Center 7
Guard 12
Offensive Tackle 18
Defensive End 29
Defensive Tackle 22
Linebacker 35
Running Back 15
Wide Receiver 30
Defensive Back 50
Quarterback 13
Tight End 19
Kick Returner 2
Punter 3
Center 7
Guard 12
Offensive Tackle 18
Defensive End 29
Defensive Tackle 22
Linebacker 35
Running Back 15
Wide Receiver 30
Defensive Back 50
Quarterback 13
Tight End 19
Kick Returner 2
Punter 3
New Orleans Saints Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis announced Monday the 14 undrafted rookie free agents that have agreed to terms with the team following the conclusion of the NFL Draft. Joining the Saints will be LBs Jason Beauchamp and Harry Coleman, WR Chris Bell, RBs Carlos Brown, Christian Ducré and Chris Ivory, Gs Brandon Carter and Joe Tonga, DEs Junior Galette and Brandon Sharpe, LS Clint Gresham, safety Ryan Hamilton, DT Jay Ross and CB Marcell Young.
The following is an outline of the 14 players who – along with the club’s six draft choices and other tryout players – will be coming to New Orleans to participate in the team’s rookie minicamp, scheduled to take place May 7-9.
Jason Beauchamp – Linebacker, UNLV (6-3, 244): Beauchamp is an athletic linebacker who was the Rebels’ leading tackler in both his junior and senior seasons, playing 48 games with 37 starts for UNLV and tallying 334 tackles, with 26 of those coming for losses including 13 sacks and a pair of forced fumbles. The San Diego native was a three-year starter and was named honorable mention all-Mountain West Conference in 2009 after earning second-team honors the prior year, posting 95 tackles with a career-best 6½ sacks as a senior.
Chris Bell – Wide Receiver, Norfolk State (6-2, 211): Bell played two seasons at Penn State, catching 12 passes for 209 yards, prior to returning to his native Norfolk, Va., where he led the Spartans with 51 catches for 958 yards and 13 touchdowns in his lone season at Norfolk State. Bell led the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in receiving yards and touchdowns and was named first-team all-MEAC before declaring for the NFL draft with a year of eligibility remaining.
Carlos Brown – Running Back, Michigan (6-0, 212): Brown was a four-year letterman for the Wolverines, playing in 30 games with 12 starts over his collegiate career. The Franklin, Ga. native totaled 1,025 yards on 201 carries with nine touchdowns for his career, caught 16 passes for 145 yards and a score and also averaged 20.3 yards on 19 kickoff returns. Brown took over the starting running back job as a senior and led Michigan with a career-best 480 rushing yards on 79 carries (5.9 avg.) with four touchdowns and added 10 catches for 122 yards and a score.
Brandon Carter – Guard, Texas Tech (6-6, 319): Carter started for three seasons for the Red Raiders, opening 40 of the 49 games he played during his collegiate career. The native of Longview, Texas was selected first-team All-Big XII as a senior in 2009 after receiving honorable mention all-conference honors in each of his sophomore and junior seasons.
Harry Coleman – Linebacker, LSU (6-2, 212): Coleman was a two-year starter for the Tigers, moving from strong safety to linebacker in between his junior and senior seasons and closed his career with 183 tackles, four sacks, 11 pass defenses, four fumbles and a pair of fumble recoveries in 52 games, starting the final 26 of them. The Baldwin, La. native was named LSU’s Most Valuable Player as a senior in 2009, posting career-highs with 82 tackles, nine tackles for loss, four sacks and three forced fumbles.
Christian Ducré – Running Back, Mississippi State (5-11, 225): Ducré, a native of Lacombe, La. and a graduate of Mandeville’s Fontaineblue HS, played in 37 games for Mississippi State over four seasons, rushing for 972 yards on 49 carries with seven touchdowns and catching 39 passes for 346 yards and two more scores. He spent a redshirt season at Tulane before transferring to MSU and had his biggest statistical season as a sophomore in 2007, gaining 487 yards with three touchdowns for the Bulldogs.
