To sell or purchase programs call John Holzer at (504) 830-7244. The 2024 New Orleans Saints Gameday is produced for the New Orleans Saints by Renaissance Publishing, LLC, 110 Veterans Boulevard, Suite 123, Metairie, Louisiana, 70005, (504) 828-1380 MyNewOrleans.com | BizNewOrleans.com
Copyright 2024 New Orleans Saints and Renaissance Publishing, LLC. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the consent of the publisher.
PRE-GAME ENTERTAINMENT
Color Guard 377th TSC Color Guard
American Flag Unveiling Saints Season Ticket Holders
Saints Flags Unveiling Saints Season Ticket Holders
NATIONAL ANTHEM ELIZABETH BURRIS
Elizabeth Burris is an LSU junior and Dean’s List recipient who has performed the national anthem for all LSU sports, the NBA, and Major League Baseball. An accomplished songwriter and awardwinning vocalist, she performs on theater stages including professional roles at Le Petit Theatre and Contemporary Praise Band at St. Timothy Church in Mandeville, and has been recognized by Ozone Songwriter Foundation. At only 20 years old, Elizabeth has now sung the national anthem for more than 200,000 pro/college fans over the last few years and is thrilled to make her NFL anthem debut at home with her beloved New Orleans Saints!
CHAMPIONS SQUARE ENTERTAINMENT
HOT 8 BRASS BAND
For more than 20 years, one of the most popular and visible funk-style brass bands in community parades and funerals has been the Hot 8 Brass Band. In 1996, sousaphone player Bennie Pete was instrumental in merging two former Fortier High School student groups, the High Steppers and the Looney Tunes Brass Bands, to form the Hot 8. The players grew up together and maintain strong, family-like bonds and regular membership. Most of them were born between 1975 and 1987 in a generation that grew up hearing mainly modern-style brass bands in community functions. The band can be larger than many younger groups, often featuring ten members, including three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, bass drum, and snare drum. As is common among some more modern groups, the Hot 8 uses only one reed player, and like most of the younger bands, the Hot 8’s funk style is a blend of influences from the Dirty Dozen and Rebirth, with more elements of contemporary r&b, rap, and its local variation, “bounce.” The uniqueness of their sound is mainly due to a steady stream of creative original songs and ideas composed or introduced by various band members. Since the Dirty Dozen, the sousaphone has had a more prominent role in brass bands as a feature and solo instrument; it frequently sets up and maintains short rhythmic (often melodic) grooves that dominate and propel most songs in the band.
IN-GAME ENTERTAINMENT
Gumbo
Sir Saint Storyville Jazz Band
Saints Cheer Krewe
HALFTIME 610 STOMPERS
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
People’s Health Champion
Entergy Lineman: Powering Saints Nation
Community Coffee Military Moment
The 610 Stompers are many things, but first and foremost, they are Ordinary Men with Extraordinary Moves. Since their start in 2009, they have evolved and grown into a 100-man strong, all-male dance group whose bold mission is to return the ordinary man to the glory of dance. Men from their 20s to their 80s now proudly call themselves 610 Stompers, drawn from all walks of life and from across the country. While they come from many places, New Orleans is the group’s birthplace and will always be their home. Only here could they create, nurture and grow the singular brand of entertainment they bring to the masses. As diverse as they are, they each share a passion for dance that fires when they see the faces of their fans light up as they dance by. Entertainment is not all their moves bring – the 610 men not only have extraordinary moves, they have extraordinary hearts.
LEGEND OF THE GAME DL WAYNE MARTIN
Martin returns to New Orleans to be honored by the team and fans prior to an important NFC Contest. The club’s first round draft pick in 1989 (19th overall) out of the University of Arkansas, Martin was an ironman, missing only one contest in 11 seasons and starting 144 straight games. The Cherry Valley, Ark. native amassed 82.5 career sacks, ranked third in franchise history. In 1992, Martin was selected as an Associated Press All-Pro when he racked up 15.5 sacks and had 10+ takedowns each season from 1994-97. In 2003, Martin was inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame.
DE CAMERON JORDAN NEW ORLEANS SAINTS NOMINEE FOR WALTER PAYTON NFL MAN OF THE YEAR
New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan has been selected as the team’s nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide for the third time in his career. The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award is the league’s most prestigious honor, recognizing players who excel on-the-field and demonstrate a steadfast commitment to creating a positive impact beyond the game.
“Cam’s dedication to this community has been evident since he became part of the Saints family 14 years ago,” said Owner Gayle Benson. “His true passion for helping people, especially our youth, shines through in everything he does. Whether on or off the field, Cam gives his full effort. He is a respected ten-year team captain, a devoted husband and father, and a compassionate servant to our community, making him the model Saint. I could not be more proud of Cam and all that he has accomplished.”
Jordan has been a fixture both on and off the field for the Saints since being selected with the 24th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft out of the University of California. In 14 seasons, Jordan has played in 222 games with 221 starts and has posted 795 tackles (487 solo), a club-record 118.5 sacks, three interceptions, 67 pass breakups, 15 forced fumbles and 11 fumble recoveries. Jordan has also been selected to eight Pro Bowls, the most by a Saints defender and secondmost in team history, three AP All-Pro honors and was voted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame selectors 2010’s All-Decade team.
Growing up in a football family, as the son of former Minnesota Vikings tight end Steve Jordan, a member of the Vikings Ring
of Honor, Cam Jordan saw firsthand the positive influence that the National Football League and its players can have on a community. Steve Jordan’s emphasis on the importance of education and serving youth had a direct effect on his son personally, and influenced him to use the same emphasis in his community work.
While Jordan has always stepped up to assist the community both financially and with in-kind acts for those in need or during times of crisis, development of the area’s youth has always been a priority. The backbone of his extensive community service throughout the year during his entire playing career are school visits with an emphasis on mentoring, motivation, education and physical fitness. By the end of the season, Jordan will have visited
over 20 schools on a Monday or a Tuesday.
Jordan has also bestowed upon each school a $10,000 donation that provides tangible benefit, whether it’s supplies or educational/ extracurricular benefits to the students and staff in their quest for achievement and development.
For the long-term benefit of the community, the dutiful defender’s “Cam Jordan Foundation” has renewed its mission to create positive change in the lives of children and better the community through resources, youth development initiatives and innovative experiences. Annually, including this year, both through his financial generosity and the personal participation and support of his family, the foundation hosts a youth football camp providing both football and life skills instruction, back-to-school
supply giveaways for both students and teachers, a Thanksgiving turkey giveaway and a holiday shoe shopping spree.
In the spring, the Cam Jordan Foundation will introduce a college scholarship program to benefit deserving students in Greater New Orleans, with the first recipient scheduled to receive this opportunity for the 2025-26 academic year.
In recognition of his efforts throughout the region off-the-field, the New Orleans Super Bowl LIX Host Committee selected Jordan as one of their Community Champions in September. As a Community Champion, Jordan uses his impact and influence to engage in community programs designed to empower local youth, families, neighborhoods and underrepresented businesses, as Super Bowl LIX seeks to leave the region with a lasting legacy.
“Growing up, I witnessed firsthand the influence and platform my father had off the field as an NFL player,” said Jordan. “NFL players have an incredible platform and opportunity to make a positive difference for our youth and underserved communities. It means the world to me to know that I can inspire others through my time, resources and encouragement. I feel truly blessed to give back to the Greater New Orleans community, which has embraced my family
and I with open arms since I was drafted 14 years ago. New Orleans has become our home and I am committed to do whatever I can to make it a better place.”
Jordan and the other 31 team nominees will receive $55,000 each to support their charitable initiatives and the league Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award winner will receive up to a $265,000 donation to their charity of choice, made possible by the NFL Foundation and Nationwide Foundation.
All 32 nominees will be recognized for their community service during Super Bowl LIX week in New Orleans. The Walter Payton NFL Man of The Year winner will be announced during NFL Honors at the Saenger Theatre. The prime time awards special will air on FOX and the NFL Network on Feb. 6.
Fans are once again encouraged to participate in Nationwide’s annual Charity Challenge, a social media and online contest that allows fans to show support for their favorite Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee. Fans can vote on X/Twitter by posting #WPMOYChallenge along with the last name/X handle of their chosen nominee or by voting directly on //NFL.com/ ManOfTheYear. The nominee who receives the most collective hashtag mentions and online votes will win an additional $35,000 donation from Nationwide to the charity of their choice, with the runner-up receiving $10,000 and the third-place winner receiving $5,000. Charity Challenge voting takes place through Sunday, Jan. 6, 2025.
Continuing through the end of the season, each of this year’s nominees, including Jordan, will wear a special Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year helmet decal in recognition of their accomplishments on and off the field. For more information about the award, please visit NFL.com/ManOfTheYear.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS LB NEPHI SEWELL SELECTED AS TEAM 2024 ED BLOCK COURAGE AWARD WINNER
In a vote by his teammates, New Orleans Saints LB Nephi Sewell has been named the club’s 2024 Ed Block Courage Award winner, which is given annually to a player from each National Football League team that has persevered through adversity. The award was created in honor of the former head athletic trainer of the Baltimore Colts to annually recognize one player from every NFL team who best exemplifies a commitment to sportsmanship and courage. Sewell’s teammates voted him as the club’s winner based on his work ethic and perseverance in his rehabilitation from a torn anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered in Week 17 of the 2023 season. Originally signed as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Utah in 2022, the Orem, Utah native spent the majority of his rookie season on the team’s practice squad, while contributing on special teams in four games. In 2023, he earned a spot on the 53-man roster out of the preseason and appeared in the first 16 games of the season, ranking fifth on the team in kicking game snaps to the point of his injury, while also earning reps on defense. Sewell had made the most of his action, totaling ten tackles (seven solo), five coverage stops and a forced fumble recovered on a punt play and returned by a teammate for a touchdown.
The month of December had inspired Sewell to have his two most productive games as a professional. In a win over Carolina on Dec. 10, he had eight tackles, including two stops for loss to tie for the team lead. The next week, in a 24-6 victory over the New York Giants, he forced a fumble on a punt play that was recovered by LB D’Marco Jackson and returned for a touchdown. Two weeks later at Tampa Bay on Dec. 31, Sewell suffered a season-ending injury. Surgery would follow his seasonending injury, including a strenuous recovery and rehabilitation process that would take over nine months to make a return in 2024 possible, given the late calendar date of his injury. Following his extensive work with the Saints medical staff, Sewell returned to the practice field on October 30. Just over two weeks later, he would make his season debut in the team’s 35-14 win over the Cleveland Browns on November 17, seeing 15 snaps in the kicking game. Following his return to the field, Sewell has reprised his role as one of the team’s core special teams players, while also competing for snaps on defense.
Persistence and hard work have always been a part of Sewell’s makeup. He suffered another serious injury when he needed a vertebrae fusion surgery after making a tackle for Desert Hills High School in St.
George, Utah in his team’s 2015 season opener. Sewell would return from the injury in 2016 and lead his team to the Utah state championship as a senior and go on to play college football at Nevada and Utah. In the spring, Sewell will travel to Baltimore, Md., along with the other 31 Ed Block Courage Award team recipients, to represent the team and participate in several events, including the Ed Block Celebration and VIP Sponsor Brunch. The visit will conclude with a special Courage Awards Ceremony and a St. Vincent’s Villa Community Outreach with the abused children of the Baltimore Ravens Courage House presenting the players with their trophies.
COMMITMENT TO NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
CITED AS GAYLE AND TOM BENSON ARE INDUCTED INTO GREATER NEW ORLEANS SPORTS FOUNDATION HALL OF FAME
As he lauded the Bensons’ commitment to Louisiana, New Orleans and the New Orleans Saints on Friday, November 22, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell presented Gayle and Tom Benson for induction into the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation Hall of Fame in the Caesars Superdome. Goodell adjusted his schedule accordingly, in order to present the Bensons. Tom Benson died in 2018.
New Orleans will host its record-tying 11th Super Bowl – Super Bowl LIX – on Feb. 9, 2025. The NFL’s championship game became a fixture in New Orleans during Tom Benson’s lifetime as owner, and continues under Gayle Benson.
“I realize how incredibly busy you are in the middle of this season, and know how much Tom would appreciate you being here today, as you certainly know I am,” Gayle Benson said to Goodell. “One thing I would like all of our fans to know is that Roger has been a champion for the people of New Orleans and the Gulf South for many years.
