Tag: Roman Harper

Members of the 2009 Super Bowl team visit Saints practice

Drew Brees, Lance Moore, Roman Harper and more players from the 2009 Super Bowl team visited New Orleans Saints training camp on Tuesday:

The New Orleans Saints brought some former Super Bowl champions out to Tuesday’s practice. Drew Brees, Scott Fujita, Roman Harper, Lance Moore and Scott Shanle all visited training camp practice in Irvine.

Rodney Leslie was also a guest Tuesday afternoon. Leslie was drafted by New Orleans in 2004 and made his way back in 2009. He played one game in the Super Bowl season before going on injured reserve.

There was a cool shot posted on the Saints social media page of Harper, Moore and Fujita chatting with former teammate Jahri Evans.

Evans was an integral part of the Saints offensive line. He along with Carl Nicks helped keep the middle of the pocket clean for Brees for multiple years. Evans is now an assistant offensive line coach for the Saints.

Brees recently advocated for a higher usage of Taysom Hill at quarterback, and the two took some time to catch up after practice.

Having players from the Super Bowl era was a welcome addition at practice. Drew Brees is Drew Brees, and Lance Moore has spent time covering the team with Boot Krewe Media recently. As individuals, these players are beloved among fans and still highly respected among players.

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WATCH: Luke Kuechly surprises Cam Newton during live stream at Super Bowl

Check out this must-see moment between Panthers greats Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly from Thursday:

Go grab your tissue box, Carolina Panthers.

Now that he’s a full-fledged YouTuber, franchise great Cam Newton has been setting up shop at radio row this week from the site of Super Bowl LVIII. And during his second outing on the job, he got a heartwarming surprise from an old friend . . .

Former linebacker Luke Kuechly—one of Newton’s “favorite teammates of all-time,” per Newton—joined his pal on the set for a few minutes. Cam wasn’t stingy with more superlatives either—also presenting to some and introducing Luke to others as the “epitome of an ultimate teammate,” “a professional,” and, of course, “Captain America.”

Newton would then ask Kuechly how, during his illustrious eight-year NFL career, he could turn the switch from Clark Kent to Superman.

“You wanna compete, man. You wanna win,” Kuechly replied. “You work so hard and you wanna win. And I think that’s really what it comes down to is the competitive side of guys is ultimately what makes ’em a good football player.

“And you know how it was in Carolina—we had the best dudes. Whether it was Thomas [Davis] or G.O. [Greg Olsen] or [Ryan] Kalil or you or Chuck [Charles Johnson] or K.K. [Kawann Short] and Star [Lotulelei], and I’m missin’ guys, Roman [Harper] and Peanut [Charles Tillman] and Josh [Norman]—everybody on our team was so doggone competitive. Stew [Jonathan Stewart], [Mike] Tolbert, Fozzy [Whittaker]. And it was just kinda an understanding of like, this is how we do things in Carolina and if you don’t wanna be a part of it, then go on and get out.”

The way they did things resulted in the most sustained success in franchise history. With Newton and Kuechly leading the way, the Panthers captured three consecutive NFC South titles and an NFC championship between 2013 and 2015.

So, hopefully this new era in Carolina starts stacking up some competitors, or dawgs, of their own.

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Super Bowl XLIV champion Roman Harper to announce Saints Round 2 pick

Super Bowl XLIV champion Roman Harper will announce the New Orleans Saints second-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft on Friday night from Kansas City:

A host of former NFL stars will be announcing their old teams’ picks in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft on Friday night, with two-time Pro Bowl safety Roman Harper welcoming the newest member of the black and gold. Who better to embrace them than a Super Bowl XLIV champion?

Harper was a second-round pick himself, having been selected at No. 43 overall out of Alabama back in 2006. He went on to start 152 of the 169 games he played in the NFL, including the playoffs, which is the kind of career any rookie should aspire to. Maybe he’ll get lucky and call out someone from his alma mater like Crimson Tide safety Brian Branch. The Saints are scheduled to make their pick at No. 40 overall.