Junior Galette – Defensive End, Stillman (6-2, 258): Galette was a three-year letter-winner at Temple before transferring to Stillman College prior to his senior season. The Spring Valley, N.Y. native played 33 games for Temple, making 80 tackles with 16 sacks and three forced fumbles. In his lone season at Stillman, Galette made 56 tackles and notched 9½ sacks, earning first-team All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honors and being named a second-team Division II All-American.
Clint Gresham – Long Snapper, TCU (6-3, 238): Gresham, a Corpus Christi, Texas native, was the only long snapper invited to the NFL Scouting Combine after a solid career for the Horned Frogs, playing in 38 games over three seasons and recording eight tackles on special teams. The long snapper spent his freshman season at the University of Oklahoma before transferring to TCU.
Ryan Hamilton – Safety, Vanderbilt (6-1, 206): Hamilton was a four-year starter for the Commodores, playing both free and strong safety over his 39-game career (36 starts) that saw him total 222 tackles, five interceptions, two sacks, three forced fumbles and seven pass defenses. Had his best season as a junior in 2008, making 104 tackles with four interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown and three fumble recoveries. The Wycombe, Pa. native had his senior season cut short after just two games after suffering a torn pectoral muscle.
Chris Ivory – Running Back, Tiffin (6-0, 222): Ivory played three seasons at Washington State, gaining 534 yards on 91 carries with four touchdowns in 22 games for the Cougars in an injury-shortened career. The Longview, Texas native also averaged 22.8 yards on 23 kickoff returns for WSU before transferring to Division II Tiffin, where he played in five games and rushed for 223 yards on 39 attempts.
Jay Ross – Defensive Tackle, East Carolina (6-3, 302): Ross was a three-year starter on the Pirates’ defensive line, opening 42 games of the 52 he played for East Carolina, three times earning honorable mention All-Conference USA honors. The Wilmington, N.C. native totaled 140 tackles over his four seasons, 25 of them behind the line of scrimmage including eight sacks and added two forced fumbles and a pair of fumble recoveries, one of which he returned for a TD.
Brandon Sharpe – Defensive End, Texas Tech (6-2, 254): Sharpe played in 23 games at Texas Tech over three seasons after spending a year at Fresno City College. The Lyons, Ga. native set a school record with 15 sacks as a senior in 2009, earning first-team All-Big XII honors as he started 12 games and totaled 36 tackles (20 of them coming behind the line of scrimmage), with five pass defenses, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. For his Red Raider career, Sharpe totaled 41 tackles with 16 sacks.
Joe Tonga – Guard, Indiana (Pa.) (6-4, 313): Tonga played his senior season at Division II Indiana (Pa.) University and started nine games on the offensive line for the Crimson Hawks. The Taylorsville, Utah native played one season at Florida State in 2008, playing in 11 games after two standout seasons at Mt. San Antonio (Calif.) Community College, where he earned all-conference honors.
Marcell Young – Cornerback, Jackson State (6-0, 183): Young played in 21 games over two seasons for Jackson State in his hometown of Jackson, Miss., making 49 tackles with two interceptions, five pass defenses and two interceptions. Prior to transferring to JSU, Young played two seasons at Hinds (Miss.) Community College where he was selected to play in the Mississippi Junior College All-Star Game.
What Teams Will New Orleans Play in 2010?
The New Orleans Saints will open up the defense of their Super Bowl XLIV title with a rematch of the 2009 NFC Championship, starting their 2010 season with two consecutive nationally-broadcast, prime-time contests, it was announced by the NFL today. A club record five prime-time games are on the slate, including their first appearance on Thanksgiving. The Saints will kick off the NFL regular season on Thursday, September 9, when they host the Minnesota Vikings on NBC (7:30 p.m. CT) at the Louisiana Superdome.