“Prior to becoming commissioner, Roger played a critical role in assisting the team in its return to New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, as he directed both league personnel and other resources the NFL provided, as we navigated the unbelievably difficult task of being able to play our games again in New Orleans just months after the storm.
“He has also been a consistent and enthusiastic supporter of New Orleans as a Super Bowl host city. While I am sure he cannot admit it out loud, I have no doubt New Orleans is his favorite Super Bowl location. But we promise, and I do, not to tell anybody.”
Goodell said the Bensons helped create a legacy of resiliency in New Orleans.
"Tom and Gayle Benson have made the Saints into a powerful and special franchise, fostering deep and unique connections with the city of New Orleans," Goodell said. "Tom bought the Saints in 1985. The Superdome hosted Super Bowls in 1986, 1990, 1997, 2002 and 2013.
"Do you get my drift? Tom Benson was a magnet for the Super Bowl. He really knew how to bring it from the NFL.
"Losing Tom was tough for all of us, but it was made easier by our belief in Gayle. Her stewardship has shaped the team's achievements and reinforced its connection with this community. Gayle is devoted to her faith, family, staff, players and the people of New Orleans and this region. She is one of the most gracious people I know, and also a trusted confidant."
Gayle Benson said that Tom would have appreciated the induction and recognition.
"One of the many things Tom and I shared is a passion for New Orleans and unwavering pride in the city we grew up in," she said. "We love hosting the Super Bowl because it gives us the chance to show off New Orleans to the rest of the NFL and fans across the world.
"This community takes so much pride in being great hosts and please understand – no other city is more appreciative of the
opportunity to do so."
Goodell said the NFL's return for Super Bowl LIX was made possible by Gayle Benson's vision and action.
"It's also a tribute to her partnership with Tom," he said. "The New Orleans football legacy is built on their foundation. Tom and Gayle's impact on both the league and their community has been immeasurable, and we are deeply grateful for their contributions."
Benson noted that the Super Bowl offers an opportunity to inspire and unite.
"One of the things I value most about being the owner of the Saints and Pelicans is to see how the teams bring people together who might not have much else in common," she said.
"As our world becomes more polarized and divided, the real power of sports is to provide an outlet where people can join in common cause in support of something, rather than focus on what we are against – except when we play the Falcons."
IT TAKES ALL OF US TO ADVANCE SOCIAL JUSTICE
The NFL’s Inspire Change initiative focuses on reducing barriers to opportunity and creating progress in education, economic advancement, community and police relations, and criminal justice reform. With the return of the Inspire Change Changemaker Award, the NFL is continuing to recognize community members who are working every dayto advance social justice.
To learn more about each team’s Changemaker and about Inspire Change visit nfl.com/inspirechange
Gayle Benson provides leadership for the New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Pelicans. She succeeds her husband, Tom Benson, who passed away on March 15, 2018, after serving as Owner of the Saints since 1985 and the Pelicans since 2012. The New Orleans native is an accomplished business professional and philanthropist with strong ties to the local community and is dedicated to contributing to the growth and enhancement of the Gulf South region.
Mr. and Mrs. Benson worked together to build model NFL and NBA organizations, housed in stateof-the-art facilities at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center, Caesars Superdome and Smoothie King Center, while making a positive impact in the community.
With the Saints franchise under the guidance of Mr. and Mrs. Benson, the team has reached new heights since 2006, when they entrusted Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis to set the direction for the organization. Since then, the franchise has reached its highest point of success, posting a 184-124 record from 2006-23, featuring 11 winning seasons, nine playoff berths, seven division titles, three NFC Championship appearances and the Super Bowl XLIV title.
In Mrs. Benson’s first six full seasons of ownership, New Orleans has posted five winning campaigns, three consecutive NFC South division titles (2018-20) and reached the 2018 NFC Championship game. No NFC team has matched the Saints’ 33 regular season road victories from 2018-23. Their 63 regular season wins are first in the NFC during the six-season period. 15 different Saints players have received a combined 32 Pro Bowl selections and nine separate players over the past six seasons have received Associated Press All-Pro honors.
The Caesars Superdome completed a five-year, $560 million, multi-phase transformation for the 2024 season, as it retains its standing as one of the world’s most iconic multipurpose facilities on the eve of hosting Super Bowl LIX on February 9, 2025. Home contests played at the facility have been sold out on a season ticket basis for every campaign since 2006, with a waiting list of over 73,000 and 182 consecutive sellouts
GAYLE BENSON OWNER
for contests played at the venue through the 2023 campaign. The team’s Ochsner Sports Performance Center, one of the most cutting edge practice facilities in the NFL, just completed a one-year transformation project, featuring the construction a brand-new cafeteria and renovation of the draft room and weight room.
Following in the footsteps of her late husband, who played a significant role in the City of New Orleans hosting five Super Bowls during his ownership and wielded extensive influence and respect among fellow NFL owners with a 25-year tenure as Chairman of the Finance Committee, Mrs. Benson has become instrumental with her leadership in important league issues, serving on the Audit, Business Ventures and Hall of Fame Committees, as well as the Social Justice Working Group. She served as a key voice in securing New Orleans’ bid to host Super Bowl LIX, which will mark the 11th time the Crescent City will serve as a host, tying with Miami for the most Super Bowls by a host city. The economic impact of Super Bowl XLVII, played in 2013, which Mr. Benson successfully campaigned for, was $480 million for the greater New Orleans region, not to mention the exposure and charitable contributions that the National Football League makes during Super Bowl week that extends for generations. Mrs. Benson remains committed to bringing future Super Bowls to New Orleans.
Immediately upon Mr. and Mrs. Benson’s purchase of the former Hornets franchise from the NBA in 2012, construction began on a state-of-the-art basketball practice facility to house the entire organization together, while also rebranding as the Pelicans. Through agreements with the State of Louisiana upon the 2012 purchase, the Smoothie King Center has seen renovations, featuring a new center-hung HD scoreboard, which debuted in 2015, along with several additional fan upgrades. Through this commitment, NBA All-Star Weekend was awarded to New Orleans in 2014 and 2017, making the city one of just seven current NBA markets to host the mid-season event at least three times. Active in league affairs, Mrs. Benson, serves as a member of the NBA’s Labor Relations Committee and was named to the NBA Foundation Board of Directors in 2020. As a board member, she is constantly an advocate for the city of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana. Since her 2020 addition, distributions by the foundation have benefited numerous deserving New Orleans nonprofits.
Mrs. Benson oversaw a significant overhaul of the Pelicans in 2019 when she hired Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin and committed to significant upgrades to the Ochsner Sports Performance Center’s basketball
facilities. Through the support of these organizational improvements by Mrs. Benson, combined with several important player acquisitions through the draft, free agency and trades and the hiring of Head Coach Willie Green, the Pelicans have established a solid foundation, reaching the 2023-24 playoffs.
Community investment and giving back have been hallmarks of Mr. and Mrs. Benson’s ownership of the Saints and Pelicans. This tradition continues under Mrs. Benson’s stewardship, sharing her late husband’s vision and passion for helping others. She has further enriched the New Orleans community through her support to causes in the health and wellness, cancer care, education, arts and faith-based sectors.
As dedicated corporate citizens, the Saints and Pelicans annually put millions of dollars back into the community in financial support, in-kind donations, charitable appearances and donations of goods and services. Mrs. Benson’s philanthropic leadership has been recognized far and wide since becoming Owner.
Mrs. Benson has always quickly responded and taken action to conditions that affect the local community adversely. With the COVID-19 pandemic and Hurricane Ida providing multiple challenges to the New Orleans area and its citizens over a two-year period, Mrs. Benson donated over $2 million, partnering with the Greater New Orleans Foundation to assist local organizations and individuals in need to help the region and its residents recover from difficult circumstances. In 2020, utilizing the platform of the Saints and Pelicans to harness the unifying power of sport to advance race relations across both the Gulf South and the country, she formed the Social Justice Leadership Alliance to advocate for issues of change in minority communities.
In 2014, Mrs. Benson was honored by the New Orleans Council for Community and Justice with its Weiss Award, recognizing achievement for exceptional civic and humanitarian contributions. In 2015, the couple were honored by the regional chapter of the Anti-Defamation League with the A.I. Botnick Torch of Liberty Award. In 2018, she and Mr. Benson (posthumously) were honored by two of the city’s leading higher education institutions. They received a Dermot McGlinchey Lifetime Achievement Award from Tulane University, honoring those who have demonstrated service, volunteer involvement and commitment to Tulane and their hometown communities and were inducted into the University of New Orleans’ Hall of Distinction.
In 2019, Mrs. Benson received several important honors. She was honored by Xavier University of Louisiana with the Sister Maris Stella “Women of Faith” Award and was recognized by the UNCF with the group’s
MASKED Award for her support of educational opportunities for all. Additionally, Mrs. Benson was honored by the Allstate Sugar Bowl Chapter of the National Football Foundation/College Football Hall of Fame with its Distinguished American Award. The National World War II Museum selected her as an American Spirit Medallion recipient. The Greater New Orleans Foundation also honored Mrs. Benson with the organization’s Spark Plug Award, given to an individual whose philanthropy in the greater New Orleans community has been exemplary.
In 2021, Mrs. Benson was presented by the University of Holy Cross with its Spes Unica Award, the educational institution’s highest honor, based on her support of the university’s mission to educate both the mind and heart. She was the Times-Picayune’s 2021 Loving Cup award winner, an honor which has been presented since 1901 to men and women who have performed exemplary service to the community without expecting material recognition.
In 2022, Mrs. Benson was recognized by the local charity, Clover, as a co-recipient of the Reverend Beverley Warner Ward, for her extensive work with the non-profit whose mission is to educate children, strengthen families and build community. Mrs. Benson was honored by the American Cancer Society’s Louisiana Chapter with their 2022 Heart & Soul Award for her constant support in the fight against cancer through the services provided to cancer patients, families and caregivers at Ochsner’s Gayle and Tom Benson Cancer Center. She was also recognized by the Southeast Louisiana Council, Boy Scouts of America with their 2022 “Distinguished Citizen” Award. In 2023, Mrs. Benson was honored as a “Louisiana Legend” by Louisiana Public Broadcasting for distinguishing herself in the sports field and through her philanthropy. Realizing the need for the commitment to people with disabilities by her sports organizations and business ventures, whether enhancing their fan experience or providing employment opportunities/support, she was selected for the 2023 Human Highlight Never Moment Award by the KultureCity organization. With Mrs. Benson’s encouragement, the Saints became a founding partner of the HBCU Legacy Bowl all-star game held in New Orleans, establishing financial support for the contest and its week of events, which includes hosting a scouting combine for participants at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center and a career fair for both players and HBCU students. The career fair attracts over 100 regional and national employers to help provide opportunities and networking for HBCU students. In recognition of her support of the events, Mrs. Benson received the 2023 Black College Football Hall of Fame Founders Award. Mrs. Benson was also inducted into the Louisiana Center for Women in Government & Business (LCWGB) Hall of Fame alongside former Louisiana first lady, Donna Edwards. Mrs. Benson also received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the LCWGB, which recognized her remarkable achievements in business and her unwavering generosity toward various causes across the state of Louisiana.
In 2024, at Washington Mardi Gras, Mrs. Benson received the Humanitarian of the Century Award from U.S. Senator John Kennedy, which recognized
her continuous philanthropic efforts throughout New Orleans, the state of Louisiana, and the Gulf South region. In November Mrs. Benson along with Mr. Benson posthumously were inducted into the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation Hall of Fame.
In addition to serving on the boards of several local educational institutions and the New Orleans Museum of Art, Mrs. Benson is also a member of the Audubon Commission, which oversees the Audubon Nature Institute.
