Attention Football Fans! Here are 21 Facts On The New Orleans Saints

If you are a die-hard football fan, we are sure you must have heard about the New Orleans Saints.

Their recent victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tom Brady on November 8, 2020, proved that this team is the one you will surely love to watch play. Whichever part of the country you are from, you are sure to bleed black and gold and chant 'Who Dat!'.

Read some interesting and amazing New Orleans Saints facts- the team dubbed 'America's team'.

History Of The New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints are a professional football team from New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Read more about them here.

• The New Orleans Saints were an expansion team of the NFL in 1967, one year after the league had set a new club in Atlanta.
• This Orleans Saints franchise was a direct result of the NFL (National Football League) and AFL (American Football League) merger.
• This NFL team plays in the National Football Conference (NFC) South division in the National Football League (NFL).
• In 1980, they became the first NFL team to finish with 15 losses and one win.
• The song called 'When the Saints Go Marching In' by Mardi Gras inspired the team's name.
• It took around 20 years for the New Orleans Saints to make it to the playoffs of the NFL.
• The franchise’s founding owner was John W. Mecom Jr.and David Dixon in 1967, as he purchased the Saints for $8.5 million from the NFL.
• This made Mecom the youngest owner of one of the league’s coveted franchises.
• He then sold the team to Tom Benson for $70 million in 1985.
• Benson owned the team till 2018, the year in which he passed away.
• The New Orleans Saints belongs to his wife Gayle Benson since.
• Tulane Stadium is where all of the Saints' home games were played from 1967 to 1974.
• From 1975, the Superdome which is one of the National Football League's loudest stadiums is the Saints home.
• The team's foundation day falls on November 1, 1966, which is also All-Saints Day, ironically also the reason behind their name.
• The team played an exhibition game in Mexico City against the Eagles on August 5, 1978, making it one of the teams to play outside the USA.
• The colors of the team Black and gold are the owner John Mecom's ties to the oil industry.
• Essentially, oil is equal to Black Gold.
• The cheerleaders of the New Orleans saints team were first called Louisiannes.
• The name was later changed to Saint Dancers because the copyright belonged to a Louisiana-based high school.
• After many more name changes, they are currently called Saints Cheer Krewe.
• The Saints play under the division title NFC South division.
• David Dixon was a businessman in New Orleans who played a major role in the foundation of the team and also in the construction of the Louisiana Superdome.
• The fleur-de-lis has been used as the Saints symbol since 2010.
• Translated to 'lily flower' from French, it represents many things, including royalty and religion.
• It is also a part of the New Orleans flag, with a white background that contains three gold fleurs-de-lis with a red stripe on top and a blue stripe at the bottom.

The Mascot Of The New Orleans Saints

A mascot for any football team is any cartoon character, animal, human, or object which is believed to bring luck, or that symbolizes some virtue that the team represents. Know some facts about the New Orleans Saints mascot.

• On September 12, 1967, The Louisiana Restaurant Association gifted the New Orleans Saints with a St. Bernard dog to serve as the professional team mascot.
• He was named Gumbo, who was introduced to the fans, in a home game against Los Angeles Rams in the Tulane Stadium. It happened at Saint's first home, five days later.
• Over the years, the St. Bernard's mascot has changed between five dogs, four out of which were taken care of and trained by Arthur Dale along with his family.
• Nowadays, a human dressed as a dog in a big costume and a Saints T-shirt is seen in the games.
• The second official mascot of the NFL's New Orleans Saints is Sir Saint.
• Sir Saint was one of the original mascots when the team owner was John Mecom and was again revived after several decades.

Championships Won By The New Orleans Saints

The saints, since they began to play in 1967, have won many games after struggling for a few years.

• They competed as a member of the National Football Conference South division club in the National Football League.
• According to the NFL record, the Saints have won one Super Bowl and four NFC Championships.
• In the season played in 2009, Orleans Saints won the Super Bowl XLIV.
• The New Orleans Saints hold one Super Bowl Saints ring for winning the 2009 season.
• The Saints won their first playoff game in 2000, against the defending champions St. Loius Rams by winning 31-28.

Famous New Orleans Saints Players

The players are the ones who make or break the team and lead the team to victory. Their dedication and good play help the team achieve success.

• The team has had 34 members inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
• The most recent inductees were linebacker Rickey Jackson, linebacker Sam Mills, and head coach Sean Payton in 2017.
• Famous players like Jimmy Graham, Drew Brees, and Marques Colston are on the New Orleans Saints team.
• Archie Manning (father of Eli Manning and Peyton Manning) was a famous quarterback of the team from 1971-1982.
• Tom Dempsey who kicked a 189 ft (57.6 m) game-winning goal in 1970 was also a part of this team.
• The head coach of the Saints, in 1980 was Dick Nolan.
• Some of the best defenses in the Sean Payton era were recorded with CB Jabari Greer from 2009-2013.
• CB Mike McKenzie is the most famous for getting signed off the street and blocking Tom Brady a few days later in 2009 Super Bowl XLIV, leading the Saints to victory.
• Five of the Saints players have been included in the Top 100 NFL Players for CBS Sports list.
• They are DE Cam Jordan, RB Alvin Kamara, WR Michael Thomas, LB Demario Davis, and LT Terron Armstead

Being one of the best teams in the NFL, the New Orleans Saints have won many championships and one Super Bowl and are still in the process of winning more. The Saints are one of the most popular teams in Louisiana and they are loved all over the world.

Next time you are watching one of the Saints games, with your friends and popcorn in your hand, remember and share these fascinating facts of the new Orleans saints with them.