Though he's most remembered for his time with the Carolina Panthers, Jake Delhomme broke into the NFL with the New Orleans Saints.
Delhomme wasn't selected in the 1997 NFL Draft, but landing with the Saints made sense considering he attended Lafayette Teurlings Catholic High School in Louisiana, before playing his college ball at Southwestern Louisiana.
While he'd spend six years with the Saints organization, the most noteworthy playing time that Delhomme received with the team came either in the preseason or as part of the Frankfurt Galaxy, the NFL Europe team that the Saints sent him to in an attempt to have him get more reps.
Delhomme completed 50 of 86 pass attempts during his time with the Saints, but was never given an extended chance to start for the organization. He would eventually get it with the Carolina Panthers, and quickly made the division-rival Saints regret not giving him a more extended look, as he helped guide his new team to an appearance in Super Bowl XXXVIII in February of 2004.
Considering he spent parts of seven seasons starting for another NFC South team, it wasn't exactly easy for Saints fans to forget that they once employed Delhomme, especially before the organization landed Drew Brees. But while you may not have forgotten about Delhomme's time with the Saints, we're willing to bet that you forgot that these five notable players also spent time with the organization:
Kerry Collins
Kerry Collins had a brief stint with the Saints.(Vincent Laforet /AllsportWith the No. 5 overall pick in the 1995 NFL Draft, the expansion Carolina Panthers selected Collins out of Penn State. Collins would find success in the NFL, but not with the Panthers, as he threw 47 touchdowns to 54 interceptions in three-and-a-half seasons with the team. Collins was released by the Panthers after the team went 0-4 to begin the 1998 season. The Saints took a flier on Collins, but he was picked off 10 times in seven starts for the team. After half a season with the Saints, Collins signed with the New York Giants, a team he'd eventually help lead to an NFC title.
Billy Cundiff
Billy Cundiff spent time with the Saints.(Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)Cundiff had a strange NFL career. He's probably most remembered for missing what would have been a game-tying 32-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter of the Baltimore Ravens eventual AFC Championship loss to the New England Patriots in 2011. Five seasons prior to that, Cundiff had a brief stint with the Saints. In five games with the team, Cundiff attempted just one field goal, because John Carney was still the team's primary field-goal kicker. Cundiff kicked off for just over a month with the Saints during their memorable 2006 campaign. Strangely, Cundiff wouldn't kick again in an NFL regular season game until 2009. By 2010, he was an All-Pro with the Ravens.
Ladell Betts
Ladell Betts spent a short period of time with the Saints.(Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)Quietly, Betts, a second-round pick in 2002, spent eight seasons with The Washington Football Team, rushing for over 3,100 yards and averaging 4.1 yards per carry. Following the aforementioned stint in D.C., Betts signed with the Saints, the defending Super Bowl Champions. The 2010 campaign proved to be the final one for Betts, as he averaged just 3.3 yards per carry on 45 rushes for Sean Payton.
Julius Jones
Julius Jones had a brief stint with the Saints.(Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)Like Betts, Jones was a once-productive NFC East running back that the Saints got at the conclusion of his career. Jones, a second-round pick in 2004, had multiple seasons with the Dallas Cowboys where he averaged over four yards per carry. While splitting carries with Maurice Morris and T.J. Duckett, Jones averaged a career-high 4.4 yards per carry as a member of the Seattle Seahawks in 2008. However, two seasons later, the Seahawks released Jones in early October to make room for Marshawn Lynch. While Jones would rush for 193 yards as a Saint, his new team was eventually upset by his old team in Lynch's "Beastquake" game.
C.J. Spiller
C.J. Spiller had a brief stint with the Saints.(Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)Remember C.J. Spiller? He was an electric player at Clemson, one that the Buffalo Bills used the ninth pick in the 2010 NFL Draft on. Though Spiller ran for over 1,200 yards in 2012, the Bills lived to regret that selection, as it was his only 1,000+ yard season with the team. Spiller landed a four-year/$18 million deal, one that guaranteed him $9 million, with the Saints ahead of the 2015 season. However, his time in New Orleans was brief, as the Saints released him early in the 2016 season. He averaged just 3.1 yards per carry as a Saint.
Other Entries in This Series
- 5 Players You Forgot Played For The Chicago Bears
- 5 Players You Forgot Played For The Detroit Lions
- 5 Players You Forgot Played For The Cleveland Browns
- 5 Players You Forgot Played For The Philadelphia Eagles
- 5 Players You Forgot Played For The New York Giants
- 5 Players You Forgot Played For The New York Jets
- 5 Players You Forgot Played For The Atlanta Falcons
