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Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
57 days until Saints season opener: Every player to wear No. 57
The New Orleans Saints kick off their 2025 regular season 57 days from today at home against the Arizona Cardinals. Currently wearing No. 57 for New Orleans is undrafted rookie linebacker Tyreem Powell. There have been 15 players who have worn No. 57 for the Saints previously. We take a look at all of them today, with none better than a New Orleans icon and first predominantly Saints player to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Saints' History of No. 57 LB Mike Morgan (1969-70) LB Jim Merlo (1973-79) C Larry Coombs (1980) LB Rickey Jackson (1981-93) LB Scott Leach (1987) LB Curtis Holden (2001) LB Colby Bockwoldt (2004-05) LB Jason Kyle (2009-10) LB David Hawthorne (2012-15) DE Jason Trusnik (2016) LB Chris McCain (2016) DE Alex Okafor (2017-18) DE Jalyn Holmes (2021) DE Christian Ringo (2021) DE Ryder Anderson (2022) LB Tyreem Powell (2025) Shreveport native and former LSU product Mike Morgan was also the first to wear 57 for the Saints. He was with the team for two seasons, intercepting one pass and returning one of his 3 fumble recoveries for a touchdown in 23 outings. Larry Coombs was the first and only offensive player to wear 57 for New Orleans, doing so for just one game during the 1980 season. Between Morgan and Coombs in No. 57 was Jim Merlo, the first New Orleans draft choice to wear the number. A fourth round pick in the 1973 NFL draft, Merlo was with the Saints for all of his six years in the NFL, playing 88 games with 68 starts. It is the second longest tenure of any player who has worn No. 57 for New Orleans. Merlo had 8 interceptions in his Saints career, returning three for touchdowns, in addition to 6 sacks and 11 fumble is no doubting that the best to wear No. 57 was Rickey Jackson. An All-American with the Pitt Panthers, Jackson somehow fell to the late second round of a star-studded 1981 NFL Draft, where New Orleans grabbed him with the 51st overall choice. He made an immediate impact for the Saints and throughout the league, quickly developing into an elite talent. Jackson's 13 years and 195 games are by far the most by any Saints player to wear 57. The initial member of the iconic Dome Patrol foursome of linebackers, Jackson carved out a place at the top of New Orleans record books in several categories. He had 123 sacks as a Saint, along with 7 interceptions and 38 forced fumbles. Jackson was inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame in 1997 and into the franchise's Ring of Honor in 2013. In 2010, Jackson received the highest possible honor in football when inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. After Jackson departed as a free agent to the hated San Francisco 49ers in 1994, there wouldn't be another Saint to wear his number until 2001. Over the 24 years since, 10 players have worn No. 57 for New Orleans during a regular season contest. Only one of them, David Hawthorne, managed to do so for more than two years. Hawthorne had 6 sacks and one interception in his 50 games with the Saints. It is the third longest tenure of anyone to wear No. 57 for the franchise. Alex Okafor had a short tenure with New Orleans, but probably the most productive one outside of Rickey Jackson and Jim Merlo of the players in 57. Okafor appeared in 26 regular season games as a Saint. Over that span, he'd record 8.5 sacks with 10 tackles for loss and forced 3 fumbles. The three players since Okafor to wear No. 57 have done so for a combined 10 games. This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: 57 days until Saints season opener: Every player to wear No. 57
USA Today
12-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
57 days until Saints season opener: Every player to wear No. 57
Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Rickey Jackson is the best player to put it on The New Orleans Saints kick off their 2025 regular season 57 days from today at home against the Arizona Cardinals. Currently wearing No. 57 for New Orleans is undrafted rookie linebacker Tyreem Powell. There have been 15 players who have worn No. 57 for the Saints previously. We take a look at all of them today, with none better than a New Orleans icon and first predominantly Saints player to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Saints' History of No. 57 Shreveport native and former LSU product Mike Morgan was also the first to wear 57 for the Saints. He was with the team for two seasons, intercepting one pass and returning one of his 3 fumble recoveries for a touchdown in 23 outings. Larry Coombs was the