Los Angeles. Initially, that wasn't possible. That's what American football and flag also create: the ability to forge links and create experiences that they wouldn't have had if they hadn't taken up this activity." One of the most significant developments in the French American football infrastructure is the creation of the Paris Musketeers, which provides a critical bridge between amateur clubs and professional hopes. With existing talent like current player Anthony Mahoungou already on the team, and other prospects such as Marcelo gaining recognition, the Musketeers provide an in-between tier for those who dream of playing in the NCAA or NFL. Paquet believes this was a long time in the making. 'We have Marcelo, who is also promising. We've got a few French players, and we've got a few young players who are in university leagues. That's why the Musketeers are so important, because they're in that intermediate stage before a move to the NCAA or even the NFL," he said. Also read: The collaboration of the NFL, the French Federation of American Football, and local franchises like the Paris Musketeers can be the beginning of something big for the sport in France. With global exposure, Olympic ambitions, and grassroots backing, Frederic Paquet's vision to legitimize American football in France is slowly taking shape, yard by yard.
NBC Sports
08-07-2025
- Business
- NBC Sports
Gayle Benson will join Saints delegation in France
The NFL's effort to expand its global audience includes big-picture initiatives and team-by-team efforts. Via Luke Johnson of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, the Saints are spreading the word to France, with a delegation that includes linebacker Demario Davis. Owner Gayle Benson will join the group later in the week, to attend a game of the Paris Musketeers. 'During her visit, she will meet with top French CEOs, politicians, cultural leaders and ambassadors with one goal in mind: promoting the state of Louisiana and the city New Orleans,' Saints spokesman Greg Bensel told Johnson in a statement. The Musketeers, who play in the European League of Football, have a strategic partnership with the Saints. The Saints also hold NFL marketing rights in France. Which makes sense, given the strong French influence over Louisiana. The NFL has yet to stage a regular-season game in France. If/when it happens, the Saints will undoubtedly be involved.
USA Today
02-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Saints linebacker Demario Davis disrespected in PFF rankings
Saints linebacker Demario Davis disrespected in PFF rankings Demario Davis is the latest Saints player to be undervalued in the PFF position opinions. It's been commonplace over the years for Pro Football Focus to disrespect and overlook New Orleans Saints players in their yearly positional rankings. After a 5-12 finish last year, the Saints have been widely overlooked in most national circles this offseason. The latest to feel the disrespect is New Orleans linebacker Demario Davis, who has frankly been underrated most of his career. PFF analyst Mason Cameron ranked the NFL's top 32 NFL linebackers coming into the 2025 season. Demario Davis was slotted in at No. 21 by PFF, in the fifth tier of their six tier rankings. Here's what Cameron wrote for his reasoning. ''Although Davis took a step back in 2024, he is still one of the most effective and decorated linebackers in the NFL, even at 36 years old. His 73.2 PFF overall grade ranked in the top 20, marking his eighth consecutive season of going above 70.0. While he won't have Dennis Allen as his head coach in 2025, Davis brings ample experience to excel for however long he decides to play.'' Davis, 36 and entering his 14th NFL season, is the oldest player on the New Orleans roster. He was also one of the very few bright spots on an otherwise abysmal Saints defense in 2024. Davis had 136 total tackles, the most of his career and the eighth straight year with at least 105 stops. He also added 2 sacks, 5 tackles for loss, an interception, broke up 7 passes, allowed just 67.3% completion percentage in coverage, and was credited with a 7.5% missed tackle percentage according to Pro Football Reference. Davis' pressure numbers weren't nearly as high as they've been throughout his other six years with the Saints. Additionally, his five tackles for loss were the fewest of his New Orleans tenure by far. However, there is still no denying his impact and importance to whatever success the Saints have defensively. While he is closer to the end of his career than the beginning, Davis is still one of the best all-around defenders in the NFL. PFF graded Davis as the second-highest linebacker in the NFC South. He was four spots below former Saint Kaden Elliss of the Atlanta Falcons and one spot above Lavonte David of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. PFF had former Saints linebacker and current Philadelphia Eagles star Zack Baun rated No. 2 in their rankings. What PFF typically fails to recognize at this position are the more versatile off-ball linebackers, which is one reason why more one-dimensional and lesser players were graded above him. Grades and ratings are certainly subjective, whether made by legitimate analysts or by people that don't watch a position closely. No matter where someone has him rated, there is no doubting the importance that Demario Davis has to the New Orleans Saints and new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley in 2025.