Another former Saints standout will be on hand for the night’s proceedings: left tackle Terron Armstead, who will be announcing his newest Miami Dolphins teammate. Armstead earned his fourth Pro Bowl nod last season after signing with Miami in free agency, having achieved an impressive career in his own right as a third-round pick.

Round 2 of the 2023 draft will kick off at 6 p.m. CT, with broadcasts shown nationally on ABC, ESPN, and NFL Network.

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Every second-round pick the Saints have made since 2002

The Saints have a strong history picking in the second round. Here’s every player they’ve taken in Round 2 since 2002:

The New Orleans Saints have a strong history picking in the second round, dating back to the early years of Mickey Loomis’ stewardship as general manager — where they found Pro Bowlers like LeCharles Bentley, Jon Stinchcomb, and Roman Harper. That success has continued in recent years with impact players like Vonn Bell, Marcus Williams, Erik McCoy, and of course, Michael Thomas.

We’ve already recapped the Saints’ history in the other rounds, which you can find below. Here’s every player they’ve taken in Round 2 since 2002:

Roman Harper: Panthers fans would ‘freakin’ love’ Sean Payton

Former Saints and Panthers safety Roman Harper believes Sean Payton, a man he played under for almost a decade, could very well end up in Carolina.

If there was a foremost expert on the connectedness between the Carolina Panthers, the New Orleans Saints and Sean Payton—Roman Harper would definitely be it. So, his opinion seems rather pertinent at the moment.

On Tuesday’s episode of his podcast Bailey & Harper, the former safety told co-host Kyle Bailey that he actually believes there’s a chance Payton could go to Carolina—which was something he did not think was conceivable just a few days ago.

“Sean Payton will probably blow David Tepper’s mind away,” he said. “And up until yesterday—obviously there’s no way Sean Payton ends up with the Carolina Panthers. No way. But now, I’ve completely changed. I think, if I’m [Saints general manager] Mickey Loomis, I make the trade.”

Carolina, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Sunday, requested and received permission to speak with the 59-year-old about their head coaching vacancy. And being that he remains under contract with the Saints through the 2024 season, the Panthers would have to part with some compensation to make the hire possible.

That compensation would be at least a first-round and fifth-round pick according to Harper, who played for both the Saints (under Payton) and Panthers during his 11-year NFL career. Harper, in fact, was a guest at Payton’s wedding in 2021—so he’s pretty tight with his former coach.

Harper went on to say that he also believes Payton—who isn’t exactly loved in the Carolinas—would be embraced by Panthers fans if the move is made.

“All the negative things that people have said about him, in Carolina, for all these years—the smug looks, the arrogance, the cockiness—they would freakin’ love it here,” he said.

“From the equipment guys to everybody in that organization, they would all be different,” Harper added. “Because they’re not used to what he would be. It’s completely different from what Ron [Rivera] is. It’s completely different from what Foxy [John Fox] was. It’s completely, completely different than what Matt Rhule was.”

Well, that’s for sure.

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WATCH: Roman Harper breaks down insane App State Hail Mary TD

Roman Harper broke down App State’s huge Hail Mary touchdown pass against Troy, reflecting on how he helped save the Saints avoid a similar fate during his playing days:

Quite a few New Orleans Saints players have begun to make second careers for themselves in football media, and today we’ll be checking in on Roman Harper. The longtime starting strong safety won a Super Bowl XLIV ring with New Orleans, but these days he’s working as an analyst for the SEC Network. On Monday evening he sat down with “Thinking Out Loud” hosts Richard Johnson and Spencer Hall to recap one of the weekend’s most exciting college football games: Appalachian State’s dramatic win over Troy, one of their Sun Belt rivals, on a last-second Hail Mary touchdown pass.

“Who says grown men don’t cry?” Harper quipped after reviewing the game’s highlight play, complete with an all-time-great radio call from the App State press box. His brother is a Troy alum, so this wasn’t exactly a defensive performance he looks back on fondly.

“Hate that, I like to sometimes rush four, five, six,” Harper said, when examining Troy’s decision to rush three linemen and drop eight defenders into coverage. “I like to zero blitz it. I’ve actually ended a game against Cincinnati, versus the Cincinnati Bengals, I told everybody to get up out of here after the sack.”

