New Orleans Saints Mount Rushmore: Four Franchise Icons
 

Manning. Hilliard. Hebert. Dempsey. Martin. Swilling.

For Saints fans, all of these names conjure up images of great moments over the lifespan of a mostly mediocre NFL team.

Who Dat Nation has had plenty of names to cheer about, and plenty of others to hide their faces in paper bags about over the 46 year existence of their mostly beloved Saints. Even when things weren't going so well, the "laissez les bon temps rouler" attitude of past Saints fans and Louisianians, generally allowed for it. Football (outside of LSU, of course) was a mere diversion.

Suddenly though, the eighties happened. Jim Mora rolled in from the now defunct USFL, and the Saints began to win. Saints fans began to have expectations. With those expectations came a sense of pride.

Pride turned in to playoff appearances under Mora. Later came a playoff victory under Jim Haslett. Finally, a terrible decision (in hindsight) by the Cowboys' Jerry Jones to allow quarterbacks coach Sean Payton take on his first coaching job with the Saints, leads to Super Bowl immortality.

Who are the figures, though, that have brought the Saints from the laughing stock of the league, to one of the most heralded and competitive teams in the NFL?

Here are the four most iconic figures in New Orleans Saints history.

New Orleans Saints Mount Rushmore: Four Franchise Icons

Re: New Orleans Saints Mount Rushmore: Four Franchise Icons
 

If it's players only - then Manning, Brees, Jackson, Andersen...

Re: New Orleans Saints Mount Rushmore: Four Franchise Icons
 

Icons...
Got to have Archie in there.
Got to have Brees in there.
How can you have a Mount Rushmore of iconic figures without Deuce?
And you have to have a member of the Dome Patrol... so it's either Mills or Jackson.. I'd go with Jackson.

So it's Archie, Jackson, Deuce, Brees

Re: New Orleans Saints Mount Rushmore: Four Franchise Icons
 

My four...

Archie Manning
Rickey Jackson
Drew Brees
Sam Mills (narrowly over Willie Roaf)

Re: New Orleans Saints Mount Rushmore: Four Franchise Icons
 

Benson. Sean. Loomie. Finks.

Re: New Orleans Saints Mount Rushmore: Four Franchise Icons
 

Aaron Brooks
Toi Cook
Johnathan Sullivan
Mike Ditka

Re: New Orleans Saints Mount Rushmore: Four Franchise Icons
 

Mora
Payton
Brees
Jackson


I think they are the ones who shaped the franchise to what it is of the last 20 years.

Re: New Orleans Saints Mount Rushmore: Four Franchise Icons
 

Guys we are over-thinking this -

Jackson-Mills-Vaughan-Swilling

Re: New Orleans Saints Mount Rushmore: Four Franchise Icons
 

I would say due to space constraints on the Mount Roaf couldn't make it...he has one big head

Re: New Orleans Saints Mount Rushmore: Four Franchise Icons
 

No Deuce?