‘Caton-izing’ Saints: A conversation with NFL Draft Analysis Mike Detillier

The NFL Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, is one of sports holiest shrines. There, immortalized in bronze, are the game’s greatest players and legends. You’ll find players from almost every team, but what you won’t find is a player who was inducted as a New Orleans Saint.

To find out the reason, the SportsNet sat down with nationally-respected NFL Analyst Mike Detillier from Raceland, La. He also shared his thoughts on which former Saints players have a shot of making it to Canton.

SN: We all know the names of former Saints players that could be elected into the Hall of Fame: Ricky Jackson, Willie Roaf, and Morton Anderson. Wouldn’t you agree?

Detillier: If it were me, I’d put Ricky, Willie, and Sam Mills as my top three. Morton would be fourth.

SN: Really? Sam Mills makes your list? I know he’s a fan favorite, but a Hall of Famer?

Detillier: I just think Sam is the ultimate &#8220Rudy Story.” Here was a guy who was 5-foot, 8 inches, maybe 220 pounds. He wasn’t drafted, and his coaches at Mount Clair State College had to beg USFL teams to give him a tryout. He then becomes one of the top linebackers in that league, makes the jump to the NFL and is known as &#8220The Field Mouse” because of his size. He played 12 years between the Saints and Carolina Panthers, made four Pro Bowls with the Saints and one more with the Panthers at age 37. I mean you look at the guy and say, &#8220How in the world, can a man that small playing middle linebacker be that dominant? He made over 1,300 tackles and started 173 of 181 games. His story is unbelievable in today’s NFL. And remember, no one wanted to give this guy a shot and he became the centerpiece for the &#8220Dome Patrol” in New Orleans, arguably the best line backing corps that ever played in the NFL. Then he goes to Carolina in the twilight of his career, starts every game for three seasons with the Panthers, and helps them get to the NFC Championship Game in his second year with the team. He was the star of that defense at 36 years old. To me, that says a lot about his leadership and character on and off the field. They have a statue of Sam Mill in front of the Panthers’ stadium and his name and number hanging on the &#8220Saints Wall of Fame” in the Super Dome. You just don’t see that anywhere in sports. Sam meant a lot to two organizations, and if you had seen him, you would say there’s no way this guy can play in the NFL – much less middle linebacker. Yet he did play for twelve seasons. His story and his career make him a Hall of Fame candidate in my book. Plus, a lot of the younger sports writers remember Sam and his story.

SN: Sounds like Sam has your vote, but what about another member of the &#8220Dome Patrol,” Ricky Jackson? He seems to have the stats to be in the Hall, so why hasn’t he made it in? Was it because he played at the same time and the same position as &#8220The Great” Lawrence Taylor?

Detillier: Yes, that has a lot to do with. Ricky never got the marquis attention that L.T. (Taylor) in New York or Mike Singletary in Chicago did. He never played on the big stage like those two.

SN: He did play in the Super Bowl with the 49ers….

Detillier: But as a player he will always be associated with the Saints and they never got out of the first round of the playoffs. Now that wasn’t his fault, but it’s the reality of the situation. I compare Ricky to Dave Wilcox who was a tremendous linebacker for the 49ers. He was a very good player, but never got to play on center stage. A few years ago the Veterans Committee finally said that Wilcox was a dominant player and he was voted into the Hall of Fame. I think that will happen to Ricky. The Veterans Committee will look at Ricky’s stats, see how great he was, and say &#8220we’re passing over this guy and there’s no reason to.” He’ll just have to pay some years of dues before it happens.

SN: Now you put Morton Anderson behind all the other potential Saint Hall of Famers, why? With all of his accomplishments as a kicker, shouldn’t it be a &#8220no-brainer” that he gets in four years after he hangs up the cleats?

Detillier: It’s true that he was the most dominant kicker in the league in the 1980s and 90s, but it’s hard to get the votes as a specialty player. I mean, he holds the records for most field goal attempts, most points, most field goals, most games played, and most consecutive games with a point in a career. His longevity is remarkable and he is on track to being the oldest active player in the history of the NFL. He’s 47 now and he wants to play until he’s 50.

SN: But by staying in the league and not letting all his records speak for themselves, is he hurting his chances of getting into Canton?

Detillier: No. I’ve always said that the two positions you can play at the longest are quarterback and kicker. NFL teams are signing him to kick because there’s nothing better coming out of college. He doesn’t have the leg to kick the 50-yard field goals anymore, but inside 45 yards he’s still very accurate and he’s still healthy. But we still go back to the fact that Morton did not play on center stage, but he was fearless under pressure. He loved to have the chance of kicking the winning field goal. He did it time and time again. But there are only two specialists that are in the Hall of Fame – Lou Groza and Jan Stenerud. You’re talking almost an 80-year run in the NFL and only two specialists have made it to Canton. So there’s no guarantee.

SN: So what about Willie Roaf? Most NFL insiders say he’s going to be the first Saint in the Hall of Fame.

Detillier: That’s definitely true. Willie was the prototype left tackle. He was a great run blocker and a tremendous pass protector. There was no one better than Roaf. He went to the Pro Bowl eleven times and only missed the 2001 Pro Bowl because of a knee injury. He was the heart and soul of the Saints offensive line and then goes to Kansas City and helps make Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson All Pro running backs. They always ran left, because Willie Roaf was sitting on that side. The Saints were primarily a left running team when he was there. And even after his fall out with the Saints, he has personally told me, that he will go into the Hall of Fame as a New Orleans Saint.

As for the current crop of Saints players, Mike thinks Brew Brees and Reggie Bush are potential Hall of Famers, but he says it’s too difficult to predict.

So as the Saints kick off the NFL Pre-season against the Pittsburgh Steelers at the Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio, it’s comforting to know that in the near future a Saint will be immortalized, and at last, &#8220Canton-ized.”

Mike Detillier owns and operates his own private scouting service. He has published his M&D Draft Report since 1986. Mike’s comments on college and professional football have landed him regular appearances on talk- radio and television programs across the nation. Mike lives and works from his home is Raceland, La.

Is former Saints tackle Willie Roaf headed to the Hall of Fame? Local NFL Draft Analyst Mike Detillier seems to think so. (Photo contributed by the New Orleans Saints)