The game Harper’s referring to there was a 2010 clash between his old Saints team and Carson Palmer’s Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. A furious fourth quarter scoring output saw the lead change twice and tie up until Marques Colston caught a 3-yard touchdown pass with 34 seconds left in regulation to retake the lead and go up 34-30 in Cincinnati.

And the Bengals put themselves in position to win the day with a 47-yard return on the subsequent kickoff, setting up Palmer and his offense at midfield. A quick pass moved them further up field, into New Orleans territory. With eight seconds left to play and just 37 yards separating them from an upset, Palmer dropped back to pass, targeting his dynamic receiving duo of Chad Johnson and Terrell Owens (who had already combined for 11 catches and 143 yards on the day). It was a tight spot for the Saints.

But as Harper recalled, the Saints chose to pressure the quarterback. They sent him on a blitz and he dropped Palmer for a 16-yard loss as time expired, very much saving the day for New Orleans. A rare pressure player who normally lined up at safety, Harper became something of a sack artist with the Saints — he’s currently tied with defensive tackles Don Reese and Mike Tilleman to rank 31st in the franchise record books with 17 sacks (per Pro Football Reference).

Blitzing the quarterback on these desperation Hail Mary heaves has become a trademark for Saints head coach Dennis Allen, who was Harper’s position coach on that 2010 squad. Serving as defensive coordinator in 2019 and charged with protecting a 2-point lead in the final seconds, he opted to pressure Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott with a similar safety blitz, sending C.J. Gardner-Johnson in to harass the passer before he could fully read the field. Prescott flung the ball far downfield to avoid taking a sack, and it ended up being intercepted by Marcus Williams. That’s just one example.

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Roman Harper provides game-by-game predictions for Tennessee in 2022

Former Alabama defensive back Roman Harper provides game-by-game predictions for Tennessee in 2022.

Tennessee will kick off its 2022 season Sept. 1 against Ball State at Neyland Stadium (7 p.m. EDT, SEC Network).

Former Alabama defensive back Roman Harper discussed Tennessee under second-year head coach Josh Heupel on “The Paul Finebaum Show” Aug. 1.

“This team is a team that’s on the rise right now,” Harper said of Tennessee. “Tennessee is going to play big-time spoiler this year. They will beat Georgia or Alabama.”

Harper further detailed Tennessee’s offense under Heupel.

“I have Tennessee as the third best team in the conference, right now,” Harper said. “That is because you bring back this offense, and as I continue to watch football, over, and over, and over, it is really hard to defend. If they are able to run the football successfully, with their offensive line, that takes all the pressure and puts all the pressure on everyone else defensively.

“You can only have five or six guys in the box at a time — those are the numbers in your favor. If you are able to do that and spread guys out, the way that they do, play with the amount of tempo, you see guys all the time, they’re not even getting lined up. Next they are throwing the ball all over the ballpark. Tennessee would have had two more wins last year if they started Hendon Hooker from the start, and then not mess up the bowl game.”

On Thursday, Harper provided his game-by-game predictions for Tennessee in 2022. Harper’s predictions are listed below.

Roman Harper explains Tennessee on the rise, Vols to beat Alabama or Georgia

Roman Harper explains Tennessee being on the rise and the Vols to beat Alabama or Georgia.

Tennessee kicked off fall training camp Monday.

The Vols open its 2022 season Sept. 1 against Ball State at Neyland Stadium (7 p.m. EDT, SEC Network).

Former Alabama defensive back Roman Harper discussed Tennessee under second-year head coach Josh Heupel on “The Paul Finebaum Show.”

“This team is a team that’s on the rise right now,” Harper said of Tennessee. “Tennessee is going to play big-time spoiler this year. They will beat Georgia or Alabama.”

Harper further detailed Tennessee’s offense under Heupel.

“I have Tennessee as the third best team in the conference, right now,” Harper said. “That is because you bring back this offense, and as I continue to watch football, over, and over, and over, it is really hard to defend. If they are able to run the football successfully, with their offensive line, that takes all the pressure and puts all the pressure on everyone else defensively.

