Tag: Willie Roaf

Demario Davis approaching rare territory with fifth straight All-Pro nod

Demario Davis is approaching rare territory with his fifth straight All-Pro nod. He’s joined a small group of Saints players who went on to the Pro Football Hall of Fame:

Just five players in New Orleans Saints history have earned five placements on the All-Pro teams from the Associated Press, and now Demario Davis is one of them. The veteran linebacker was recognized as an All-Pro for the fifth year in a row on Friday, his fourth appearance on the second team. He started this run by making the cut for the All-Pro first team back in 2019.

And of the other four Saints players to achieve this distinction, two are already in the Pro Football Hall of Fame: outside linebacker Rickey Jackson and left tackle Willie Roaf. A third, right guard Jahri Evans, is a finalist in this year’s class and is waiting for word on whether or not he’ll be chosen for induction in just a few weeks. The remaining member of this group, all-time great quarterback Drew Brees, is expected to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer once he’s eligible in 2026.

Here’s how they compare in All-Pro appearances while with the Saints:

  • Rickey Jackson: Five years on the second team
  • Willie Roaf: Two years on the first team, three on the second team
  • Jahri Evans: Four years on the first team, once on the second team
  • Drew Brees: One year on the first team, four on the second team
  • Demario Davis: One year on the first team, four on the second team

Does this mean Davis is on his way to the Hall of Fame as well? Maybe so, maybe not. It’s tough to say. Jackson and Roaf each accomplished more with other teams, whether that’s earning Pro Bowl recognition, more All-Pro attention, or having won a Super Bowl. Davis doesn’t have the same number of Pro Bowls and first-team All-Pro awards (that distinction between the first and second teams matters), though his longevity is impressive. And there are other considerations like records set, stats met, and titles won.

Still, Davis is securely one of the greatest players in franchise history. He’s the best free agent signing the team has ever made — after Brees, of course. It’s a shame that popularity contests like the Pro Bowl factor in so heavily to Hall of Fame resumes, but that doesn’t diminish what Davis has achieved with the Saints in recent years while leading one of the league’s best defenses. Whether he’s bound for the Hall of Fame someday or not, the Saints are very fortunate to have him.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Two Saints named as the best to ever wear their jersey number

Two former New Orleans Saints named as the best players to ever wear their jersey number at Touchdown Wire | @DillySanders

[anyclip pubname=”2103″ widgetname=”0016M00002U0B1kQAF_M8036″]

Despite the history of the New Orleans Saints not being the best before 2006, there have still been some great players to grace the field in black and gold. Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar recently went through the best player at every jersey number, and two Saints made the list.

The first and most obvious candidate for the New Orleans Saints was Drew Brees for the No. 9 jersey. He’s not only the best to ever wear that jersey, he’s one of the best players of all time period. He got chosen over Sonny Jurgensen, Matthew Stafford, Steve Owen, Steve McNair, and Tony Romo. He holds the record for most consecutive games with a touchdown pass, highest completion percentage in a season, highest completion percentage in a game and is tied most touchdown passes in a game. Not to mention, he led New Orleans to their first and only Super Bowl (so far).

The only other Saints player to be named the best at their number was Willie Roaf for the No. 77. This was a more highly contested number with his competition being Andrew Whitworth, Jim Parker, Tyron Smith, Jim Tyrer, Lyle Alzado and Red Grange. Roaf was the correct choice for the number. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, made nine different All-Pro teams in 12 years of playing and made 11 Pro Bowls.

There were some Saints mentioned as honorable mentions, even though those two were the only ones to be given the crown. Rickey Jackson for No. 57, Sam Mills for No. 51, Pat Swilling for No. 56, Morten Andersen for No. 7 and Cameron Jordan for No. 94 all got honorable mentions.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Chiefs’ Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith learned from Willie Roaf at OL Masterminds

A pair of #Chiefs offensive linemen got a chance to learn from HOF LT Willie Roaf at the annual #OLMasterminds summit over the weekend.

Kansas City Chiefs’ second-year offensive linemen Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith attended the fifth-annual OL Masterminds summit in Frisco, Texas over the weekend.

This marks the second consecutive year that the duo has attended the event, learning from the best in the business. The multi-day offensive line event is hosted by Eagles RT Lane Johnson and private OL coach Duke Manyweather, uniting offensive linemen with a common goal of improving the position.

This particular year featured a large panel of NFL Hall of Famers and legends who played offensive line, including Pro Football Hall of Fame LT Willie Roaf, who played five seasons in Kansas City from 2002-2006. Roaf had some important advice that he shared with the younger generation of players about how quickly time goes by and making the most of that time in the league.

He questioned the things that he could have done early on to extend his playing career.

“When I was young, I was just a great athlete,” Roaf said. “I didn’t have to do a lot of things. I had good feet, good hands, I could get away with stuff. Then I hit that point in my career where I started slipping and gaining weight and kicking it. I had to become a pro. And then I tore my knee up and after nine years, I got ran out of town in New Orleans, and nobody wanted to touch me. And I got to Kansas City. It hurt. I got to finish my career on the best line in the league.

