Former Saints guard Jahri Evans and safety Roman Harper will be inducted in the franchise’s Hall of Fame.
Longtime New Orleans Saints Spanish radio broadcaster Marco Garcia was also chosen to receive the Joe Gemelli "Fleur de Lis" award.
Saints owner Gayle Benson announced the inductions Tuesday morning.
“Both Jahri Evans and Roman Harper had long outstanding carer as members of the New Orleans saints,” Benson said. ”They played an important role in establishing that culture that allowed us to have quick success as we built and won a Super Bowl that made my late husband Tom so very proud.”
Evans, 6-foot-4, 318 pounds, played 11 seasons with the Saints, from 2006-16, after being drafted by New Orleans in the fourth round in the 2006 NFL Draft.
He earned five consecutive selections to the Associated Press All-Pro team, including four consecutive first-team honors. He was also selected to six consecutive Pro Bowls from 2009-2014. Evans was also a member of the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team.
“It feels like being drafted all over again,” Evans said Tuesday. “I just want to say thank you to everybody who’s been instrumental in my career.”
Harper, 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, was selected by the Saints in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft after a standout career at Alabama.
He played in 124 career games for the Saints from 2006-13 and in 2016 logging 108 starts, 775 tackles, 17 sacks, 7 interceptions, 53 passes defensed, 13 forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and 43 special teams stops while earning two Pro Bowl selections in 2009 and 2010 and was selected to the Saints All-50th team in 2016.
From 2006-16, Harper logged 18 sacks which was more than any other defensive back in the NFL during that stretch.
“I’m just so excited. I can’t thank enough people for this opportunity. I do not take this lightly,” Harper said. “It’s and honor to be recognized as one of the great in the organization.”
Garcia, a native of Honduras, served as the voice of the Saints Spanish radio broadcast from 1996-2014 and from 2016-18 after beginning his career announcing soccer matches.
Known for his trademark touchdown call “Gooool-tooochdown Santos,” Garcia is credited with helping the NFL and the Saints connect with the fast-growing Hispanic community whose population increased in the New Orleans area by nearly 80 percent since 2005.
Garcia said he was honored to receive such a prestigious award.