“You can only have five or six guys in the box at a time — those are the numbers in your favor. If you are able to do that and spread guys out, the way that they do, play with the amount of tempo, you see guys all the time, they’re not even getting lined up. Next they are throwing the ball all over the ballpark. Tennessee would have had two more wins last year if they started Hendon Hooker from the start, and then not mess up the bowl game.”

2022 Tennessee football game-by-game predictions

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Former Saints Roman Harper, Ben Watson meet up before national title game

Former Saints standouts Roman Harper, Ben Watson catch up before National Championship Game

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That’s pretty cool: two retired New Orleans Saints players reunited before the National Championship Game between Alabama and Georgia, taking time to share a quick photo together on social media. Now working as broadcasters for ESPN, proud Alabama alum Roman Harper caught up with former Georgia tight end Benjamin Watson, his teammate in the 2013 season.

A second-round draft pick by New Orleans in 2006, Harper joined ESPN’s “SEC Nation” pregame show last summer. Watson was hired by ESPN this past July and has worked from the flagship’s SEC Network studio. They’re one of several former Saints who have turned to broadcasting after their playing careers ended, including Jonathan Vilma, Reggie Bush, and Drew Brees.

So it’s great to see them cross paths again. Hopefully they both enjoy the national title game, though you have to think Watson will be hoping his Bulldogs put up a better fight against Harper’s Crimson Tide than in their last meeting at the SEC Championship Game.

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Analyst guarantees South Carolina victory over Clemson

Clemson fans won’t like this prediction for the Palmetto Bowl from a former SEC and NFL player, and current college football analyst. Not only does Roman Harper believe South Carolina will snap its six-game losing streak against Clemson, but the …

Clemson fans won’t like this prediction for the Palmetto Bowl from a former SEC and NFL player, and current college football analyst.

Not only does Roman Harper believe South Carolina will snap its six-game losing streak against Clemson, but the former NFL Pro Bowl safety and Super Bowl Champion thinks the Gamecocks will beat the Tigers by double digits on Saturday night at Williams-Brice Stadium.

Harper, a former all-SEC player at Alabama and current SEC Network analyst, was asked on the network what the Gamecocks need to do, in his opinion, if they are to get a win over the Tigers.

“If? You mean when,” Harper said. “I’m calling my shot, South Carolina is gonna win this game and they might win by double digits. And I mean barely double digits, but it will happen.”

Harper, who spent nine of his 11 NFL seasons with the New Orleans Saints (2006-13, 2016) and also spent two seasons (2014-15) with the Carolina Panthers, told a story about his neighbor’s son who plays for South Carolina and how the Gamecocks have had this matchup with the Tigers circled on their schedule for quite a while.

“You’ve got to understand what they’re putting into this,” Harper said. “My neighbor, his son goes to South Carolina, and you know what he told his dad? ‘You know what Dad, I can’t make Thanksgiving but for so long because I’ve got to get back to Columbia and get ready to celebrate and be ready to celebrate with my teammates and the rest of my classmates when we go in there and beat Clemson.’ They had to mark this game on the schedule for many more weeks now.”

Harper, a 2020 inductee into the Saints Hall of Fame and a team captain when the Saints won Super Bowl XLIV, gave his thoughts on what he feels South Carolina’s offense needs to do versus Clemson’s defense — and vice versa — in order to beat the Tigers.

“(Senior wide receiver) Josh Vann, (redshirt senior running back) ZaQuandre White, that is how they will do it,” Harper said. “You have to run the football, be specific in the way you do it, and now (redshirt senior quarterback) Jason Brown, protect the football. Protect the football, protect the football. Be ready to go downtown and take your shots versus this ‘organized chaos’ defense of Clemson where they call plays. And they think you’re ready on that situation, but that is when you take advantage of them — second down, play-action passing game.”

“And understand who you’re playing against at quarterback,” Harper added. “D.J. Uiagalelei is good, really good. But when you take away his first look, he’s only a half-field reader. So if he starts to his right, he never gets back to his left. Understand that if I’m a safety, when he starts that way, go that way because that’s where the ball’s going and that’s how it puts you closer to a play being made. Understand those things now. If you don’t know that, if your coach ain’t telling you, listen to me.”

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