Mrs. Benson has been a longtime trusted and valued member of the local Catholic community, reflecting her deep religious faith. She has worked tirelessly with the Archdiocese of New Orleans’ Catholic Charities organization and its umbrella agencies that feature almost 50 programs and three affiliated ministries. These organizations deliver health and human services to those in need in the eight Southeast Louisiana parishes, which the Archdiocese serves, as well as food and nutrition services throughout the state. Mrs. Benson has worked closely with St. Louis Cathedral’s Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) program. Currently, she is in the midst of leading an unprecedented effort to repair and restore the St. Louis Cathedral with the Our City, Our Cathedral campaign, which aims to restore the city’s most iconic building after suffering from nearly two centuries of wear and tear, water damage and settling. Mrs. Benson’s support of the Catholic Church has been recognized numerous times locally, nationally and on an international level. In 2002, she received the Medal of the Order of St. Louis Award for dedication to the Church. In 2010, she became an Honorary Oblate of Mary Immaculate and in recognition of longstanding support of Catholic education, Mr. and Mrs. Benson received the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Award from the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA). In 2012, Mr. and Mrs. Benson received from Pope Benedict XVI the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice award, which recognizes outstanding service to the Church and the Pontiff, the highest Papal award granted to a lay person. She holds a leadership role after being inducted as Dame Commander with Star in the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem and is a commander of the Order of St. Lazarus, a confraternity of Christian faithful who profess their commitment to Jesus Christ. In February, she was recognized by FADICA, the leading Catholic philanthropic network of foundations and donors supporting Catholic activities and initiatives, with the Mary Magdalene Medal of Service, which recognizes someone who shares their time, talent and treasure with the Church. She was also the recipient of the Catholic Community Foundation's 2024 St. John Paul II Award, a prestigious honor presented by the Archbishop and the foundation to an outstanding Catholic layperson who exhibits unwavering faith, inspirational generosity, and a deep commitment to the New Orleans community.
Mrs. Benson began her professional career in 1968 as a manager for a noted New York-based jeweler. She was responsible for overseeing and managing the daily operation of over 40 sales associates. She then branched out into real estate development, which allowed her to successfully integrate her passion for interior design with property management. Her first real estate transaction
occurred in 1978 when she purchased a home in New Orleans’s Irish Channel and then sold the property eight months later after extensive restoration. She would go on to purchase, manage and eventually sell numerous properties, primarily in the city’s Uptown district.
In 1975, Mrs. Benson began a 30-year design industry career where she achieved tremendous success. Throughout the course of her interior design career, she was recognized with numerous professional awards and served as an inaugural member on the Louisiana State Board of Licensing for Interior Designers for four years. She directed numerous major design efforts with her clients, including the Caesars Superdome (formerly Louisiana Superdome and Mercedes-Benz Superdome), several of the city’s most prestigious hotels, local supermarket chains, automobile dealerships, yachts and many others.
In 2000, Mrs. Benson worked with the Superdome on renovations to the iconic New Orleans landmark’s third and fourth level public spaces, in addition to renovations on select suites. She also owned and developed a commercial real estate building on the corner of Laura and Octavia Streets, a women’s clothing private enterprise called “Toujours la Ligne” and a designer’s showroom called “Designers Resource” which served as a wholesale location for designers and architects seeking to purchase fabric, wall coverings and accessories. The Men of Fashion Committee recognized Mrs. Benson as one of the “Ten Best Dressed Women in New Orleans” in 1983. In addition to her ownership of the Saints and Pelicans, Mrs. Benson established GMB Racing Stables in 2014 with an initial purchase of seven colts and hiring three veteran trainers, all with Louisiana ties. In 2016, two of the thoroughbreds, Mo Tom and Tom’s Ready, participated in the Kentucky Derby. Another thoroughbred, Lone Sailor, ran in the 2018 Kentucky Derby and Preakness. She owns Benson Farm in Paris, Ky., a 1,000-acre farm with nearly 50 horses. As part of her passion for horse racing, she is a member of the esteemed Jockey Club of New York. Mrs. Benson also serves as Owner of seven automotive dealerships (Best Chevrolet, Cadillac of New Orleans, Mercedes-Benz of New Orleans, Mercedes-Benz Van Center, Mercedes-Benz of South Mississippi, Porsche New Orleans, Volkswagen of South Mississippi, Infiniti of South Mississippi), three premier collision centers across Mississippi and Louisiana, Benson Tower, Benson Capital Partners, Corporate Realty and is also a co-owner of the Hyatt Regency New Orleans.
Mrs. Benson was born in New Orleans and grew up in the Old Algiers section of the city. She began her education in Catholic schools and in 1966 graduated from Martin Behrman High School in Algiers. She received a Doctorate of Letters from Notre Dame Seminary in 2014. Serving as keynote speaker at their respective commencement ceremonies, Mrs. Benson has been awarded honorary degrees from University of Holy Cross (2015), Southern University of New Orleans (2021), Delgado Community College (2022) and an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Loyola University New Orleans (2019).
Mr. and Mrs. Benson married on October 29, 2004 at the Immaculate Conception Memorial Chapel.
In his 32nd year of coaching, his 16th in the National Football League and sixth with the Saints, Darren Rizzi was named interim head coach of the New Orleans Saints on November 4, 2024. Rizzi has coordinated highly successful special teams units for the Miami Dolphins (2010-18) and Saints (2019-present). He also added assistant head coach responsibilities in 2022 in New Orleans and also had associate head coach duties in Miami from 2017-18.
Rizzi’s units have ranked in the top half of NFL writer Rick Gosselin’s annual special teams rankings in 12 of the 13 full years that he has served as a coordinator, including first in 2019, fifth in both 2020 and 2021 and second in 2023. Since he entered the NFL coaching ranks in 2009, seven special teams players have been named to eight Pro Bowls under his tutelage. Rizzi has also coached six players to the NFL All-Rookie team in the past ten years.
Over his Saints coaching career, Rizzi’s work on special teams have made the kicking game an integral part of New Orleans’ success since 2019. On coverage units, J.T. Gray’s 81 tackles rank first in the NFL. The punting game has produced the top three seasons in club history for punts inside-the20-yard line. Since 2019, the Saints have excelled in the return game. Over the five-and-a-half season period, the team ranks seventh in the NFL in punt return average (10.3) and second in punt return touchdowns (3). The coverage units have allowed the third-lowest punt return average (7.1).
Last season, New Orleans finished in the Top 10 in the NFL in 13-of-22 special teams categories, leading or sharing the lead in five of them and finishing second in two others. New Orleans finished first in the league in opponent punt return average (5.6), while giving their defense the second-best starting point after kickoffs (24.2). Second-year WR/RS Rashid Shaheed was selected as a Pro Bowl starter as a return specialist and as an Associated Press first-team All-Pro punt returner, ranking third in the NFL in punt return average (13.6) with a 76-yard touchdown, the third-longest return in franchise history. Youth was served, as a total of nine rookies
DARREN RIZZI
INTERIM HEAD COACH
PLAYING CAREER: Rhode Island, 1989-92.
COACHING CAREER: Colgate, 1993; New Haven, 1994-97; Northeastern, 1998; New Haven (Head Coach), 1999-2001; Rutgers, 2002-07; Rhode Island (Head Coach),2008; Miami Dolphins, 2009-18; New Orleans Saints, 2019- (Interim Head Coach, 2024).
or first-year players contributed to the Saints special teams, including K Blake Grupe and LB Nephi Sewell. Grupe set the club rookie record with 30 field goals, led the team with 130 points and ranked third in the NFL with 76 touchbacks. Sewell recorded five coverage stops and forced a fumble by the punter in Week 14 that was recovered for a touchdown.
In 2022, the Saints special teams units delivered another productive season. After a seasonending toe injury suffered by Deonte Harty, Shaheed had a 9.7 average on 20 punt returns as a rookie. Despite missing three contests, Gray led the Saints with 12 coverage stops. P Blake Gillikin had a team-record 32 punts inside-the-20.
In 2021, Gray received his first career selection as a Pro Bowl starter after leading the NFL with 19 special teams tackles and was an AP first-team All-Pro. LB Andrew Dowell, in his first full NFL season, tied for fifth in the league with 14 coverage stops and blocked a punt. In his first season handling punting duties, 29 of Gillikin’s punts were downed inside the 20-yard line, ranked fourth in the NFL and tying a team record at the time. The Saints special teams unit ranked fourth in the NFL in opponent average starting position after kickoffs (24.1-yard line) and eighth in punt return average (10.0).
In 2020, Rizzi fielded a unit that ranked first in opponent punt return average (2.3), second in opponent kickoff return average (17.2), sixth in kickoff return average (25.4 avg.) and ninth in punt return average (10.2 avg.), while ranking third in opponent average starting position after kickoffs (23.8-yard line) and ninth in average starting position after kickoffs (25.9-yard line). Harty had a 12.2 punt return average and 27.3 kickoff return average.
In his first season with New Orleans in 2019, Rizzi worked with a unit that rose to first in Gosselin’s rankings, featuring standout performances from Harty, K Wil Lutz, P Thomas Morstead and Gray. For the first time in franchise history, two special teams players were selected to the AP All-Pro team (Gray and Harty) and for the second time two were selected to the Pro Bowl (Harty and
Lutz). An undrafted free agent, Harty ranked in the top five in the NFL in kickoff and punt return average. Lutz set a team record by drilling 32 field goals, ranking second in the NFL in scoring (144 points), PATs (48) and touchbacks (career-high 74) and third in field goals. Morstead ranked fifth in the NFL in net punting average (43.1), was named the September NFC Special Teams Player of the Month and twice was selected conference Special Teams Player of the Week. Gray led the Saints with 16 coverage stops, blocked a punt and recovered a fumble on coverage.
The 2018 Dolphins graded out fourth in the NFL in Gosselin’s rankings. Jason Sanders drilled 18-of20 (90.0 pct.) field goal attempts and was a PFWA All-Rookie selection, one of only four kickers to kick in all of his team’s games and miss just two or fewer field goals and one of only four to miss three or fewer kicks. His 90.0 field goal percentage was ranked eighth in the NFL and fifth-best in Dolphins history. Matt Haack’s 35 punts downed inside the 20 ranked fifth in the NFL. Miami was ninth in the NFL in punt return average (10.5 avg.) with Jakeem Grant leading the league (16.3) before being placed on Injured Reserve in Week 13.
The 2017 Dolphins were tied for second in the NFL with three blocked kicks – two field goals and one punt. Cody Parkey tied what was a team field goal percentage record by converting 21-of-23 attempts (91.3 pct.), including a 54-yard game-winner, the longest game-winner in team history. He also successfully converted four onside kicks, the most in NFL history since records date back to 1997. Miami’s kickoff coverage unit was the best in the NFL, forcing opponents to start on average at their own 23-yard line. The team graded out at No. 11 in Gosselin’s rankings and Pro Football Focus ranked the team’s special teams No. 6 in the NFL. S Michael Thomas was named PFF’s Special Teamer of the Year and led the Dolphins with 11 coverage tackles.
Miami ranked seventh in Gosselin’s rankings in 2016, led the league in opponent gross punting average (41.8) and tied for the NFL lead with four blocked kicks. Andrew Franks made his first two career game-winning field goals and drilled
an important 55-yarder at Buffalo (Dec. 24) as the field goal unit was rushing onto the field to tie the score and send the contest to overtime. The eventual Dolphins win solidified the team’s first playoff berth since 2008. Grant and KR Kenyan Drake each had touchdown returns, becoming the second Dolphins rookie tandem and fourth NFL rookie duo to return a punt and kickoff for a touchdown in the same season. Thomas tied for the NFL lead in special teams tackles (19, including a league-best 16 solo). Walt Aikens scored the first two-point defensive conversion in team history after he returned a blocked PAT for two points. The team finished in the top ten in several additional special teams units including opponents starting field position following a kickoff (tenth/24.4 yard line), own starting field position following a kickoff (eighth/25.3 yard line) and opponent net punting average (third/37.4 yards per punt).
In 2015, WR Jarvis Landry earned AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his Week One performance, when he returned a punt 69 yards for a touchdown. Landry ranked fourth in the NFL with 356 punt return yards. Matt Darr posted the fourth-best gross punting average (47.6) in team history and earned NFL All-Rookie team honors as his punting average was third in the league. Franks was 13-for-16 in field goal attempts as a rookie. The Dolphins ranked in the top ten in five special teams categories.
In 2014, Rizzi guided a special teams unit that set the team record with three blocked punts. They also added two blocked field goals, giving Miami five blocked kicks, the most since the team blocked seven in 1977. Explosive plays were not limited to the block units as Landry won October AFC Special Teams Player of the Month when he returned five kickoffs for 178 yards (35.6 avg.), with a long of 54. The 35.6 average kickoff return was the second-highest in the NFL in October and the highest October
average in franchise history. Landry finished the season with a 28.1 kick return average, the fourthhighest in the NFL and tops among rookies.
In 2013, for the third-straight season, Dolphins special teams were rated among the top eight units in the NFL based on Gosselin’s annual rankings. Miami was one of three teams to remain in the top 10 (along with Baltimore and Seattle) in both the 2013 and 2012 rankings. Additionally, from 2011-13, only Miami and Seattle were ranked in the top 10. Rizzi’s units were highlighted by the play of P Brandon Fields, who earned his first Pro Bowl berth. Fields ranked second in the NFL in gross punting average (48.8), second in net average (42.4, which was eighth-best in NFL history at the time), tied for fourth with 33 punts inside the 20-yard line and also recorded the third-longest punt (74 yards) during the season as he was selected to the Pro Bowl.