After taking on the Vikings, the Saints will be featured in prime-time in back-to-back contests for the first time in franchise history when they travel to face the San Francisco 49ers on ESPN Monday Night Football (7:30 p.m. CT) on September 20. The Saints and their former NFC West foes have enjoyed a storied rivalry, with New Orleans winning the last five meetings that have occurred since divisional re-alignment in 2002.
The Saints then return home to open their NFC South slate when they host the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 26 for a noon contest. Atlanta leads the series between the longtime division rivals 44-37, but the Saints swept both games last year and have won seven of their last eight. The Saints will take on their second divisional opponent the next week on October 3, when the Carolina Panthers come to town. The Panthers lead the all-time series 17-13 and the two clubs split last season.
The Saints then make their first regular season trip to University of Phoenix Stadium on Oct. 10, when they play the Arizona Cardinals (3:05 p.m. CT) as they Saints face another opponent from the 2009 postseason. The Saints then remain on the road as they travel to Raymond James Stadium to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at noon on Oct. 17. The Saints are 21-15 all-time against the Buccaneers after the two clubs split both meetings in 2009.
New Orleans will then host two of the four AFC North foes that are on their schedule, starting with a contest against the Cleveland Browns on Oct. 24 at noon. The Saints defeated the Browns 19-14 in the head coaching debut of Sean Payton in 2006. On Halloween night, the Super Bowl XLIV champions will face the winner of Super Bowl XLIII, when they host the Pittsburgh Steelers in a contest nationally televised by NBC (7:20 p.m. CT). The following Sunday on Nov. 7, the Saints will travel to Bank of America Stadium for a rematch with Carolina, before enjoying a bye the following week.
The Saints will return from their bye and host the Seattle Seahawks on Nov. 21, led by new head coach Pete Carroll, who coached RB Reggie Bush and DT Sedrick Ellisat the University of Southern California. The game, which falls on the 11th week of the NFL season, marks the beginning of the NFL’s flex scheduling format and the game, as well four other contests are subject to be moved to different time slots. The game is slated to be kicked off at 3:05 p.m. CT.
The Black-and-Gold will return to the national spotlight in their first trip to Cowboys Stadium, the site of Super Bowl XLV, when they play Dallas (3:00 p.m. CT) for their first appearance on Thanksgiving. The Saints will be looking to avenge last December’s 24-17 loss to the Cowboys that snapped a 13-0 start.
New Orleans then travels to Cincinnati to play the 2009 AFC North champion Bengals in a game scheduled for noon on Dec. 5, followed by a home matchup vs. former NFC West foe St. Louis, Dec. 12. The Saints will then travel to Baltimore for a Dec. 19 game against the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium before closing the regular season against two straight NFC South opponents.
On Monday, Dec. 27, the Saints will travel to Atlanta for an ESPN-broadcast showdown with the Falcons (7:30 p.m. CT). The game will mark the second-straight year that the Saints will face the Falcons on Monday Night Football, the fifth such occurrence in the last six seasons. New Orleans will then close out their regular season on Jan. 2, hosting Tampa Bay at the Superdome (Noon CT).
Saints 2010 Preseason Schedule
2010 NFL Preseason Schedule
Every year, many players join the National Football League from families rich in athletic tradition. Here is a sampling of draft prospects who had family members compete at either the collegiate or professional level in the world of sports.
THE QUARTERBACKS
FAMILY MEMBERS WITH NFL EXPERIENCE…
JOHN SKELTON – Fordham…Uncle, JAVIER LOYA, is a limited partner in the Houston Texans franchise…Younger brother, Stephen, was the starting tight end as a junior at Fordham in 2009.
FAMILY MEMBERS WITH COLLEGIATE OR PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE…
SAM BRADFORD – Oklahoma…Father, Kent Bradford, was an Oklahoma offensive lineman (1977-78).
JIMMY CLAUSEN – Notre Dame…Older brothers Rick and Casey both played quarterback at the University of Tennessee.
