- 1967
- 1970
- 1985
- 2005
- 2009
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New Orleans Saints Team Formation
First, the brainchild of local sports entrepreneur Dave Dixon, who also founded the Louisiana Superdome and the USFL, the Saints were actually secretly born in a backroom deal brought about by Congressman Hale Boggs, Senator Russell Long, and NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle. The NFL needed congressional approval of the proposed AFL-NFL merger. Dixon and a local civic group had been ... -
Tom Dempsey Kicks 63 Yard Field Goal
One of the franchise’s early bright moments came on November 8, 1970, when Tom Dempsey kicked an NFL record-breaking 63-yard field goal to defeat the Detroit Lions by a score of 19–17 in the final seconds of the game. The record was not broken until 2013 by Matt Prater of the Denver Broncos. -
Saints Owner Tom Benson
He purchased the Saints from John Mecom in 1985 after he learned from Governor Edwin W. Edwards that the team was on the verge of being sold to parties interested in moving the team to Jacksonville, Florida. As a successful businessman, he recognized the economic implications of such a move not only for the city of New Orleans but for ... -
Saints Relocation?… and Katrina
During the Saints’ 2001 negotiations with the state of Louisiana, rumors circulated that Benson would seek relocation if his requests which included renovations to the Superdome, a new practice facility in suburban Metairie, and escalating annual payments from the state to the team could not be met. Though he never made public statements to this effect, Benson’s business ties to ... -
Super Bowl XLIV Winner 2009
Super Bowl XLIV was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New Orleans Saints and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Indianapolis Colts to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 2009 season. The Saints defeated the Colts by a score of 31–17, earning their first Super Bowl win. The game was played at ...
History of the Saints
The New Orleans Saints have a long and storied history in the NFL. Since its inception in 1967, they have been one of the most successful franchises in professional football. They are currently one of only three teams to win multiple Super Bowls, having won championships in 2009 and 2020. The team has also seen plenty of success during regular season campaigns, with 12 division titles since 2000 alone.
The Saints’ early years were marked by struggles on the field as well as off it; however, things began to turn around when head coach Jim Mora took over from 1983-1985 and led them to two playoff appearances—the first for any expansion team at that point—and an NFC West title before being replaced by current Hall Of Famer Mike Ditka who coached until 1996. During this period, Drew Brees joined the franchise after being released from San Diego Chargers due to injury concerns which proved pivotal for future successes under Sean Payton's leadership starting 2006 season, where they went on to win five straight division titles between 2009-2013 while making four consecutive playoffs appearance including famous super bowl 44 victory against Indianapolis Colts 31–17 led by MVP performance from quarterback Drew Brees who set several records during the game itself breaking the previous record set up Joe Montana back 1989 Superbowl 23. Following Super Bowl XLIV victory, many more accolades followed, winning further two additional divisions title (2017 & 2018) along with another playoff berth 2019 season, where unfortunately, they lost the wild-card round against Minnesota Vikings 26–20 despite a late comebacks attempt led to again by veteran signal-caller Drew Brees.
Overall, New Orleans Saints are considered among top tier organizations within National Football League, achieving great short-term success through regular seasons. Still, in also long term, through various critical personnel decisions such as hiring legendary coaches like Mike Ditka or Sean Payton and drafting players like Marques Colston, Jimmy Graham, etc., all those moves combined resulted in what we see today's modern-day dynasty known as New Orleans Saints.
Saints Products
Established
1967
City
New Orleans
League History
1967 - Present / National Football League
Team History
1967 - Present / New Orleans Saints
Nickname
Saints - The New Orleans Saints are one of the most beloved teams in the NFL, and they have a unique nickname with an interesting backstory. The team was founded in 1967 as part of an expansion into the Deep South. At that time, very few professional sports franchises were located south of Washington, D.C., so giving this new team a name that would reflect its location and heritage made sense.
After much debate among fans and owners alike, it was decided to call the franchise “the Saints” after New Orleans' long history with Catholicism - specifically their patron saint St Louis IX (King Louis). This decision also paid homage to all those who had suffered during Hurricane Katrina by giving them something positive to look forward to – football! Not only did this name capture local sentiment, but it also inspired national pride for those living outside Louisiana's borders due to its religious connotations, thus creating a solid bond between city & state which remains today!
This story is just another example of how sports can bring people together through shared experiences & emotions regardless of whether you live near or far from each other – making us all feel connected no matter our backgrounds! So next time you cheer on your favorite team or player, remember that behind every great success lies some kind soul willing enough to share his/her own story with everyone else around them…in this case, Saint Louis IX himself!
Championship
Super Bowl 1
2010
Stadium
2022 - Present / Caesars Superdome
2012 - 2021 / Mercedes-Benz Superdome
1975 - 2011 / Louisiana Superdome
1967 - 1974 / Tulane Stadium
Owner
2018 - Present / Gayle Benson
1985 - 2018 / Tom Benson
1967 - 1985 / John W. Mecom, Jr.
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
Retired Number
31 / Jim Taylor
81 / Doug Atkins
*Blue is this team’s history