The 2012 campaign was built off a strong 2011 season for Dolphins special teams. Gosselin ranked Miami as the NFL’s fourth-best special teams unit, making the Dolphins the only team in the NFL to rank in the top five in both 2012 and 2011, following a second place finish in 2011. Fields continued to establish himself as one of the most productive punters in NFL history, leading the league with a 50.2 average, while moving into first place in team history for highest career punting average (46.4), highest-career net punting average (38.7) and second place in NFL history for highest-career punting average (46.4). Marcus Thigpen became the first player in team history to return a kickoff and a punt for touchdowns in the same season. Thigpen also stood alone as the only player in the NFL to rank in the top five in kickoff return average (27.4) and punt return average (12.2). Additionally, Miami became the first NFL team in the last 20 years to block a field goal, block a punt and recover their own onside kick in the same game.
After Rizzi took over the special teams in Week Five of the 2010 season, the Dolphins improved in almost every major statistical special teams category, including net and gross punting average, punt and kickoff return average, average drive start and opponent’s gross and net punting average. He led an impressive 2011 campaign by the Dolphins special teams. The Dolphins showed the biggest improvement of any NFL special teams unit from 2010 to 2011 according to Gosselin’s annual report. The improvement saw the Dolphins jump from their 2010 ranking of 24th in the NFL to second in 2011. The 22-place advancement was aided by K Dan Carpenter’s 13-of-16 in field goals from 40 yards and beyond and Fields’ net punting average of 41.1 yards. Rizzi joined the Dolphins with four years of experience as a college head coach, including 2008 at the University of Rhode Island. Prior to taking over the program at URI, Rizzi was an assistant at Rutgers for the previous six seasons (2002-07), where he headed up the Scarlet Knights’ special teams units. He also tutored the team’s running backs his first three years and the linebackers his final three. In addition, he held the title of assistant head coach from 2004-06 and associate head coach in 2007. In Rizzi’s six years at Rutgers, he coached three players who earned firstteam All-Big East honors in special teams including kick returner Nate Jones (2002), kick/punt returner Willie Foster (2005) and punter Joe Radigan (2006). Jones also was named the conference’s co-Special Teams Player of the Year in 2002 while Foster was the Big East Special Teams Player of the Year in 2005.
Before his Rutgers stint, Rizzi was head coach at the University of New Haven, where he guided the Chargers to a three-year record of 15-14 from 1999-2001. He was the special teams and linebackers coach at Northeastern University in 1998. He coached at New Haven from 1994-97, where he was defensive coordinator in his final year, after overseeing the special teams and defensive line his first three. Rizzi began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Colgate in 1993.
Rizzi played tight end at Rhode Island, where he first walked on in 1988. He went on to tally 160 receptions for 2,426 yards (15.2 avg.) and 15 touchdowns in his collegiate career and was a consensus All-American in 1992. He was signed as a free agent by the Philadelphia Eagles prior to beginning his coaching career.
A native of Hillsdale, N.J. and graduate of Bergen Catholic High School, Rizzi earned a degree in speech communications from URI in 1992. In 2013, he was inducted into the Bergen Catholic Hall of Fame. A two-sport high school star, he concluded his prep football career with 69 receptions, a school record which stood for 22 years, also excelling as an All-League outfielder for the baseball team.
He and his wife, Tracey, have two daughters, Mackenzie and Alexandra, and three sons, Christian, Casey and Cameron.
Dennis Lauscha, a native New Orleanian, has been a fan of the Saints since he was a young boy. He attended Jesuit High School and received degrees in Business, first from the University of Alabama, followed by an M.B.A. from Loyola University. Starting out his career as a C.P.A, Lauscha worked for a major global financial services firm before his decades long career with the Saints. He first joined the Saints in 1998 as Treasurer, and as a result of his hard work, loyalty and business acumen, Lauscha rose through the executive ranks to serve as Vice President, Senior Vice President and Executive Vice President before reaching his now esteemed post as President of both the Saints and Pelicans since 2012. In his role, he oversees the club’s financial operations, government affairs, marketing, ticket and suite sales, legal, stadium, community affairs, human resources, business intelligence and information technology and serves as a representative for both clubs at NFL and NBA Owners meetings.
In addition to his Saints and Pelicans duties, Lauscha holds multiple roles within Mrs. Benson’s business enterprises, maintaining a role in the management of her regional automotive dealerships and collision centers, Corporate Realty, GMB Racing, and Benson Capital Partners.
Lauscha’s collaborative style, financial acumen and long-term view has played a key role as a member of a contingent that has ne-
gotiated agreements for both the Saints and Pelicans with the state of Louisiana. These have resulted in long-term lease agreements, continuous improvements to their playing and practice facilities, revitalization of the areas around them and generated revenue for the state without any new taxes for citizens.
Lauscha currently serves as a member of the Business Council of New Orleans & the River Region, as a board member of the Audubon Nature Institute, Loyola University, the Greater New Orleans Foundation, and as a trustee of the National World War II Museum. His professional and charitable work was recognized by New Orleans CityBusiness, when he was selected as one of the 40 Most Influential Members of the Community.
In 2010, he was named the Alumnus of the Year by Loyola’s College of Business and was named to the Class of Role Models by the Young Leadership Council. He was honored by the Sugar Bowl Chapter of the National Football Foundation with its 2014 Distinguished American Award. In 2016, he was inducted into the Order of West Range for the Pi Kappa Alpha Foundation. He was honored as a 2019 Laureate of Junior Achievement’s Greater New Orleans chapter and as Chairman of the organization’s 2023 Business Hall of Fame. He was named 2022 Jesuit High School’s Alumnus of the Year. Most recently, he was honored as a 2024 Pillar of Scouting by Boy Scouts of America.
- EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT/GENERAL MANAGER
Mickey Loomis is in his 23rd season in his current position and 25th with the Saints. The 37-year NFL front office veteran has been honored with some of the most prestigious awards presented to a league executive, yet his most satisfying career achievement has come in helping mold a roster that’s produced many of the franchise’s finest moments over the last 18 seasons, including the Super Bowl XLIV championship.
In 2006, after being the key figure in the hiring of Head Coach Sean Payton, the signing of Drew Brees and overseeing the rebuild of a team that would advance to the NFC Championship, Loomis was voted Pro Football Weekly/Pro Football Writers of America NFL Executive of the Year. He was also honored as the The Sporting News George Young Executive of the Year, an award voted on annually by NFL front-office executives and owners.
Loomis has continued to build on the success of 2006, highlighted by 11 winning seasons, nine postseason appearances, seven division titles, three NFC Championship berths and the Super Bowl victory.
Over the past 22 years, he’s brought aboard a group of players who have played a key role in New Orleans posting a 203-152 regular season record through a combination of the draft, free agency and trades, while presiding over the club’s ability to re-sign their core play-
ers. He’s just the ninth person in the 105-year history of the NFL to oversee 200 regular season career wins as the official acting General Manager. Loomis has been a key figure in the highest management circle of the organization since arriving in 2000 as director of football administration, prior to his 2002 promotion. In 2005, Loomis helped steer the club through unprecedented challenges, calmly guided the staff and players through a sudden evacuation and multiple base of operations moves in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
Loomis has overseen several renovations and facility upgrades at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center, giving the club one of the NFL’s top training complexes. In 2024, renovated weight room facilities and a new team cafeteria will debut.
Prior to arriving in New Orleans, Loomis spent 15 years with the Seattle Seahawks, including as executive vice president from 199298. He joined the Seahawks in 1983, was promoted to vice president/finance in 1990 and to executive vice president in 1992. The Eugene, Ore., native has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Oregon and a master’s degree in sports administration from Wichita State.
Married to Melanie, Loomis has four children: Alex, Katherine, Sam and Lucy.
GREG ROUCHELL Senior Vice President of Human Resources
DENNIS LAUSCHA - PRESIDENT
BEN HALES
Senior Vice President of Marketing & Operations / Chief Operating Officer
ED LANG
Senior Vice President of Finance / Chief Financial Officer
VICKY NEUMEYER
Senior Vice President/ General Counsel
GREG BENSEL
Senior VP of Communications, Broadcast, Community Relations & Governmental Relations
MICHAEL STANFIELD
Senior Vice President of Sales
MICKEY LOOMIS
ENDS COACH
Clancy Barone enters his second season as the Saints tight ends coach after leading the unit to a successful 2023 campaign. Barone has 35 years of coaching experience, with his first 17 at the collegiate level and his last 18 in the NFL.
New Orleans is the sixth NFL stop for Barone, having previously coached either tight ends or offensive line with the Atlanta Falcons (2004-06), San Diego Chargers (2007-08), Denver Broncos (200916), Minnesota Vikings (2017-18) and Chicago Bears (2020-21) and Saints (2023-). As a tight ends coach, Barone has had four players voted to the Pro Bowl with four different teams: the Falcons’ Alge Crumpler, the Chargers’ Antonio Gates, the Broncos’ Julius Thomas and the Vikings’ Kyle Rudolph.
The Saints tight ends group was led by Juwan Johnson in 2023, and under Barone’s tutelage, he recorded 37 receptions for 359 yards with
John Benton, a 33-year veteran in the coaching ranks, including 19 in the NFL, enters his first season as offensive line coach with the New Orleans Saints. Of the NFL offensive lines he has directed since 2004, Benton’s units have finished in the top ten in the league in rushing yards per game seven times.
Benton spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons as the offensive line coach and run game coordinator of the New York Jets. In 2022, Benton’s position group showcased their depth and versatility as nine different starters formed seven different combinations, with the Jets improving their win total by three games. Before suffering a season-ending knee injury in Week Seven, rookie running back Breece Hall shined behind the Jets offensive line, carrying 80 times for 463 yards (5.8 avg.) with four touchdowns and catching 19 passes for 218 yards with one touchdown.
RICK
- SENIOR OFFENSIVE ASSISTANT
Entering his 28th season of coaching in the NFL, Rick Dennison has been part of 13 playoff appearances, five division titles, and three Super Bowl victories. He served as offensive line coach/run game coordinator with the Minnesota Vikings from 2019-20 and as senior offensive advisor in 2021.
Dennison has consistently been a part of winning programs, the teams he has coached for posting a .500 or better record in 20 of his 27 NFL seasons and has been part of 12 seasons of ten or more wins. His 17 seasons in Denver resulted in three Super Bowl titles, eight playoff appearances, four AFC West titles and eight seasons of ten or more wins. Dennison has coached 18 different Pro Bowl players across seven different positions, including six offensive linemen. Of those six,
After serving as a training camp intern in 2022, Jahri Evans began his full-time coaching career in 2023 and enters his second season as an offensive assistant with the New Orleans Saints.
Evans was drafted by the Saints in the fourth round (108th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft and spent the first 11 seasons of his 12-year playing career with the Saints. Overall, he started 183 career regular season games at right guard for the Saints (2006-16) and Green Bay Packers (2017), 169 for the Black and Gold. Evans also opened all ten Saints playoff games at his position. Evans was a six-time Pro Bowl selection, a five-time AP All-Pro and was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2010’s All-Decade Team, as New Orleans finished in the Top Ten in total offense each of the 11 seasons he lined up for the Saints, while the 196 sacks surrendered by the line over the period were the lowest in the NFC and second-lowest in the NFL. After being selected as a consensus AllRookie in 2006, Evans was a Pro Bowl starter and consensus first-team
four touchdowns, despite missing four games with a calf injury. Foster Moreau contributed as both a blocker and receiver with 21 grabs and one touchdown, while Jimmy Graham was a valuable red zone target with four touchdown catches.
Barone played on the offensive line at the University of Nevada and Sacramento State University, and holds a place in the Hornets Athletics Hall of Fame.
PLAYING CAREER: Nevada, 1983-84; Sacramento State, 1985-86.
COACHING CAREER: American River College, 1983-84; Sacramento State, 1991-92; Texas A&M, 1993; Eastern Illinois, 1994-96; University of Wyoming, 1997-99; University of Houston, 2000-02; Texas State University, 2003; Atlanta Falcons, 2004-06; San Diego Chargers, 2007-08; Denver Broncos, 2009-16; Minnesota Vikings, 2017-18; Chicago Bears, 2020-21; New Orleans Saints 2023–.
Entering the starting lineup in Week Five after recovering from an injury, left tackle Duane Brown did not give up a sack in 12 contests.