COLT MC COY – Texas…Father, Brad, was a safety at Abilene Christian and was roommates with Longhorn wide receiver JORDAN SHIPLEY’s father, Bob…Brother, Case, has committed to play quarterback at Texas…Another brother, Chance, is a sophomore wide receiver at Abilene Christian…Grandfather, Burl, is a member of the Abilene Christian University Sports Hall of Fame for his contributions as an athlete and as the former women’s basketball coach.
THE WIDE RECEIVERS
FAMILY MEMBERS WITH NFL EXPERIENCE…
GOLDEN TATE – Notre Dame…Father, GOLDEN TATE, JR., played wide receiver at Tennessee State and was a fifth-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts in the 1984 NFL draft as the 120th overall selection.
KERRY MEIER – Kansas…Three older brothers have all played college football, including SHAD (Kansas State), Adam (Pittsburg State), and Dylan (Kansas State). Shad then spent five seasons in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans (2001-04) and New Orleans Saints (2005).
OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS WITH COLLEGIATE OR PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE…
ARRELIOUS BENN – Illinois…Older brother, Trulon Henry, played defensive back at the College of Dupage (2008-09).
DEZMON BRISCOE – Kansas…Father, Alvin, played football at Oklahoma State.
RILEY COOPER – Florida…Father, Larry, played baseball at Oklahoma State.
JACOBY FORD – Clemson…Brother, Davy, played running back at Florida State and scored on an 82-yard run vs. Clemson in 2000, the longest vs. a Tommy Bowden-coached Clemson team.
MARDY GILYARD – Cincinnati…Brother, Addison Morgan, played football at Western Illinois.
CARLTON MITCHELL – South Florida…Father, Carl, played professional basketball in Europe…Mother, Angela, is a “cut-man” for professional boxer, Antonio Tarver.
JORDAN SHIPLEY – Texas…Father, Bob, and grandfather, Richard Felts, both played at Abilene Christian. Bob was roommates with Longhorn quarterback COLT MC COY’s father, Brad…Uncle, Steven, is the second-leading receiver in Texas Christian history.
BLAIR WHITE – Michigan State…Mother, Vicki LeFevre, earned All-American swimming honors at Michigan State… Cousin, Jessica LeFevre, was a four-year starter on the Michigan State softball team.
THE TIGHT ENDS
FAMILY MEMBERS WITH NFL EXPERIENCE…
ROB GRONKOWSKI – Arizona…Brother, DAN, currently plays tight end for the Detroit Lions following his four-year career at Maryland (2005-08)…Another brother, Chris, was a teammate of Dan’s at Maryland before transferring to Arizona, where he played alongside Rob as an H-Back for the Wildcats (2008-09)…Another brother, Gordie, was selected in the 49th-round of the 2006 Major League Baseball draft by the Los Angeles Angels…His great-grandfather, Ignatius, was a member of the 1924 U.S. Olympic cycling team in Paris.
MICKEY SHULER – Penn State…Father, MICKEY, SR., was a standout tight end for the Nittany Lions, from 1975-77. He was selected by the New York Jets in the third round of the 1978 NFL Draft and enjoyed a successful career with the Jets (1978-1989) and Philadelphia Eagles (1990-91).
OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS WITH COLLEGIATE OR PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE…
DORIN DICKERSON – Pittsburgh…Father, Randy, played basketball at Kansas State and Lock Haven.
RICHARD DICKSON – Louisiana State…Father, Dick, attended Mississippi State, earning a football letter in 1976… Grandfather, Donald, was an offensive guard at Mississippi (1960-62).
GARRETT GRAHAM – Wisconsin…Father, Gordon, played for the West Virginia University soccer team.
DENNIS PITTA – Brigham Young…Father, Dennis, played middle linebacker for California from 1968-69.