Once Roaf got it right, it paid off in the end for him with the Chiefs. His story was an exercise in caution for those who think they could get by without actively working to improve their craft.

It’s unclear if Humphrey and Smith were the only members of the Chiefs’ current group of offensive linemen in attendance. They did get a chance to have some 1-on-1 time speaking with and learning from Roaf. The Draft Network’s Joe Marino shared a photo of the trio chopping it up over the weekend:

[listicle id=130696]

Calvin Throckmorton joins former Saints tackles Willie Roaf, Terron Armstead at OL Masterminds

Calvin Throckmorton joined former New Orleans Saints left tackles Terron Armstead and Willie Roaf at the OL Masterminds summit:

The long break between minicamp and training camp is a good opportunity to learn from the best, so it’s great to see New Orleans Saints guard Calvin Throckmorton making the most of his summer by attending Lane Johnson’s “OL Masterminds” summit in Dallas. The weekend-long event brings together some of pro football’s best offensive linemen for several days of film study and field work, giving them hands-on experience with their peers.

This year’s summit features an impressive lineup of retired pros offering their input, including Pro Football Hall of Fame left tackle Willie Roaf. Roaf is joined by other former Saints like Ben Grubbs (who went to two Pro Bowls with New Orleans) and Terron Armstead, who signed a massive contract with the Miami Dolphins in free agency earlier this year. Armstead has been a fixture at the OL Masterminds summit throughout his playing career, so it’s not surprising to see him front and center at the event again this summer.

It’s unclear which of Throckmorton’s teammates may have also made the trip. Cesar Ruiz and Trevor Penning could both benefit from the experience — but even if they aren’t in attendance, they’ll be busy training on their own somewhere else.

But as for Throckmorton: he spent much of 2021 at left guard after Andrus Peat went down with a season-ending injury, totaling 626 snaps at that spot. He also moved over to right guard for 282 snaps when starting center Erik McCoy missed time earlier in the season, putting Ruiz in the pivot point. Throckmorton was seen lining up at right guard again in practices earlier this year, and while it’s too soon to predict that he’ll be pushing Ruiz for the starting gig, he’s shown enough to deserve some consideration given Ruiz’s struggles in the role. He’s got a strong resume with 41 starts on the right side (at tackle) for Oregon. Maybe Throckmorton can pick up some more tricks of the trade this weekend in Dallas to win over his coaches come training camp.

[lawrence-newsletter]

Former Chiefs players congratulate Dick Vermeil on Hall of Fame selection

Former #Chiefs players flocked to social media to congratulate Dick Vermeil on being elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Former Kansas City Chiefs head coach Dick Vermeil will be enshrined in Canton, Ohio at the Pro Football Hall of Fame with the rest of the class of 2022.

After the news broke that Vermeil had made the Hall of Fame, the team released a statement from Clark Hunt, who was elated for the former Chiefs head coach. Vermeil was always known for connecting with his players, so the best messages of congratulations naturally came from his former players. Several flocked to social media to praise and congratulate their former head coach.

Here’s a quick look at several of those messages of congratulations:

Former Chiefs LT Willie Roaf inducted into Missouri Sports Hall of Fame

Former #Chiefs LT Willie Roaf was enshrined in the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame on Sunday evening as part of its 2022 class.

Former Kansas City Chiefs LT Willie Roaf was among the athletes and contributors enshrined in the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame on Sunday evening. Nearly 20 years from when he was acquired in trade by the Chiefs in March of 2002, Roaf has been recognized for a career of greatness. He played just four years in Kansas City, but they were as memorable and impactful as they come.

Roaf came to the Chiefs after nearly a decade of dominance with the New Orleans Saints. He was coming off of injury, which made the former All-Pro affordable in trade, coasting Kansas City just a third-round draft pick. Chiefs HC Dick Vermeil needed to solidify his offensive line, moving former LT John Tait to RT and plugging Roaf in on the left side.

In his first season in Kansas City, Roaf helped the Chiefs to roll out a high-powered offense that led the NFL in scoring. He’d go on to start in 58 games for the Chiefs during the course of four seasons. The team boasted a top 10 offense each of those years, with the offensive line paving the way for a dominant rushing attack featuring Priest Holmes, plus some elite chemistry between QB Trent Green and TE Tony Gonzalez in the passing game.

Over the course of his career, Roaf earned seven First-Team All-Pro selections. He also was voted to 11 Pro Bowls and was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 1990s and the 2000s.

Roaf retired from the NFL in 2006. He’s now become one of over 50 Chiefs players, coaches and contributors to have been inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. He was elected to the Saints’ Ring of Honor in 2008, the Chiefs’ Ring of Honor in 2011, the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014.

[listicle id=122135]