A four-year starter as an offensive lineman at Colorado State (1983-86), the Durango, Col., native earned honorable mention All-WAC honors during his junior and senior seasons, and was named conference All-Academic as a senior. In 1987, Benton had a stint on the Saints practice squad.
PLAYING CAREER: Colorado State, 1983-86.
COACHING CAREER: Colorado State, 1987-90 and 1995-2003; California University of Pennsylvania, 1990-94; St. Louis Rams, 2004-05; Houston Texans, 2006-13; Miami Dolphins, 2014-15; Jacksonville Jaguars, 2016; San Francisco 49ers, 2017-20; New York Jets, 202122; New Orleans Saints, 2024-.
five made their first Pro Bowl appearance under him, while three made all their trips with him as their coach.
Undrafted out of Colorado State, Dennison played nine seasons at linebacker for the Broncos. At CSU, he earned three letters and was named a second-team Academic All-American as a senior. Dennison earned two degrees in civil engineering from CSU, first his bachelor’s in 1979 and later his master’s in 1982.
PLAYING CAREER: Colorado State, 1976, 1978-79; Denver Broncos, 1982-90.
COACHING CAREER: Suffield (Conn.) Academy, 1992-94; Denver Broncos, 1995-2009 and 2015-16; Houston Texans, 2010-13; Baltimore Ravens, 2014; Buffalo Bills, 2017; New York Jets, 2018; Minnesota Vikings, 2019-21; New Orleans Saints, 2024-.
All-Pro each season from 2009-12. He was elected to the Saints Hall of Fame in 2020, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2022 and was a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023, a finalist for the Class of 2024 and a semifinalist for the Class of 2025. Evans was inducted into the Saints Ring of Honor in November.
A three-year starter at Bloomsburg, which he originally attended on a combined academic/athletic scholarship, Evans anchored the left tackle position and was a finalist for the Division II Gene Upshaw Offensive Player of the Year Award in 2004 and 2005. The Philadelphia native graduated with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science and received his MBA from the University of Miami in Executive Business Administration. Evans and his wife, Takia, have two sons.
PLAYING CAREER: Bloomsburg, 2001-05; New Orleans Saints, 2006-16; Green Bay Packers, 2017.
COACHING CAREER: New Orleans Saints, 2023-.
DENNISON
CLANCY BARONE - TIGHT
JAHRI EVANS - OFFENSIVE ASSISTANT
JOHN BENTON - OFFENSIVE LINE COACH
DERRICK FOSTER - RUNNING BACKS COACH
Derrick Foster enters his first season with the New Orleans Saints as running backs coach after the 13-year coaching veteran spent his first three NFL campaigns in the same position with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Under the tutelage of Foster, Austin Ekeler totaled 44 regular-season scrimmage touchdowns (20 in 2021, 18 in 2022 and six in 2023), ranking first in the NFL over that span, and led the league in his first two seasons. Ekeler added a pair of rushing touchdowns in the 2022 AFC Wild Card Playoff at Jacksonville, making him the seventh player in NFL history to register back-to-back seasons with 20 touchdowns (regular and postseason combined). Ekeler’s 228 receptions for 1,805 yards with 14 touchdowns led NFL running backs in catches and
Phil Galiano enters his sixth season with the Saints as assistant special teams coach. Galiano is a veteran in the coaching ranks with 24 years of experience, including eight seasons in the NFL.
Galiano’s work with Darren Rizzi has made the kicking game an integral part of New Orleans’ success. On coverage units, J.T. Gray’s 65 tackles rank second in the NFL. The punting game has produced the top three seasons in club history for punts insidethe-20-yard line. Since 2019, the Saints have excelled in the return game. Over the five-season period, the team has been ranked sixth in the NFL in punt return average (10.1), while the coverage units have allowed the third-lowest punt return average (7.0). The special
Orleans after contributing on defense and special teams in 2010.
The Clovis, Calif., native was a fourth round draft pick of the Indianapolis Colts in 2005 out of California and enjoyed a nine-year NFL career with the Colts (2005-08), Green Bay Packers (2009), Saints (2010), Oakland Raiders (2011-12) and St. Louis Rams (2013), starting 30-of-116 career games, while accumulating 202 tackles, one sack, 11 interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns, 16 passes defensed, two forced fumbles, 52 special teams stops and one coverage fumble recovery. He also appeared in seven postseason games for the Colts and Packers, and was a member of Indianapolis’ Super Bowl XLI championship team.
Following his playing career, Giordano served as head coach at his high school alma mater, Buchanan High School in Clovis, where he
Peter Giunta (pronounced GEN-ta) enters his tenth season as a Saints senior defensive assistant in 2024. He’s a 45-year coaching veteran, including 33 years of experience in the NFL with three Super Bowl Championships.
In 2023, Giunta played an integral role in implementing the defensive scheme in the secondary along with secondary coach Marcus Robertson and defensive assistant Matt Giordano. As a team, the Saints forced 29 turnovers after recording only 14 in 2022, ranked fourth in the NFL. The team’s 18 interceptions, up from seven in 2022, were tied for third in the league, with 16 coming from the secondary. New Orleans led the NFL with 99 pass breakups, with three Saints ranked in the top 10. Under the guid -
receiving yardage over the three-season span under Foster’s tutelage, while tying for first in touchdown grabs.
Foster played running back and wide receiver at Southwest Baptist (Mo.). He started 41-of-44 career game appearances at wideout for the Bearcats and finished his career with 2,062 all-purpose yards. The Goshen, Ala., native graduated in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in sports management and went on to earn a master’s degree in public administration from Valdosta State in 2013.
PLAYING CAREER: Southwest Baptist, 2005-10.
COACHING CAREER: Valdosta State, 2011; Tennessee, 2012; Northwestern State (La.), 2013-15; Samford, 2016-17; Iowa, 2018-20; Los Angeles Chargers, 2021-23; New Orleans Saints, 2024-.
teams units have not given up a touchdown since 2019.
A three-year starter at safety for Shippensburg, Galiano served as a tri-captain during his senior campaign. He helped lead the Raiders to consecutive winning seasons (1997-99). The Norristown, Pa., native graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.
PLAYING CAREER: Shippensburg, 1996-99.
COACHING CAREER: Dickinson, 2000; New Haven, 2001; Villanova, 2002; Rutgers, 2003-06; Florida International, 2007-09; Rutgers, 2010-11; Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2012-13; Rutgers, 2014-15; Miami Dolphins, 2016; Penn State, 2017-18; New Orleans Saints, 2019-.
of
In 2022, he served as a volunteer assistant at Fresno State.
Giordano played two years at the University of California after transferring from Fresno City College. He started 14-of-25 games at safety for Cal and posted 111 career tackles, four stops for a loss, one sack, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, six pass breakups and two interceptions. He was an honorable-mention All-America selection and first-team All-Pac-10 honoree in 2004, when he totaled 61 tackles, 1.5 stops for loss, one sack, two forced fumbles, six passes defensed and one interception. Giordano was inducted into the Fresno Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019.
PLAYING CAREER: Fresno City College, 2001-02; California, 2003-04; Indianapolis Colts, 2005-08; Green Bay Packers, 2009; New Orleans Saints, 2010; Oakland Raiders, 2011-12; St. Louis Rams, 2013. COACHING CAREER: Buchanan High School (Head Coach), 2016-21; Fresno State, 2022; New Orleans Saints, 2023-.
ance of Giunta, CB Paulson Adebo had a club-best six takeaways and ranked third in the NFL with 18 passes defensed. S Tyrann Mathieu tied for the team lead with Adebo with four interceptions, one returned for a touchdown.
The Salem, Mass., native had a four-year playing career as a defensive back and running back at Northeastern (1974-44).
PLAYING CAREER: Northeastern, 1974-77.
COACHING CAREER: Swampscott (Mass.) High School, 1978-80; Penn State, 1981-83; Brown, 1984-87; Lehigh, 1988-90; Philadelphia Eagles, 1991-94; New York Jets, 1995-96; St. Louis Rams, 19972000; Kansas City Chiefs, 2001-05; New York Giants, 2006-14; New Orleans Saints, 2016–.
PETER GIUNTA - SENIOR DEFENSIVE ASSISTANT
Matt Giordano, a nine-year NFL veteran safety in the playing ranks, enters his second season as a defensive assistant with the Saints. This is his second stint in New
amassed a record
51-16.
MATT GIORDANO - DEFENSIVE ASSISTANT
PHIL GALIANO - ASSISTANT SPECIAL TEAMS COACH
ADAM GRISTICK - DEFENSIVE ASSISTANT
Adam Gristick enters his second season in the NFL as a defensive assistant with the New Orleans Saints.
Gristick’s responsibilities include producing self-scout breakdown reports, compilation of scouting reports, breakdown of Saints opponents, the organization of playbooks and assisting Linebackers Coach Michael Hodges with the position group during practice and in meetings.
Gristick came to New Orleans after serving on the coaching staff at Eastern Illinois University from 2018-22. His entire tenure in Charleston, he coached linebackers, adding the title of defensive game run coordinator in 2020. In 2022, he was promoted to defensive coordinator, while also continuing to coach the team’s linebackers.
Gristick came to Eastern Illinois after serving two seasons as an assis-
Hodges enters his fifth season as linebackers
was originally hired by the Saints in the 2017 offseason as a defensive assistant and spent one season as assistant linebackers coach in 2019.
2023 saw Hodges working with the duo of Demario Davis and Pete Werner, who contributed to New Orleans ranking eighth in the NFL in scoring defense and tenth against the pass. Davis led the team in tackles for the sixth consecutive season (121) and became only the second Saint to reach the century mark in stops in six seasons. He put on a strong pass rush performance, ranking second on the team and tying his 2022 career-high, with 6.5 sacks. He was selected to the Pro Bowl for the second consecutive season and voted an AP All-Pro (second-team)
Andrew Janocko enters his first season as New Orleans’ quarterbacks coach. He has 13 years of coaching experience, including 11 in the NFL. He joins the Saints after spending the past two years as quarterbacks coach of the Chicago Bears.
Over the past two seasons, Janocko was instrumental in the development of signal-caller Justin Fields, who completed 419-of-688 (60.9 pct.) passes for 4,804 yards with 33 touchdown passes, while carrying 284 times for 1,800 yards (6.3 avg.) with 12 touchdowns in 28 starts. In Week 14 of the 2023 season, Fields became the secondfastest quarterback in NFL history to reach 2,000 rushing yards in only 36 games and only the third signal-caller with at least 2,000 rushing yards in his first three seasons. In 2023, despite playing in two fewer games than 2022 due to injuries, Fields improved in most major passing categories, completing 227-of-370 (61.4 pct.) passes for 2,562
Kubiak enters his first season with the Saints as offensive coordinator, his 11th NFL season and 15th campaign overall in coaching. He arrives after serving as the San Francisco 49ers’ offensive passing game specialist in 2023.
In 2023, Kubiak played a pivotal role in the planning and tutelage within the passing game of the NFC Champion 49ers. The 49ers finished the regular season ranked second in the NFL in total offense (398.4 ypg.), including fourth in net passing yards per game (257.9). San Francisco finished first in the league in red zone touchdown percentage (67.2), fourth in in third down conversion percentage (47.5) and were tied for the sixth-fewest turnovers in the NFL. Pro Bowl QB Brock Purdy completed 308-of-444 (69.4 pct.) passes for 4,280 yards with 21 touchdowns against only 11
tant at Syracuse, one as a defensive quality control coach and one as a graduate assistant. The Orefield, Pa., native’s coaching career began in quality control at Missouri State in 2015.
Gristick played linebacker at Eastern Illinois from 2010-14, where as a three-year starter his last three seasons, he made 194 career tackles with 20 stops for loss and three interceptions, helping EIU capture back-to-back Ohio Valley Conference championships and FCS playoff appearances from 2012-13. He earned his bachelor’s degree in exercise science in 2015.
for the fifth straight campaign. Werner ranked second on the team with 93 tackles and tied for the team lead with two fumble recoveries.
Hodges played linebacker at Texas A&M, where he earned secondteam All-Big 12 honors as a senior when he led the Aggies in tackles and honorable mention as a junior after beginning as a walk-on. He was a two-time Academic All-Big 12 selection and was named a first-team Academic All-American in 2010. He graduated in 2010 and earned his master’s in 2011. He was presented with the 2010 Heart Award, the highest honor for a Texas A&M senior football player.
yards with 16 touchdowns and an 86.3 passer rating, while carrying 124 times for 657 yards with four touchdowns. The Bears improved their victory total from three in 2022 to seven in 2023, as Fields won four of his final six starts.