THE RUNNING BACKS
FAMILY MEMBERS WITH NFL EXPERIENCE…
TOBY GERHART – Stanford…Father, TODD, was an All-Conference running back at Cal State Fullerton (1981-84) before playing professional football for the Denver Gold of the United States Football League (USFL) from 1985-86 and appearing in camp with the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings (1986) and Houston Oilers (1987)…Brother, Garth, is an offensive guard at Arizona State (2007-present).
OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS WITH COLLEGIATE OR PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE…
CLAY HARBOR – Missouri State…Older brother, Cory, was a teammate and four-year letterman at Missouri State (2005-08).
JOE MC KNIGHT – Southern California…Sister, Johanna, was on the basketball (guard) and track (sprints and jumps) teams at the University of Richmond.
THE OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
FAMILY MEMBERS WITH NFL EXPERIENCE…
JOHN JERRY – Mississippi…His brother, PERIA, was an All-SEC and All-American defensive tackle at Ole Miss (2004-08). He was selected in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons…Cousin, DWAYNE RUDD, was an All-American linebacker at Alabama (1994-96) and was selected in the first round of the 1997 NFL Draft by Minnesota, playing for the Vikings (1997-2000), Cleveland (2001-02) and Tampa Bay (2003)…Another cousin, Derek Pegues, was an All-SEC defensive back at Mississippi State (2005-08)…Two more cousins, linebacker Eddie Strong (1998-2002) and running back Toward Sanford (1999-2002) also played at Ole Miss.
OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS WITH COLLEGIATE OR PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE…
ZANE BEADLES – Utah…Father, Brad, played baseball at Hutchinson Junior College…Stepmother, Jill, started at point guard for Concordia Lutheran, which qualified for the NAIA Final Four in 1993-94…Mother, Jamie Legerski, played basketball for Wyoming.
BRUCE CAMPBELL – Maryland…Father, Bruce, was a basketball star at Providence College in the 1970s. He was selected by the New Jersey Nets in the eighth round of the 1978 NBA Draft and is a member of the Providence Athletics Hall of Fame. He played professional hoops overseas.
JOHN ESTES – Hawaii…Cousin, Kahai LaCount, was a defensive lineman at Hawaii.
MIKE IUPATI – Idaho…Younger brother, Andrew, is currently a defensive tackle for the University of Oregon.
TED LARSEN – North Carolina State…Father, Robert, played defensive end at Wichita State (1972-76).
MAURKICE POUNCEY – Florida…Twin brother, Michael, was a teammate and fellow offensive lineman at Lakeland High School and the University of Florida.
RODGER SAFFOLD – Indiana…Father, Rodger, played football at the University of Iowa in the 1970s.
JARED VELDHEER – Hillsdale…Older brother, Aaron, played basketball at Hillsdale College.
ED WANG – Virginia Tech…Parents, Nancy and Robert, were both members of the Chinese Olympic track and field team in the 1970s.
THE DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
FAMILY MEMBERS WITH NFL EXPERIENCE…
LINDSEY WITTEN – Connecticut…Older brother, DONTE WHITNER, started at strong safety for Ohio State and has played for the Buffalo Bills since he was selected by the club in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft (eighth overall).
OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS WITH COLLEGIATE OR PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE…
TYSON ALUALU – California…Became the fourth family member to play college football, joining uncle, Tupu (Hawaii), and cousins Ben (Arizona) and Tyrone (Laney College).
EVERSON GRIFFEN – Southern California…Cousin, Keegan Herring, played tailback at Arizona State.
GREG HARDY – Mississippi…Father, Greg, Sr., was a defensive end at Mississippi (1986-87).
LAMARR HOUSTON – Texas…Cousin, Stan Gill, was a tailback at Stanford (1985).
MIKE NEAL – Purdue…Father, Michael, played football at Weber State.
C.J. WILSON – East Carolina…Brother, Everett, played football at North Carolina A&T…Another brother, Amos, was a member of the New Mexico State football team.
