Jabari Greer only played five seasons in New Orleans, but he sure made an impression during that time.
The Super Bowl champion and former standout cornerback has been named as the latest inductee into the Saints Hall of Fame, which will become official on Dec. 8 before he is honored at halftime of the Week 14 matchup against the Carolina Panthers.
“He’s the epitome of what it means to be a New Orleans Saint, and the type of players and the type of people that we bring into this organization," said Dennis Allen, who coached Greer as the secondary coach during his first two seasons in New Orleans.
Greer will be joined by longtime WDSU and WWL videographers Steve Paretti and Bob Parkinson, who were named the recipients of the annual Joe Gemelli "Fleur de Lis" award for contributions to the Saints organization.
Greer's Saints career spanned 133 games, 86 of which he started at cornerback. He logged 256 tackles, 9 interceptions, 68 passes defensed and scored two defensive touchdowns. He entered the league as a UDFA out of Tennessee, playing his first five seasons with the Bills.
His career was one that spanned some of the best year's in Saints history, including the Super Bowl 2009 squad, before retiring in 2013. He took time out of his speech to thank his mother, who was in attendance alongside his children, as well as his late wife, Katrina, who passed away in 2020.
“She allowed me to come out here and play free, and I wish, when I heard that I was inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame, I prayed more than anything that she could hear me giving her the thanks and the honor that she deserved, because she held it down," he said. "She allowed me to be the player that I was."
In the end, Greer made sure to reinforce that the New Orleans community was as important to him as he was to it during his run with the Saints. He called back to the return home after a playoff loss to the 49ers in 2011 when fans were lining the streets to welcome them back "with grace and understanding." That type of support is unique he said, and he won't forget it.
"These people love their team, and I think that in turn, the teams love the community," he said. "Through God’s grace, I came to the best place on Earth to play football. And there is no place like the Superdome on Sunday."