A three-year letterman at Pittsburgh, the Clearfield, Pa., native served as a backup quarterback and holder on special teams. Janocko spent his first two seasons as a walk-on before earning a scholarship his final two seasons. A three-time member of the Big East Conference All-Academic Team, he graduated with a degree in history and a minor in political science.
PLAYING CAREER: Pittsburgh, 2007-10.
COACHING CAREER: Rutgers, 2011; Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2012-13; Mercyhurst University, 2014; Minnesota Vikings, 2015-21; Chicago Bears, 2022-23; New Orleans Saints, 2024-.
interceptions and a league-best 113.0 passer rating, an NFL-best 123.8 in the fourth quarter. Including Purdy, five offensive 49ers were selected to the Pro Bowl and four were Associated Press AllPros (TE George Kittle, FB Kyle Juszczyk, RB Christian McCaffrey and LT Trent Williams).
Kubiak was a four-year letterman at Colorado State. He played safety for the Rams and was a team captain as a senior, earning an invite to play in the East-West Shrine Game.
PLAYING CAREER: Colorado State, 2005-09.
COACHING CAREER: Texas A&M, 2010-12; Minnesota Vikings, 201314; Kansas, 2015; Denver Broncos, 2016-18; Minnesota Vikings, 2019-21; Denver Broncos, 2022; San Francisco 49ers, 2023; New Orleans Saints, 2024-.
ANDREW JANOCKO - QUARTERBACKS COACH
Michael
coach. Hodges
MICHAEL HODGES - LINEBACKERS COACH
KLINT KUBIAK - OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Marwan Maalouf (mar-won mah-LOOF) brings 15 years of NFL and special teams experience to the Saints staff. Throughout his time in the NFL, Maalouf has been a part of six playoff appearances and one division title. He joins the Saints after serving as an analyst with direct responsibility for special teams at the University of Miami from 2022-24. Serving in a similar position to his Hurricanes stint at the University of Minnesota in 2021, Maalouf spent the 2019-20 seasons as the special teams coordinator with the Minnesota Vikings. Prior to joining the Vikings, Maalouf served as an assistant special teams coach for the Miami Dolphins from 2013-18 under Saints Interim Head Coach Darren Rizzi. In each of Maalouf’s six seasons in Miami, the Dolphins ranked in the top half of Rick Gosselin’s annual NFL special teams rankings, including a 4th-place ranking in 2018. During that span Miami consistently ranked among the league’s best in numerous special teams categories, including punts blocked (8, first in NFL), opponent FG % (77.1%, first in NFL), opponent net
Mike Martinez enters his second campaign on the New Orleans Saints coaching staff as assistant to the head coach after serving as a football operations/scouting assistant from 2020-22. In his role, he is responsible for assisting Interim Head Coach Darren Rizzi in the club’s football operations. Martinez is responsible for coordinating the Saints’ daily meeting and practice schedules, the team’s year-round football calendar and orchestration of team and
punting (38.6 yards, second in NFL), punts inside the 20 (181, fifth in NFL) and FGs blocked (6, fourth in NFL).
Maalouf came to Miami after serving as special teams coordinator with the Indianapolis Colts in 2012. He also coached special teams in the NFL in Baltimore (2008-11) and Cleveland (2005-06).
Collegiately, the Strongsville, Ohio native earned three letters while playing guard for Baldwin-Wallace (1997-1999) and was a two-time All-Ohio Athletic Conference selection. He was BaldwinWallace’s Outstanding Offensive Lineman and was elected as a team captain his senior season.
PLAYING CAREER: Baldwin-Wallace, 1997-99.
COACHING CAREER: Baldwin-Wallace, 2000; Fordham, 2001; Rutgers, 2002-03; Cleveland Browns, 2005-06; Baldwin-Wallace, 2007; Baltimore Ravens, 2008-11; Indianapolis Colts, 2012; Miami Dolphins, 2013-18; Minnesota Vikings, 2019-20, Minnesota, 2021; University of Miami, 2022-24; New Orleans Saints, 2024-.
staff events, as well as providing administrative assistance to the coaching and operations staff.
The Boise, Idaho, native played basketball at Dordt (Sioux Center, Iowa) University and graduated with degrees in communication and sports management.
COACHING CAREER: New Orleans Saints, 2023-.
Ten-year coaching veteran Denarius McGhee enters his first season as assistant wide receivers coach for the New Orleans Saints in 2024. McGhee comes to the Saints after a four-year stint as an offensive assistant with the Houston Texans.
McGhee was part of a Texans coaching staff in 2023 that helped Houston improve from a 3-13-1 record in 2022 to winning the AFC South division title and capturing an AFC Wild Card Playoff victory over Cleveland. As a team, Houston finished the regular season with the fewest giveaways in the NFL (14) and its passing attack ranked second in the NFL in pass plays over 25 yards (41). Houston’s offensive attack blossomed with the development of several key offensive contributors. Rookie QB C.J. Stroud captured AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, completing 319-of-499 passes for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and a 100.8 passer rating. Two young wideouts also developed in Nico Collins and Tank Dell. Collins had the best season of his career, with 80 catches for 1,297 yards and eight
Kevin Petry enters his eighth season as a member of the Saints coaching staff and sixth as an offensive assistant. He’s worked with both quarterbacks and wide receivers during his tenure on the coaching staff and will work with the tight ends in 2024.
Petry was responsible for coordinating the Saints’ meeting and practice schedules, daily football calendar and the orchestration of team and staff events, as well as providing administrative assistance to the coaching and football operations staff from 2017-22.
touchdowns with a franchise-record 25 20-plus yard receptions. As a rookie, Dell finished with 47 receptions for 709 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games.
A four-year starter at Montana State, McGhee stands as the school’s all-time winningest quarterback, holds program records in career passing yards (11,203) and touchdowns (79) and remains the only player in program history to win Big Sky MVP twice. He led the Bobcats to three conference championships and garnered AllAmerican recognition as both a freshman and a junior. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business management and marketing. McGhee is a member of the Montana State Athletics Hall of Fame. PLAYING CAREER: Montana State, 2010-13; Saskatchewan Roughriders (CFL), 2014.
COACHING CAREER: Florida Atlantic, 2014; North Carolina State, 201516; Montana State, 2017-19; Houston Texans, 2020-23; New Orleans Saints, 2024-.
This will be Petry’s 12th year as a member of the Saints organization. During the 2015 and 2016 seasons, he served as a video assistant. From 2012-14, Petry was a member of the team’s equipment staff. The Covington native prepped at St. Paul’s High School in Covington, La., and graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree in sports administration in 2013. Petry and his wife Kelsey, have one son, Louis Michael.
COACHING CAREER: New Orleans Saints, 2017-.
MARWAN MAALOUF - SPECIAL TEAMS ASSISTANT
MIKE MARTINEZ - ASSISTANT TO THE HEAD COACH
DENARIUS M c GHEE - ASSISTANT WIDE RECEIVERS
KEVIN PETRY - OFFENSIVE ASSISTANT
Marcus Robertson, a 17-year NFL coaching veteran, enters his second season as the Saints’ secondary coach. Robertson has spent the last 33 seasons in the NFL as a player, coach and administrator, tutoring defensive backs with the Tennessee Titans (2007-11), Detroit Lions (2012-13), Oakland Raiders (2014-16), Denver Broncos (201718) and Arizona Cardinals (2019-22).
In 2023, Robertson coached a secondary that finished first in the NFL in pass breakups (99), tied for third in the league for interceptions (18) and ranked tenth in opponent passing yards per game (207.3). Robertson coached CB Paulson Adebo, who recorded the third-most pass breakups (18) and led the team with six takeaways. He also coached S Tyrann
Jordan Traylor enters his sixth season with the New Orleans Saints, his fourth on the coaching staff. Traylor previously served his first two years with the organization in the personnel department. In 2021, he transitioned to the defensive coaching staff, working with linebackers for two seasons. Traylor worked with the tight ends in 2023 and will help Andrew Janocko tutor the quarterbacks in 2024.
Prior to joining the Saints, he began his coaching career as an offensive graduate assistant working with quarterbacks and receivers at The University of Texas from 2016-2017, before coaching quar-
Keith Williams enters his first season with the New Orleans Saints, where he will tutor the team’s wideouts after spending the previous three seasons on the Baltimore Ravens offensive coaching staff. Prior to joining the Ravens in 2021, the Stockton, Calif., native came to the National Football League having 18 years of coaching experience at the collegiate level, while also working as a personal wide receivers coach for a number of top NFL wideouts, including All-Pros Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill.
In his three years with the Ravens, Williams served as assistant wide receivers coach in 2023 and as the team’s pass game specialist from 2021-22, working with the wideouts.
In 2023, Williams worked with Ravens Wide Receivers Coach Greg Lewis to tutor a unit that contributed to Baltimore ranking fourth in the NFL in scoring (28.4 ppg.) and sixth in total offense (370.4 ypg.). Zay Flowers, the club’s first round pick, set rookie franchise marks in
Mathieu to four interceptions, tying for the team lead with Adebo. Prior to beginning his coaching career, Robertson played four seasons at Iowa State and 12 years in the NFL for the Houston Oilers/ Tennessee Titans (1991-00) and the Seattle Seahawks (2001-02) after being drafted by Houston as a fourth-round selection (102nd overall) in the 1991 NFL Draft.
terbacks at the University of Arkansas as an offensive analyst in
2018.
The Gilmer, Texas, native, who played quarterback and wide receiver in high school, started his collegiate playing career at Mississippi College from 2012-13 before transferring to play quarterback at Texas A&M from 2014-15. Traylor is the son of UTSA Head Coach Jeff Traylor.
PLAYING CAREER: Mississippi College, 2012-13; Texas A&M, 2014-15.
COACHING CAREER: Texas, 2016-17; Arkansas, 2018; New Orleans Saints, 2021-.
catches (77) and receiving yards (858), adding six total touchdowns (five receiving and one rushing).
Williams played wideout for San Diego State from 1991-93, including the 1991 Freedom Bowl team, while also competing on the Aztecs’ track & field team, finishing with a bronze medal (10.31) in the 100m at the Western Athletic Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships. He earned his bachelor’s degree in public administration in 1996.
PLAYING CAREER: San Diego State, 1991-93; Frankfurt Galaxy (WLAF) 1995; Saskatchewan Roughriders (CFL), 1995-96.
COACHING CAREER: Brookside Christian High School, 1997-99; Solano Community College, 2000; San Jose State, 2001-04; San Jose City College, 2005-08; Fresno State, 2009-11; Tulane, 2012-14; Nebraska, 2015-17; San Antonio Commanders (AAF), 2019; Baltimore Ravens, 2021-23; New Orleans Saints, 2024-.
Woods enters his second season as the Saints’ defensive coordinator. A 32-year coaching veteran, including the last 20 in the NFL, he enters his seventh NFL season as a coordinator.
With Woods’ influence in his first season with the club, the Saints made great strides getting their hands on the football and taking it away. New Orleans forced 29 turnovers in 2023, ranked fourth in the NFL, with Paulson Adebo leading the team (six). New Orleans was 5-1 when they forced at least two turnovers in a game. The Black and Gold also had 18 interceptions, tied for third in the league. The team led the NFL with 99 pass breakups, with the Saints the only team to have three players ranked in the top ten individually, including Adebo with 18, third in the league. The Saints ranked eighth in op-
ponent points per game, tenth in opponent net passing yards per game and fourth in the league in third down defense after tying for 24th a year earlier.
Before the start of his coaching career, Woods lettered four years as a cornerback and safety at Illinois State.
PLAYING CAREER: Illinois State, 1988-91.
COACHING CAREER: Muskigum College, 1992; Eastern Michigan, 1993; Northwestern State, 1994; Grand Valley State, 1994-96; Kent State, 1997; Hofstra, 1998-2000; Western Michigan, 2001-03; Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2004-05; Minnesota Vikings, 2006-13; Oakland Raiders, 2014; Denver Broncos, 2015-18; San Francisco 49ers, 2019; Cleveland Browns, 2020-22; New Orleans Saints, 2023-.
KEITH WILLIAMS - WIDE RECEIVERS COACH
JORDAN TRAYLOR - OFFENSIVE ASSISTANT
MARCUS ROBERTSON - SECONDARY COACH
JOE WOODS - DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Brian Young enters his ninth season as pass rush specialist. In his 15th season as a valued member of the Saints coaching staff, Young has worked with all of the front seven position groups after first breaking into the ranks as a coaching assistant in 2009 following the conclusion of a nine-year NFL playing career. Since the middle of the 2024 season, Young has handled the Saints defensive line.