THE LINEBACKERS
FAMILY MEMBERS WITH NFL EXPERIENCE…
RODDRICK MUCKELROY – Texas… Cousin, JOE KING, was an offensive lineman at Oklahoma State (1988-90) and played in the National Football League with Cincinnati (1991), Cleveland (1991) and Tampa Bay (1992-93)…Brother, Kendrick, played linebacker at Kilgore Junior College.
BRANDON SPIKES – Florida…Cousin, TAKEO, has played linebacker in the NFL for Cincinnati (1998-2002), Buffalo (2003-06), Philadelphia (2007) and San Francisco (2008-present) following his All-American career at Auburn University.
OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS WITH COLLEGIATE OR PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE…
JOSH HULL – Penn State…Younger brother, Ethan, is a redshirt freshman offensive lineman for the Nittany Lions.
SEAN LEE – Penn State…Older brother, Conor, was the placekicker for the University of Pittsburgh from 2005-08 and was the 2008 Big East Football Scholar-Athlete-of-the-Year.
KOA MISI – Utah…Father, Sione, played football for Hawaii.
ERIC NORWOOD – South Carolina…Younger brother, Erin, is a defensive back at South Carolina State (2007-present).
SEAN WEATHERSPOON – Missouri…Cousin of former WNBA star, Teresa Weatherspoon.
THE DEFENSIVE BACKS
FAMILY MEMBERS WITH NFL EXPERIENCE…
MORGAN BURNETT – Georgia Tech…Cousin, BRUCE THORNTON, was a star defensive back at Georgia (1999-2003) before going on to play for the Dallas Cowboys (2004) and San Francisco 49ers (2005)…Older brother, Cam, also starred at Georgia, from 1998-2002.
MYRON LEWIS – Vanderbilt…Brother, HANIK MILLIGAN, was a two-time All-Conference USA safety at Houston before being drafted in the sixth round (188th overall selection) by San Diego in 2003. He went on to play for the Chargers (2003-05), Arizona Cardinals (2006) and St. Louis Rams (2007). Hanik was named to the Pro Bowl as a special teams performer in 2005…Another brother, Hamin Milligan, attended Garden City Community College, winning NJCAA All-American honors before transferring to the University of Houston. He has played for five different teams in the Arena Football League: the San Jose SaberCats (2003), the Arizona Rattlers (2003-04), the Chicago Rush (2004), the Dallas Desperados (2005-06), and the Georgia Force (2007-09).
TAYLOR MAYS – Southern California…Father, STAFFORD, was a defensive lineman at Washington (1978-79) and played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1980-86) and Minnesota Vikings (1987-88).
DEVIN MC COURTY – Rutgers…Twin brother, JASON, was a teammate and fellow cornerback at Saint Joseph’s High School and Rutgers. Jason was selected in the sixth round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans.
WALTER MC FADDEN – Auburn…Brother, BRYANT, was an All-ACC cornerback at Florida State before being selected in the 2005 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He signed with Arizona as a free agent in 2009.
DONOVAN WARREN – Michigan…Godfather is former Southern California All-American and All-Pro safety MARK CARRIER, who roamed the sidelines for the Chicago Bears (1990-96), Detroit Lions (1997-99) and Washington Redskins (2000). Carrier was an assistant coach at Arizona State University (2004-05) and the Baltimore Ravens (2006-09) before joining good friend Rex Ryan on his staff with the New York Jets (2010-present)…Uncle, CHUCKIE MILLER, a former standout at Polytechnic High, went on to star at UCLA before playing defensive back for the Indianapolis Colts (1988)…Father, Alvin, is a former receiver at New Mexico State (1987-1990), where he ranks eighth in school history with 130 receptions for 1,780 yards.
OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS WITH COLLEGIATE OR PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE…
NATE ALLEN – South Florida…Father, Jackie, played professional basketball in Europe.
JAVIER ARENAS – Alabama…Cousin, Gilbert Arenas, plays guard in the NBA for the Washington Wizards.
ERIC BERRY – Tennessee…Father, James, was a three-year starter, four-year letterman, and 1981 team captain for the Tennessee football team.
