“Dome Patrol” legend Sam Mills again named Hall of Fame semifinalist

New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers linebacker Sam Mills, of “Dome Patrol” defense fame, was again named a Hall of Fame semifinalist.

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Legendary New Orleans Saints linebacker Sam Mills was nominated to the Pro Football Hall of Fame again this year, and it was announced Tuesday that he has reached the semifinal voting stage for the fourth time since becoming eligible, and for his third consecutive year. Last year, Mills was a Hall of Fame finalist for the first time, but he was ultimately not one of those picked for enshrinement.

And it will be tough for him to get back in the conversation again this year. Several big-name nominees made the cut for consideration in the upcoming Class of 2021, including several big-name semifinalists with Louisiana ties: New Orleans natives Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, and Alen Faneca, as well as former Saints cornerback Eric Allen.

It will be tough for Mills to crack that group, which includes other famous linebackers like Patrick Willis and Zack Thomas. But if Saints fans — and their Carolina Panthers rivals — have their say, Mills should get a bust in Canton. Here’s some of what I wrote in January when Mills was announced as a finalist:

Mills spent nine years in New Orleans, starring in the famous “Dome Patrol” defense alongside linebackers Vaughan Johnson, Pat Swilling, and Rickey Jackson, who was voted into the Hall of Fame back in 2010. Mills finished his career with the expansion-team Carolina Panthers, joining their coaching staff after his playing days were over. He died in Charlotte in 2005 of intestinal cancer, and a bronze statue stands in his memory outside the Panthers’ Bank of America Stadium to this day.

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