From 2017-23, New Orleans’ 315 sacks rank fourth in the NFL, 11 different linemen have produced multi-sack games and the defense went an NFL-record 55 regular season and postseason games without allowing a 100-yard rusher from 2017-20.
In 2023, Carl Granderson blossomed under Young’s tutelage, with a career-high and team-best 8.5 sacks. Bryan Bresee, the club’s first round pick, finished with 4.5 sacks and six pass breakups, the top totals in club record books for
a Saints rookie tackle.
Young joined the coaching staff after concluding a nineyear playing career, where he appeared in 124 games and had 22.5 sacks and eight fumble recoveries for the Rams (2000-03) and Saints (2004-08). During his Saints tenure, he served as a valuable member of the interior line rotation, starting 58-of-64 contests.
Young played at Texas-El Paso from 1996-99. He was the Western Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 1999, when he had a career-high 121 tackles and eight sacks. The El Paso native graduated with a degree in criminal justice.
PLAYING CAREER: Texas El-Paso, 1996-99; St. Louis Rams, 2000-03; New Orleans Saints, 2004-08.
COACHING CAREER: New Orleans Saints, 2009-.
BRIAN YOUNG - PASS RUSH SPECIALIST
Khai Harley Senior Vice President of Football Operations / Assistant GM
Scott Kuhn Director of Football Administration
Jeff Ireland Senior Vice President / Assistant GM - College Personnel
Michael Parenton Vice President of Pro Personnel
Mike Baugh National Scout
Terry Wooden National Scout
Casey Talley Area Scout
Joey Vitt Jr. Area Scout
Mike DiJulio Area Scout
Jon Sandusky Area Scout
Paul Zimmer Area Scout
Will Martinez Combine Scout
Zach Stuart Director of Analytics
C.J. Leak Area Scout
Ziad Qubti College Scouting Coordinator
Matt Phillips Area Scout
Harry Piper Personnel Assistant
Debbie Gallagher Executive Asst. to the EVP/GM
Ryan Powell National Scout
Justin Matthews Pro Scout
Josh Hill Pro Scout
Rishi Desai Scouting Assistant
Tosan Eyetsemitan Pro Scout
Dave Ziegler Senior Personnel Advisor
Brandon Tamres Scouting Assistant
EXECUTIVE
Gayle
OWNERSHIP
C.J.
Clancy Barone
John Benton
Rick Dennison Senior Offensive Assistant
Jahri Evans
Derrick Foster Running Backs
Phil Galiano Assistant Special Teams
Matt Giordano Defensive Assistant Peter Giunta Senior Defensive Assistant
Adam Gristick
Hodges Linebackers
Andrew Janocko Quarterbacks
Klint Kubiak Offensive Coordinator
Marwan Maalouf Special Teams Assistant
Mike Martinez Assistant to the Head Coach
DeNarius McGhee Assistant Wide Receivers
Kevin Petry Offensive Assistant
Marcus Robertson Secondary
Jordan Traylor Offensive Assistant
Keith Williams Wide Receivers
Joe Woods Defensive Coordinator
Brian Young Pass Rush Specialist
EQUIPMENT
John Baumgartner Head Equipment Manager
Corey Gaudet Assistant Equipment Manager
Richard Killian II Assistant Equipment Manager
Ben Steib Assistant Equipment Manager
COMMUNICATIONS
Doug Miller Vice President of Football Communications
Justin Macione Director of Football Communications/Publications Director
Sam Shannon Corporate Communications Manager
Davis Friend Football Communications Coordinator
Grant Segar Communications, Government Relations & Special Projects Coordinator
Cass Lapeyre Football Communications Associate
PLAYER ENGAGEMENT
Fred McAfee Vice President of Player Engagement
Danny Lawless Director of Security
Evan Meyers Assistant Player Engagement/Legends & Alumni Manager
Dan Simmons Alumni/Legends Development Coordinator
ATHLETIC TRAINING
Ben Stollberg Director of Sports Medicine
Shone Gipson Head Athletic Trainer
Jonathan Gress Director of Rehabilitation
Kevin Mangum Assistant Athletic Trainer
Bobby Feeback Assistant Athletic Trainer
Natalie Phipps Assistant Athletic Trainer
Jamie Meeks Director of Sports Nutrition
MEDICAL STAFF
Dr. John Amoss Chief of Internal Medicine
Dr. Karim Meijer Team Orthopedist
Dr. W. Stephen Choate Team Orthopedist
Dr. David Leslie Team Physician
SPORTS SCIENCE/STRENGTH & CONDITIONING
Matt Rhea Director of Sports Science
Matt Clapp Strength & Conditioning
Charles Byrd Strength & Conditioning
Rob Wenning Strength & Conditioning
VIDEO Dave Desposito
Tim Youngblood
Chris McNeice
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION
Video Director
Joe Alley Assistant Video Director
Video Assistant
Video Assistant
Dennis Lauscha President
Greg Bensel Senior Vice President of Communications, Broadcast, Community and Governmental Relations
Ben Hales Senior Vice President of Marketing/Chief Operating Officer
• Allstate Sugar Bowl Classic (NCAA Division I Football)
• State Farm Bayou Classic (Southern U. vs. Grambling State Football)
• R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl (NCAA Division I Football)
• LHSAA/State Farm Prep Classic (State High School Football Championships)
• Super Bowls XII (1978), XV (1981), XX (1986), XXIV (1990), XXXI (1997), XXXVI (2002), XLVII (2013), LIX (to be played on February 9, 2025)
• NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four 1982, 1987, 1993, 2003, 2012
Legendary Moments
• Saints played first professional football game inside the Superdome when they hosted the Houston Oilers on August 9, 1975
• Alabama beat Penn State 13-6 in first Sugar Bowl game in the Superdome in 1976
• “Pistol Pete” Maravich & New Orleans Jazz set NBA crowd mark of 35,077 in 1977
• Muhammad Ali defeated Leon Spinks before 65,000 in 1978
• LSU-Notre Dame basketball game in 1980 set the NCAA record attendance of 68,112
• Sugar Ray Leonard defeated Roberto Duran in “No Mas” fight in 1980
• Pope John Paul II addressed 80,000 school children in 1987
• George Bush nominated for election at 1988 Republican National Convention
• Grambling’s Eddie Robinson coached his final game in 1997 Bayou Classic
• Tulane rolled out a perfect 12-0 season in 1998
• #2 LSU defeated #1 Oklahoma 21-14 to win college football national title in 2004
• Saints defeated Falcons 23-3 in first game after Hurricane Katrina on Sept. 25, 2006
• Saints beat the Eagles 27-24 to advance to NFC championship game for the first time in team history on Jan. 13, 2007
• LSU beat Ohio State 38-24 to win BCS Championship before record crowd of 79,651
• Saints defeated the Vikings 31-28 in overtime in first NFC Championship game they hosted to advance to Super Bowl XLIV, before 71,276 on Jan. 24, 2010.
• In 2021, the club reached a 20-year naming rights agreement with Caesars Entertainment to rename the stadium the Caesars Superdome.
• In time for the 2024 Saints season, the stadium completed a multi-season transformation that started in 2020, which now makes the Caesars Superdome one of the most state-of-the art facilities in the world.
SAINTS – COMMANDERS MEMORABLE MOMENTS
The New Orleans Saints and Washington Commanders have played 28 times, with Washington having a 17-11 advantage, but with New Orleans winning the last three matchups. Below are memorable moments from two of the Saints’ most recent victories in the series, including a record-breaker in 2018:
OCTOBER 8, 2018
SAINTS 43, WASHINGTON 19, AT THE SUPERDOME
The Saints won their fourth consecutive game in a standout Monday night performance on offense and defense, which also saw QB Drew Brees become the NFL’s all-time passing yardage leader. The Saints first jumped out to a 6-0 first quarter lead on their first drive of the contest when RB Mark Ingram had a two-yard rushing touchdown. Washington got on the board when K Dustin Hopkins drilled a 37-yard field goal at the end of the first quarter. The Saints jumped out to a commanding 26-6 lead when Ingram rushed for a one-yard touchdown and Brees and Tre’quan Smith connected on the recordsetting touchdown with 2:36 left in the second quarter. Washington cut the halftime deficit to 26-13 when they converted a fumble by WR Cameron Meredith into a four-yard touchdown run by QB Alex Smith. Getting the ball first in the second half, Brees connected with Tre’quan Smith on a 35-yard touchdown. Alex Smith was then picked off by Saints DB Justin Hardee and the interception was returned 77 yards to set up a one-yard touchdown run by Taysom Hill to extend New Orleans’ lead to 40-13. A third quarter Washington fumble set up a 44-yard field goal by K Wil Lutz. Brees completed 26-of-28 passes for 363 yards with three touchdowns, zero interceptions and a 153.2 passer rating as his 89.7 completion percentage set a career-high at the time. Tre’quan Smith finished with three receptions for a gamehigh 111 yards.
NOVEMBER 19, 2017
SAINTS 34, WASHINGTON 31, AT THE SUPERDOME
Alvin Kamara climbed into the Superdome stands, stood in the first row with his arms folded and soaked in the adulation of fans who were relishing their decision to stick around after all had looked lost. Kamara’s celebration of his 18-yard touchdown reception had an air of presumption, given New Orleans still needed a 2-point conversion to erase what had been a 15-point deficit when Washington scored with 5:58 left in regulation. Then again, the Saints’ confidence was understandable; they hadn’t lost in more than two months. Kamara climbed back down in time to take a pitch into the end zone for the needed conversion, and the Saints won their eighth straight when Wil Lutz’s 28-yard field goal capped a 34-31 triumph in overtime. “We just kind of hung in there. Guys believed,” said Saints coach Sean Payton, whose mind seemed to be racing as he labored to recall details of the frenzied final stretch. “There were a lot of things happening in a short period of time.” Drew Brees passed for 385 yards and two touchdowns, going 11 of 11 for 164 yards and his only two touchdowns on New Orleans’ final two possessions of regulation. His first TD went to TE Josh Hill from 3 yards out with 2:53 to go and the last to Kamara with 1:05 left. “I tip my hat to Brees. That’s what he does. That’s what great quarterbacks do. But at the end of the day, we’ve got to make plays,” said Washington S D.J. Swearinger, whose first-quarter interception was Brees’ first turnover in four games. “We didn’t do our job. We beat ourselves for sure.” The unlikely comeback made New Orleans the first team since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to win eight straight after starting 0-2. “We haven’t encountered a game like this in a while, and it was great to watch the team rally,” said Brees, whose team won its previous seven more convincingly. “We have the confidence to win in a lot of different ways. We have the personnel to do it and the right attitude to do it.” The Saints (8-2) set up their final drive by stopping Samaje Perine on third-and-1 at the two-minute warning when a first down would have allowed Washington (4-6) to run out the clock. Washington moved into winning field-goal range in the final minute of regulation, only to be pushed back by a fluky grounding penalty that appeared to result from Kirk Cousins’ miscommunication with receiver Jamison Crowder, followed by a sack.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS VS WASHINGTON COMMANDERS
COMMANDERS QUARTERBACK
JAYDEN DANIELS
The 2023 Heisman Trophy winner from Louisiana State University will be making his homecoming to the state where he played his college football. Daniels has established himself as the leading candidate for the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, completing 252-of362 passes for 2,169 yards with 15 touchdowns and only six interceptions, while also ranking second on the Commanders in rushing with 590 yards and six touchdowns. The dual-threat signal-caller has energized both the Commanders offense and DMV fanbase, with Washington in the middle of the NFC Playoff race. Daniels leading the 8-5 Commanders to victory would guarantee them their first winning season since 2016.
SAINTS LINEBACKER
PETE WERNER
Signing a three-year contract extension in training camp, Werner has overcome nagging injuries to be one of New Orleans’ most reliable defenders in 2024. Despite missing three games in the middle of the season with a hamstring injury, Werner has posted 63 tackles and has utilized his sideline to sideline speed to minimize large gains in the run game in the edges, as well as excel in coverage. Werner’s abilities will be crucial today in defending the dual threat of QB Jayden Daniels and the impact that RB Brian Robinson Jr. can also have in the run game.