first and only offensive player to wear 57 for New Orleans, doing so for just one game during the 1980 season. Between Morgan and Coombs in No. 57 was Jim Merlo, the first New Orleans draft choice to wear the number. A fourth round pick in the 1973 NFL draft, Merlo was with the Saints for all of his six years in the NFL, playing 88 games with 68 starts. It is the second longest tenure of any player who has worn No. 57 for New Orleans. Merlo had 8 interceptions in his Saints career, returning three for touchdowns, in addition to 6 sacks and 11 fumble is no doubting that the best to wear No. 57 was Rickey Jackson. An All-American with the Pitt Panthers, Jackson somehow fell to the late second round of a star-studded 1981 NFL Draft, where New Orleans grabbed him with the 51st overall choice. He made an immediate impact for the Saints and throughout the league, quickly developing into an elite talent. Jackson's 13 years and 195 games are by far the most by any Saints player to wear 57. The initial member of the iconic Dome Patrol foursome of linebackers, Jackson carved out a place at the top of New Orleans record books in several categories. He had 123 sacks as a Saint, along with 7 interceptions and 38 forced fumbles. Jackson was inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame in 1997 and into the franchise's Ring of Honor in 2013. In 2010, Jackson received the highest possible honor in football when inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. After Jackson departed as a free agent to the hated San Francisco 49ers in 1994, there wouldn't be another Saint to wear his number until 2001. Over the 24 years since, 10 players have worn No. 57 for New Orleans during a regular season contest. Only one of them, David Hawthorne, managed to do so for more than two years. Hawthorne had 6 sacks and one interception in his 50 games with the Saints. It is the third longest tenure of anyone to wear No. 57 for the franchise. Alex Okafor had a short tenure with New Orleans, but probably the most productive one outside of Rickey Jackson and Jim Merlo of the players in 57. Okafor appeared in 26 regular season games as a Saint. Over that span, he'd record 8.5 sacks with 10 tackles for loss and forced 3 fumbles. The three players since Okafor to wear No. 57 have done so for a combined 10 games.
USA Today
06-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Ranking the top 20 sacks leaders in New Orleans Saints franchise history
Ranking the top 20 sacks leaders in New Orleans Saints franchise history Cameron Jordan finds himself on the heels of a Hall of Famer Our top-20 series continues as we shift to the defensive side of the ball, highlighting the New Orleans Saints' all-time sack leaders. This list features some of the most disruptive forces to ever wear the black and gold — players who built their legacies by living in opponents' backfields. A current All-Pro linebacker makes a surprise appearance at the 20th spot, while a pair of beloved fan favorites sit near the top, each playing a key role in establishing the dominant defenses of the Sean Payton era. And at the very top, another active Saint is on the brink of history, needing just two more sacks to pass a Pro Football Hall of Famer and claim the franchise record. At least unofficially. Before we get into the list, we should note that sacks have only been tracked officially since 1982. But the team at Pro Football Reference went back further and did the work to chart sacks in years beyond that. That's why Rickey Jackson (who had 8 unofficial sacks in his 1981 rookie season) still places ahead of Cameron Jordan, who was officially named the franchise sacks leader during the 2022 season. So while this is an unofficial list, as PFR's work has not been double-checked by the NFL, ESPN, or another major outlet, it's still worth remembering the guys who made key plays before they were given full credit for it. Here are the (unofficial) top 20 sack leaders in New Orleans Saints history: 1. Rickey Jackson (1981-1993): 123 sacks 2. Cameron Jordan (2011-2024): 121.5 sacks 3. Wayne Martin (1989-1999): 82.5 sacks 4. Pat Swilling (1986-1992): 76.5 sacks 5. Will Smith (2004-2012): 67.5 sacks 6. Frank Warren (1981-1994): 56 sacks 7. Joe Johnson (1994-2001): 50.5 sacks 8. La'Roi Glover (1997-2001): 50 sacks 9. Jim Wilks (1981-1993): 49 sacks 10. Derland Moore: (1973-1985): 48 sacks 11. Charles Grant (2002-2009): 47 sacks Tied-12. Darren Howard (2000-2005): 44.5 sacks Tied-12. Renaldo Turnbull (1990-1996): 44.5 sacks 14. Elois Grooms (1975-1981): 42.5 sacks 15. Bruce Clark (1982-1988): 39.5 sacks 16. Joe Owens (1971-1975): 38 sacks 17. Bob Pollard (1971-1977): 37 sacks 18. Elex Price (1973-1980): 32 sacks 19. Junior Galette (2010-2014): 31.5 sacks 20. Demario Davis (2018-2024): 31 sacks
