You obviously remember the names Drew Brees and Steve Gleason. You might even remember Curtis Deloatch, the man who recovered Gleason's iconic blocked punt.
But do you remember Terrance Copper? There are a few reasons you should. If you look back at Gleason's flashbulb moment, you'll see the wide receiver in No. 18 streaking toward the blocked punt himself, but missing out on being the trivia answer by mere feet.
"The crowd went crazy. The sidelines went crazy. We just jumping up all over the place. The fans went crazy," Copper said to Voice of the Saints Mike Hoss on this week's WWL coaches show. "It was just an amazing moment. I remember that like it was yesterday."
Copper says he remembers grown men "boo-hoo crying" during that game, the emotion running so high for the Saints' return. He was told by players on the opposing side that they knew the Falcons had no chance to win that game (and they didn't).
But that's not the only reason you should remember Copper's name. The wide receiver, who played nine seasons in the NFL between the Saints, Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs, has his name on a different trivia answer from the 2006 season. It was for a Hail Mary touchdown feat that was matched by Marquez Callaway last week. Copper was the man who hauled in that heave from Brees at the end of the first half in the second matchup against the Falcons that season.
Head coach Sean Payton called back to that play in his post-game remarks about the Jameis Winston to Callaway version of the thrilling play, with an anecdote about a Sugarland halftime show that was met with a less-than-warm crowd after the big play. Watch the play here.
"Brees honestly threw the perfect ball. I didn't have to jump up ... to get it off the tip," Copper said. "It honestly came directly into my hands like it was just me and Drew Brees throwing."
But the catch isn't what the receiver remembers most clearly. That distinction goes to the celebration after what marked Copper's first touchdown in a Saints jersey.
"Once I catch it, I get up and try to spike it, and Reggie Bush jumps on my back and messed my spike up," Copper said. "That was the biggest thing I remember from that play."
Copper had joined the Saints at a pivotal point in team history, as they returned to New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina and simultaneously kicked off the Brees-Payton era. But before he could be a part of that, he had to survive the heat and humidity.
“We had just got to New Orleans and it was so humid, and I was like ‘oh my goodness, I don’t know if I’m even going to make this team. They’re going to cut me after this first day.’ Because I had no energy," he said. "I wasn’t used to that type of humidity down there.”
That era brought a Super Bowl title and countless memories. But Copper's favorite thing about his time in New Orleans? That'd be New Orleans -- specifically the people that make it such a special place.
"Even though we were going through what we were going through post-Katrina, it was just an amazing atmosphere," he said. "Like, the people, I love the people in New Orleans. To this day that’s my favorite city to go to."
Copper finished his Saints career with 38 catches for 511 yards and 5 TDs, his NFL career coming to an end after the 2012 season with the Kansas City Chiefs. He now lives in North Carolina, he said.
Check out more from the interview with Terrance Copper at the video atop the page, and subscribe to WWL Sports on YouTube to keep up with all our latest updates, news, notes and analysis.
