Superbowl Week Feature: New Orleans’ Saints And The Dome Patrol
The New Orleans Saints are Superbowl bound and the hype-machine’s about to kick into high-gear. The Saints should be greeted by the sun-drenched coastline of southern Florida any day now, but until then we’ll linger on the past.
There’s very little doubt that Archie Manning has become the Saints most memorable player in their history, but he’s probably not the best. When it comes to the best player in Saints’ history, I’m very tempted to lean the way of the absurdly dominant, Willie Roaf.
I’d like to take a step back from Roaf though — just one more generation — to the DOME PATROL.
It’s almost mandatory to own the following cards, if you’re a real Saints fan.
1. Ricky Jackson, 1984 Topps Football Card #303
Outside linebacker for the Saints during their Dome Patrol period, Jackson was probably the most skilled of the bunch. Jackson still holds the All-Time career record for most sacks with 123. Jackson was an absolute beast that eventually moved onto San Francisco to win his title. Jackson was voted to 6 Pro Bowls and probably amongst the top-5 Saints of all-time.
2. Sam Mills, 1988 Topps Football Card #65
Mills was absolutely tiny for a linebacker at the NFL-level at 5’9″. That’s why he didn’t originally stick in the league, or even the Canadian Football League for that matter. But Mills found a home with Jim Mora in the USFL and eventually followed him to the Saints. Four games into his NFL career and he was a starting Middle Linebacker. Some of the younger generation may remember Mills as not a Saints’ ‘backer, but rather that old guy that played so well for the most successful expansion team of all-time — The Carolina Panthers. In ’96, as a 37-year old, Sam Mills made his fifth and final Pro-Bowl with those very same Panthers. With the Saints, Sam made the Pro-Bowl in ’87, ’88, ’91 and ’92 and formed the second piece of a deadly Saints’ linebacker crew.
3. Pat Swilling, 1988 Topps Football Card #66
Pat Swilling was the second outside linebacker and earned five Pro Bowl invitations, himself. In 1991, Pat Swilling had 17 quarterback sacks and was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
Earlier this year, Swilling was named to the College Football Hall of Fame as a Georgia State Yellow Jacket.
4. Vaughan Johnson, 1989 Score Football Card #65
Last but not least, Johnson was an All-Pro with the Saints from ’89 to 92. Johnson, like Sam Mills, also played in the USFL to start his career before making his way to the Saints. This entire group, the Dome Patrol, went on to lead the league in sacks in 1992 and together all made the Pro Bowl. Crazy.
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