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
New Orleans Saints Undrafted Rookies Assigned Initial Jersey Numbers
On Wednesday, the New Orleans Saints revealed the initial jersey numbers for their nine choices in the 2025 NFL Draft. Perhaps unnoticed was that 11 of the Saints' undrafted rookies also received their first jersey assignments. Few teams in the NFL have a better success rate than New Orleans at finding undrafted gems. Therefore, at least a few of these overlooked rookies warrant attention being paid. Here is a list of the first jersey numbers for the Saints 2025 undrafted rookie class. Virginia Cavaliers wide receiver Chris Tyree (4) runs the ball against the Clemson Tigers. Mandatory Credit: Alexander Hicks-Imagn Images 37 = Dalys Beanum, CB (South Dakota State) Advertisement 46 = James Burnip, P (Alabama) 59 = Jasheen Davis, Edge (Wake Forest) 35 = Elliott Davison, S (UTSA) 84 = Moochie Dixon, WR (SMU) 73 = Easton Kitty, OT (Kansas State) 57 = Tyreem Powell, LB (Rutgers) 68 = Torricelli Simpkins, G (South Carolina) 74 = Omari Thomas, DT (Tennessee) 89 = Chris Tyree, WR (Virginia) 34 = Marcus Yarns, RB (Delaware) Oct 3, 1993; FILE PHOTO; New Orleans Saints linebacker Rickey Jackson (57) in action against the Los Angeles Rams. Mandatory Credit: Imagn Images There are a few notable numbers that jump out from this group. Number 57 was worn by Dome Patrol linebacker and NFL Hall of Famer Rickey Jackson, arguably the second greatest player in franchise history. Only 10 players have worn 57 for the Saints since Jackson left New Orleans after the 1993 season. Just four of those players were with the Saints for more than one year. Defensive end Ryder Anderson last wore 57 in seven games last season. Advertisement Number 73 was most famously worn by guard Jahri Evans from 2006 to 2016. Evans is another probable Pro Football Hall of Famer and is already in the Saints Hall of Fame. Defensive end Frank Warren, also in the franchise Hall of Fame, wore 73 from 1981 to 1994. The number was last worn by offensive lineman Max Garcia last year. Sept. 6, 1981; FILE PHOTO; New Orleans Saints defensive end Frank Warren (73) lines up against the Atlanta Falcons. Mandatory Credit: Manny Rubio-Imagn Images Running back Ricky Williams is not in the Saints Hall of Fame, but is the key figure in the most infamous trade in franchise history. He wore 34 in an underrated New Orleans career from 1999 to 2001. Also sporting 34 most notably was Saints Hall of Fame back Tony Galbreath, RB Craig Heyward, and CB Mike McKenzie. The last to wear the number during a regular season game was RB Tony Jones in 2023. Advertisement The number 37 is rightfully immortalized on a statue outside the Superdome. On that statue is Steve Gleason, depicting his epic blocked punt against the Atlanta Falcons in their 2006 return to the Dome after Hurricane Katrina. This still stands as one of the most iconic and emotional moments in New Orleans sports history. Number 37 was first donned by linebacker Steve Stonebreaker in 1967, the inaugural season for the Saints. Safety Tommy Myers also notably wore 37 from 1972 to 1981. Myers was the first defensive player to be inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame in 1989. It was last worn by running back Jordan Mims in 2023. Dec 18, 2022; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (89) catches a long pass against the Atlanta Falcons. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images Wide receiver Quinn Early is probably the most notable player to wear 89 for the Saints. Early was an extremely underrated, but also a highly productive weapon for New Orleans from 1991 to 1995. Advertisement All of this year's undrafted rookies may look to teammate, wideout Rashid Shaheed, for inspiration. Shaheed was undrafted himself in 2022 and has since developed into one of the NFL's most explosive weapons. As a rookie in 2022, Shaheed wore number 89 before switching to 22 the last two years. He is the last player to wear 89 during a regular season game for the Saints. Related: New Orleans Saints Draft Picks Get Initial Jersey Numbers Related: Why Saints Drafting Of Kelvin Banks Jr. Made Sense Related: Saints Draft Pick Tyler Shough Among Favorites For 2025 NFL Rookie Of The Year Related: Third-Round Choice Vernon Broughton May Be Just What The Saints Needed For Their Defense Related: Why The Saints Targeted Virginia Safety Jonas Sanker In The NFL Draft Related: Why The Saints Targeted Oklahoma Linebacker Danny Stutsman In The Draft Related: How Louisville Draft Pick Quincy Riley Fills A Saints Need
