Saints Countdown To Kickoff With The History Of Number 78
Saints Countdown To Kickoff With The History Of Number 78 originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Saturday marks 78 days before the New Orleans Saints kick off their 2025-26 regular season with an opener against the Arizona Cardinals.
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The Saints enter their 59th NFL season and do so with a new head coach in Kellen Moore after a 5-12 finish in 2024. Wearing number 78 New Orleans is standout center Erik McCoy.
Entering his seventh year with the Saints, McCoy is already arguably the best of the 13 players to suit up in No. 78 for the franchise. Today, we take a look back at all the players that wore this jersey for New Orleans.
Saints History of 78
New Orleans Saints defensive end Elois Grooms (78) closes in on Oakland Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler (12). Credit: neworleanssaints.com
• Jerry Jones, OT (1967-69)
• Glen Ray Hines, OT (1971-72)
• Billy Newsome, DE (1973-74)
• Elois Grooms, DE (1975-81)
• Kevin Clark, OG (1982-83)
• Shawn Knight, DE (1987)
• Jeff Walker, T/G (1989)
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• Daryl Terrell, OT (1999-2001)
• Jon Stinchcomb, OT (2003-10)
• Bobby Richardson, DT (2015)
• Landon Turner, OG (2016)
• Cornelius Lucas, OT (2018)
• Erik McCoy, C (2019-present)
Aug 10, 2024; New Orleans Saints center Erik McCoy (78) snaps the ball against the Arizona Cardinals. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Jerry Jones (no, not that one) was the first recipient of a 78 jersey in Saints history, starting 22 contests over the first three years of the team's existence. Hines and Newsome then followed to each give New Orleans a couple of years.
The Saints used a third round choice in the 1975 NFL Draft to select defensive lineman Elois Grooms out of Tennessee Tech. Undersized even for those days, Grooms put together a very good career despite often being on bad defenses.
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In seven years with the Saints, Grooms had 42.5 (unofficial) sacks and intercepted 2 passes. His 12 sacks in 1979 led New Orleans defenders and was one of the best single-season totals in team history at the time. Grooms' seven years and 99 games with the Saints are the highest for any player who has worn number 78.
New Orleans Saints defensive end Elois Grooms (78). Credit: Pinterest
After Grooms there were four players that wore 78 over a 20-year stretch between 1982 and 2002. None of the four spent more than two years with the team. The biggest bust among them was Shawn Knight, a defensive tackle from BYU.
Knight played only 10 games with the Saints as a rookie in 1987 before being traded to the Denver Broncos in 1988 for another bust in Ted Gregory. The 11th choice in Round 1 of the 1987 NFL Draft, Knight holds the dubious distinction of being the highest drafted Saint to wear 78 and remains one of the biggest draft busts in team history.
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In 2003, New Orleans used a second round draft choice on offensive tackle Jon Stinchcomb out of Georgia. After playing in only 10 games his first two seasons and missing 2005 with a knee injury, Stinchcomb all of the Saints 80 regular season games over his last five years.
Jan 8, 2010; New Orleans Saints tackle Jon Stinchcomb (78) blocks Seattle Seahawks defensive end Raheem Brock (98) in the NFC Wild Card game. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-Imagn Images
A fixture at right tackle, Stinchcomb earned Pro Bowl honors during the team's 2009 Super Bowl championship campaign. He retired before the 2011 season with 96 games as a Saint including playoff outings.
New Orleans added another standout lineman to wear No. 78 with Erik McCoy, a Round 2 choice in the 2019 NFL Draft. Instantly a starter as a rookie, McCoy has been a staple of the offensive line and one of the league's best centers.
Jan 1, 2023; New Orleans Saints center Erik McCoy (78) against the Philadelphia Eagles. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
McCoy has started all of his 81 games for the Saints, playing in every offensive snap during the 2020 and 2023 seasons and missing only a few in 2019. A groin injury sidelined him for 10 games last season, where the blocking for the team subsequently crumbled.
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Erik McCoy's return to the lineup in 2025 is an underrated but major key to New Orleans offensive success.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 21, 2025, where it first appeared.
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