FOSTER MOREAU AN UNSUNG HOMETOWN HERO FOR SAINTS
Through 14 weeks of his sixth NFL season, Saints tight end Foster Moreau is on his way to one of the most productive campaigns of his career. Starting all 13 games, Moreau has produced 19 grabs for 263 yards (13.8 avg) and three scores. While he has always been a key run blocker for the offensive unit, he has continued to build his chemistry with QB Derek Carr, whom he spent four years with in Las Vegas/ Oakland. Aside from his familiarity with Carr, one of the biggest reasons he signed with the Black and Gold in the offseason of 2023 was to return home.
A New Orleans native, he is known for his standout career at both Jesuit High School and Louisiana State University. He was part of a Blue Jay team that won its first State Championship in over 50 years as a senior, recording over 1,200 yards and 15 touchdowns in his prep career. He then earned a scholarship in the spring to play for the Tigers, where he would go on to letter in all four years (201518). He started 32-of-49 contests and totaled 52 receptions for 629 yards and six scores. His receptions rank seventh while his touchdowns are tied for fourth among tight ends in school history. As a senior, he served as a team captain and wore the famous No. 18, the jersey that typically goes to one player a year since the 2003 national championship campaign and that is “synonymous with success both on and off the field.”
He went on to be drafted in the fourth round (137th overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders. He had no problem making the adjust-
ment to the next level, leading all rookie tight ends with five touchdown receptions in just 13 games. Through six seasons in the NFL, Moreau has appeared in 89 regular season games with 57 starts, racking up 131 catches for 1,563 yards (11.9 avg) and 16 touchdowns.
His return home to New Orleans did not go entirely as planned. In a routine physical prior to signing with the Saints, Moreau was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphona and an uncertain next few months of treatment lay ahead. Still, Saints Executive Vice President/ General Manager Mickey Loomis, the organization and Moreau were all eager to make a deal work and have Moreau in New Orleans for years to come. Like anything else, the sixth-year veteran underwent a successful treatment regimen, while continuing to work on his conditioning and in just a matter of months, was back out on the field with his teammates for OTAs prior to the 2023 season. That season, the former LSU standout managed to play in 15 games with 10 starts and added 21 grabs for 193 yards and a score in the Saints 34-0 victory in New England. His perseverance in the face of his cancer diagnosis, playing through a nagging ankle injury and contributions on and off the field were recognized, as he was honored with the teams’ Ed Block Courage Award.
Moreau is no stranger to adversity and has been recognized as a leader at every level. Following a seven-game losing streak and a mid-season coaching change, he and fellow veteran leader Tyrann Mathieu took accountability and were eager to help turn things around, with Moreau proclaiming “We’re in a hole, and every man has had a turn holding the shovel.”
“This city deserves winners,” as Moreau explained the frustrations and passion of the fan base. “These are tough, gritty people who have been through a hell of a lot, and they deserve to watch sports teams that can go out there and lay it on the line and come home with wins.”
The Saints would respond with back-to-back victories against the divisional rival Falcons and then the Cleveland Browns. Moreau delivered one of his best performances of the season against Cleveland, adding three receptions for 50 yards (16.7 avg) in route to a 35-14 victory at the Caesars Superdome. With a season-ending knee injury to fellow tight end and do-it-all weapon Taysom Hill against the Los Angeles Rams on Dec. 1, Interim Head Coach Darren Rizzi said others will have to step up and fill bigger roles to help make up for the lost production. One of those guys will be Moreau, who will be counted on even more today in the Black and Gold run blocking and passing games to keep pace with the high-powered Commanders offense led by standout rookie QB and former LSU Heisman trophy winner, Jayden Daniels.
RB Alvin Kamara needs 62 rushing yards today vs. Washington to reach 1,000 for the first time in his career. 62
90 90
With 90 tackles in 2024, LB Demario Davis needs ten stops to reach 100.
23
With three special teams stops on Sunday at the New York Giants, DB J.T. Gray has a careerhigh and teamleading 23 in 2024.
College: Southeastern Louisiana University
Degree: Bachelor’s in Communications with minor in Marketing
Years With Team: 4
ALEXIS S AINTS CHEER KREWE
What has been the best thing about being a member of the Saints Cheer Krewe? The best part about being a member of the Saints Cheer Krewe has been the connections I’ve made with my current and former teammates, as well as with people throughout the New Orleans community. Also, I love that I am able to set a good example and act as a role model for my daughter, Saylor.
What keeps you motivated? I would say that my daughter, Saylor, definitely keeps me motivated and striving to reach my highest potential so she can look back and be proud of me. The thought of my late father motivates me as well because I truly just want to continue to make him proud even if he’s not here with us.
How do you balance being a Saints Cheer Krewe member with your daily life? I am blessed with such a great support system who are there for me whenever I need. I definitely couldn’t fulfill this role if it weren’t for my family.
Who is a significant role model in your life? My mother is a significant role model in my life. She’s been by my side in dance since I was three and she’s one of my biggest supporters. She’s one of the strongest women I know and I just want to make her proud.
What are the top three accomplishments you’re most proud of outside of joining the Saints Cheer Krewe? My top three accomplishments outside of SCK are being a mother to my daughter, being the first in my immediate family to graduate from college and winning two National Championships while at SLU.
What is the best advice you have ever been given? The best advice I’ve ever been given would have to be treat others how you would like to be treated, regardless of the situation or circumstances.
What do you like to do in your spare time? I love to work out and spend time with my daughter, Saylor.
What is the trait that you admire most in other people and why? Something I admire about others is honestly how everyone views the world differently. Getting to know others and their different views on life has always been interesting to me.
If you had the opportunity to travel anywhere, where would it be and why? I would travel to Amsterdam. I’ve always loved the culture and architecture of Amsterdam.
Where do you want to be ten years from now? In ten years I’d love to still be involved in dance in some way and, of course, still being the best mom I can be to my daughter.
If you could have dinner for one night with any historical person, who would it be and why? I would have dinner with Michael Jackson. He was such an icon in the entertainment industry and I would love to talk to him.
What is your biggest piece of advice to the younger generation? Work hard. And Always. Your goals and aspirations will never get accomplished if you don’t put in the work.
College: Texas A&M
Degree: International Studies with concentration in Politics & Diplomacy
Years With Team: 4
MICHAELA AINTS CHEER KREWE
Michaela attended Pineville High School and continued her education at Texas A&M University where she received a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies with a concentration in Politics and Diplomacy. She studied abroad in Madrid, Spain to further her education in International Economics and the Spanish language. She was a cheer coach at Xavier University of Louisiana who won the NAIA Collegiate National Championship. She works with 15 other school teams throughout the competitive season. Michaela began cheering at age 10 for both competitive and school teams, where she won multiple national titles. She was a member of the Universal Cheer Association Staff. She then competed for Texas A&M University as a member of the cheerleading team for 4 years where she won two consecutive NCA Collegiate National Championships. The sport of cheer usually ends after the collegiate level. “I thought I was hanging up the sport for good, but in 2021 with news of cheer on the professional level here in New Orleans, I knew I had to jump on that opportunity. In short, I cheered then, and I cheer and coach now.”
What has been the best thing about being a member of the Saints Cheer Krewe? Being a part of the Saints Cheer Krewe has opened my eyes to a completely different style of cheer, and I could not be more thankful for that. We have a team combining both elements of cheer and dance, which are usually two different worlds that are now combined into one. The best part of being on this team is getting to see and be a part of that evolution of something new.
What keeps you motivated? Being a part of something that is bigger than myself keeps me both humbled and motivated. I always try to improve and be better inside and outside of cheer to be a good representation for those coming in behind me and those little kids who look up to me. The amount of times my own athletes or other kids come up to me saying, “I want to grow up and be like you,” makes me realize how important being a part of this organization is.
How do you balance being a Saints Cheer Krewe member with your daily life? You always find time for something that you love.
Who is a significant role model in your life? Todd Becnel. From the moment I moved into New Orleans in 2021 to now, there is not a day that goes by that I don’t learn something from this person. From the crazy stories he tells and the life that he had, I could only aspire to have a cheer/coaching career like him. He is someone you always want in your corner, and I am more than thankful that I have him in mine.
What is the best advice you have ever been given? Compete against yourself, not others.
If you had the opportunity to travel anywhere, where would it be? Easy, the moon.
Where do you want to be ten years from now? I want to grow within the sports world specifically on the production and entertainment side of things. I would love to be a director or head of an SEC spirit program or director of a professional team’s entertainment team.
If you could have dinner for one night with any historical person, who would it be and why? Gayle Benson. Not a lot of people can command the attention of ANY room they walk into as she can. She is one of a few women who own an empire and continues to grow it to this day. She is a huge influence in sports, amongst other things, which is not the easiest thing to do in general, and even harder as a woman. Not only is she a huge influence, but she owns and is in control over not only a NFL team, but an NBA team too. On top of being such a highly successful and influential woman, she has the elegance and grace that I could only aspire to have.
What is your biggest piece of advice to the younger generation? Always have big dreams and goals, but don’t seclude yourself to one path. You never know what is out there and where life will take you.
Will
Holker, Dallin TE 6-3/241
Wash.
La.
McCoy, Erik C/G 6-4/303 8/27/97 6
A&M Lufkin, Texas 14 McKinstr y, Kool-Aid CB 5-11/199 9/30/02 R Alabama Pinson, Ala.
Miller, Kendre RB 6-0/220 6/11/02 2
Mount Enterprise, Texas 33 Mims, Jordan RB 6-0/205 6/16/99 1
6-3/313 7/30/93 8 Duke Brentwood, Tenn.
36 Payton, Rico CB 6-0/182 11/28/99 R Pittsburg S tate S t. Louis, Mo.
70 Penning, Trevor T 6-7/325 5/15/99 3
Spencer
John
Ruiz, Cesar C/G 6-4/316
Ariz.
Ill.
Dan Quinn became the 31st coach in Washington history on Feb. 3, 2024. Quinn joined the Commanders with 21 years of coaching experience, most recently serving as the defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys from 2021-23. In 2021, he was named Assistant Coach of the Year by the Associated Press.
From 2021-23, Quinn’s unit ranked No. 5 in the NFL in points per game (19.9), No. 7 in net yards allowed per game (327.0), No. 6 in sacks (141) and No. 1 in interceptions (59).Prior to his time in Dallas, Quinn spent six seasons (2015-20) as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, where he led Atlanta to Super Bowl LI. He finished his career with the Falcons with a 43-42 regular-season record and a 3-2 postseason mark. Before his time in Atlanta, Quinn served as the defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks for two seasons (201314) and oversaw a defense that helped guide Seattle to consecutive
Super Bowl appearances. The Seahawks defense ranked No. 1 in the NFL in fewest yards allowed (270.4), points allowed (15.2) and passing yards allowed (178.8) all while holding offenses to just 91.6 rushing yards per game during Quinn’s tenure with the team.
Before joining Seattle for his second stint, Quinn coached for the University of Florida (2011-12), the Seattle Seahawks (2009-10), New York Jets (2007-08), Miami Dolphins (2005-06), San Francisco 49ers (2001-04), Hofstra University (1996-2000), VMI (1995) and William & Mary (1994). Quinn played defensive line for Salisbury for four seasons (1990-93) and was a four-year letterwinner and two-time co-captain. He also lettered in track and field and held the school record in the hammer throw until 2012. Quinn was inducted into the Salisbury Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.
Quinn was born Sept. 11, 1970 in Morristown, N.J. and is married.
9/8 W 47-10 C AROLINA
12/1 L 14-21 L OS ANGELES RAMS
12/8 W 14-11 a t New York Giants
10/20 W 4 0 - 7 C arolina Panthers
10/27 W 18 - 15 C hicago Bears
11/3 W 27 - 22 a t New York Giants
11/10 L 27 - 28 P ittsburgh Steelers
11/14 L 18 - 26 a t Philadelphia Eagles
11/24 L 2 6 - 34 D allas Cowboys
12/1 W 4 2 - 19 Tennessee Titans
4th
OWNERSHIP COMMANDERS STATISTICS
LAST LINE OF DEFENSE
Below is the sequence in what would turn out to be the deciding play in New Orleans’ 14-11 win over the New York Giants on Sunday, December 8. With 11 seconds remaining, DT Bryan Bresee blocked a 35-yard field goal attempt by Giants K Graham Gano to preserve the Saints victory and avoid overtime. Following the contest, in the process of his block, Bresee credited the efforts of DE Payton Turner and DT Nathan Shepherd of pushing down the long snapper and the guard in the play, freeing him up to make the push and make an acrobatic jump unimpeded.
