Quick Stats

League Championships

None

Conference Championships

None

Division Championships

1991 (NFC West)
2000 (NFC West)

Years in Playoffs

1987
1990
1991
1992
2000

Retired Numbers

#31 Jim Taylor
#81 Doug Atkins

Hall of Fame Members

Jim Taylor
1967

Doug Atkins
1967, 1968 and 1969

Tom Fears
1967, 1968, 1969 and 1970

Hank Stram
1976 and 1977

Earl Campbell
1984 and 1985

Jim Finks
1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1993

Mike Ditka
1997, 1998 and 1999

Previous Stadiums

Tulane Stadium
(80,997) 1967-74

New Orleans Saints Team History

New Orleans Saints history in the National Football League ( NFL ) supplied by Sports Pool .com. Sports Pool .com the best NFL football office pools on the net.

The Saints literally took "The City That Care Forgot" by storm. They won five of their six preseason games and opened the regular season on Sept. 17, 1967 against the Los Angeles Rams before a packed house of 80,879 in Tulane Stadium. New Orleans fans will always remember John Gilliam's 94-yard touchdown return with the opening kickoff even though the Rams eventually won 27-13. A final game victory over the Washington Redskins allowed the Saints to match the 3-11 first-year record attained by Minnesota in 1961 and Atlanta in 1966. Most significant of all, however, was the average home attendance -- 75,463 per game!

New Orleans Saints Franchise Information

Franchise Granted: 1966
First Season: 1967
Franchise History:
1967 - Present New Orleans Saints (NFL)

The name Saints was the popular choice in a fan contest staged by the New Orleans States-Item. However, with or without the contest, the New Orleans team would most likely have been called the Saints. The franchise was awarded on All Saints Day, November 1, 1966. New Orleans was famous worldwide as the city of jazz and the famous marching song, �When the Saints Go Marching In.�

New Orleans Saints - Stadium

Louisiana Superdome

1500 Poydras Street
New Orleans, LA 70112
Surface Artificial turf
Seating 69,028
Opened Sept. 28, 1975
Phone (504) 733-0255
Tenants:
New Orleans Saints

New Orleans Saints Chronological History

1966 - National Football League awarded 16th franchise to New Orleans as NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle made the announcement at New Orleans' Ponchartrain Hotel ... the New Orleans States-Item headline that afternoon was "N.O. Goes Pro!"; Dec. 15 - John W. Mecom, Jr. becomes majority stockholder-president of franchise; Dec. 22 - Victor E. Schwenk appointed director of player personnel; Dec. 27 - Tom Fears named franchise's 1st head coach.

1967 - The Saints join the NFL as an expansion team. Their early years were a struggle and they posted an average of only four wins a season for their first 11 years.

1970 - On November 8th, the Saints beat the Detroit Lions 19-17 during a regular season game when kicker Tom Dempsey makes a 63 yard field goal, the longest in NFL history to this day.

1978 - Saints quarterback Archie Manning is named NFL player of the year.

1986 - Reuben Mayes is named "Rookie of the Year".

1987 - The Saints post their first winning record and qualify for postseason play. Jim Mora is named NFL Coach of the Year.

1990 - The Saints qualify for the first of three consecutive postseason appearances. Sadly they are knocked out in the first round.

1991 - The Saints are knocked out in the first round of the postseason yet again.

1992 - The Saints go 3 for 3, qualifying for the postseason but losing in the first round for the third year in a row.

1996 - Former Bears coach Mike Ditka replaces Mora. Ditka is fired after the 1999 season.

2001 - Saints lost in the NFC Divisional Playoff at the Minnesota Vikings, 34-16 to end the club's storybook 2000 season ... Saints RB Chad Morton tied a NFL postseason mark with 13 catches ... Saints head coach Jim Haslett was selected as the NFL Coach of the Year by the Associated Press; Feb. 4 - A club record-tying 6 Saints participated in the Pro Bowl in Honolulu: DT La'Roi Glover, DE Joe Johnson & T William Roaf started while WR Joe Horn, LB Mark Fields & LB Keith Mitchell were selected as reserves