CHRIS COOK – Virginia…Cousin, Vic Hall (2005-08), was a teammate at Virginia and also played in the Cavs’ secondary.
BRANDON GHEE – Wake Forest…Older brother, Patrick, was a teammate and a safety at Wake Forest from 2002-06.
JOE HADEN – Florida…Brother, Josh, is a running back at Boston College…Another brother, Jordan, enrolled in January of 2010 to play football at Florida.
CHAD JONES – Louisiana State…Brother, RAHIM ALEM (given name was Alfred Marvin Jones, Jr.), was a teammate and defensive end for Louisiana State from 2005-09 and is a linebacker prospect for the 2010 NFL Draft…Father, Al, played football for Tulane, serving as a team captain for the Green Wave in 1978.
CHRIS MARAGOS – Wisconsin…Father, Nick, was a three-time All-Conference free safety at Northern Iowa (1974-76), becoming just the second player in school history to lead the team in interceptions during three seasons.
DARRELL STUCKEY – Kansas…Sister, Denae, is a guard for the Iowa State women’s basketball team (2007-present).
EARL THOMAS – Texas…Uncle, Anthony, was a linebacker at Stephen F. Austin (1997-99).
T.J. WARD – Oregon…Younger brother, Terron, is a senior running back at De La Salle High School and has accepted an offer to play for Oregon State Beavers next year.
THE SPECIALISTS
FAMILY MEMBERS WITH NFL EXPERIENCE…
ROBERT MALONE – Fresno State…Cousin, TOM, was an All-Pac 10 Conference punter at Southern Cal before spending the 2006-08 seasons on the New England Patriots practice squad. He recently joined his former coach, Pete Carroll, with the Seattle Seahawks.
OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS WITH COLLEGIATE OR PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE…
BRENT BOWDEN – Virginia Tech…Brother of former Florida State punter, Chris Hall (2003-06)…Younger brother, Grant, redshirted at Virginia Tech in 2009 and is expected to replace Brent as the Hokies’ punter in 2010.
ZOLTAN MESKO – Michigan…Father, Michael, is a former professional bowler.
LEIGH TIFFIN – Alabama…His father, Van, handled kicking duties for Alabama from 1983-86 and ranks fourth in school history in scoring by a kicker (312 points). He is one of four kickers in Alabama history with 300 points, which includes Leigh (385), Phillip Doyle (339, 1987-1990) and Michael Proctor (326, 1992-95).
The Super Bowl Champion Saints will begin the pre-season by heading to Foxborough, Mass. to play the New England Patriots in week one of the preseason (games played between August 12th and 16th). The game will be a re-match of the Saints’ 38-17 regular season win over the Patriots on Monday Night Football in the 2009 season, a game which was played at the Louisiana Superdome. The game will be the Saints’ first trip to Foxborough since August 18, 2005.
Week two of the preseason (games played between August 19th and 23rd) will see the Saints return to the Superdome to host the Houston Texans. The Saints and Texans have played each other the previous two seasons and have also held joint practice sessions together both years, although no announcement has been made as to whether that newfound tradition will continue this preseason.
In week three, the Saints will host a nationally televised game (CBS) against the San Diego Chargers on Friday evening, August 27th. The game will pit Drew Brees against his former team and will be a re-match of the 2008 NFL International Series contest in which the Saints won a thrilling contest against the Chargers in London’s Wembley Stadium, 37-32. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Central Time.
The Saints will end their preseason schedule (September 2nd or 3rd) by traveling to Nashville to play the Tennessee Titans. The two teams last met in the preseason in 2006, Sean Payton’s first season and first game as a head coach, with the Titans gaining the victory, 19-16.
Finalized dates and times for the three games (preseason games 1, 2 and 4) will be announced at NewOrleansSaints.com at a future date, as well as the team’s complete 2010 preseason schedule.
For information on the complete 2010 NFL Preseason Schedule