Saints Countdown To NFL Kickoff With The History Of Number 83
Saints Countdown To NFL Kickoff With The History Of Number 83 originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The start of this work week also marks 83 days before the New Orleans Saints start their 59th NFL season and 2025 regular season against the Arizona Cardinals.
Advertisement
New Orleans is expecting an improvement over their 5-12 record from a year ago. The Saints will be under new leadership on the sidelines in head coach Kellen Moore. They'll also run it back with many of the same familiar faces on the field.
One of those same faces is tight end Juwan Johnson, who will be wearing number 83 in his sixth season. Johnson is the 18th player to wear No. 83 during a regular season game in franchise history. Today, we have a look at all the New Orleans contributors who have worn that jersey.
Saints History of 83
November 24, 2008; New Orleans Saints tight end Billy Miller (83) breaks a tackle against the Green Bay Packers. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-Imagn Images
• Vern Burke, TE (1967)
• Dave Parks, TE (1968-72)
• Len Garrett, TE (1973-75)
Advertisement
• Andy Hamilton, WR (1975)
• Tinker Owens, WR (1976-80)
• Kenny Duckett, WR (1982-85)
• Carl Roaches, WR (1985)
• Kelvin Edwards, WR (1986)
• Dwight Walker, WR (1987)
• Cliff Benson, TE (1987)
• Greg Scales, WR (1988-91)
• Torrance Small, WR (1992-96)
• Keith Poole, WR (1997-2000)
• Albert Connell, WR (2001)
• Donte' Stallworth, WR (2002-05)
• Billy Miller, TE (2006-08)
• Willie Snead, WR (2015-17)
• Juwan Johnson, TE (2020-present)
New Orleans Saints tight end Dave Parks (83) with a catch against the San Francisco 49ers. Credit: NOLA.com
Burke was the first to sport an 83 for New Orleans, catching 8 passes for 84 yards over seven games in the Saints' first season. Parks was a former first overall draft choice and three-time Pro Bowler when he came over from the 49ers. He didn't have quite the same success with New Orleans, but did play five years and had 149 catches for 2,254 yards with 16 touchdowns.
Advertisement
Tinker Owens was the first number 83 to start his career with the Saints. A fourth-round pick out of Oklahoma in 1976, Owens had 60 receptions for 785 yards and 4 scores while playing four years with the team.
Duckett was the only one of the next five Saints to wear 83 to play more than one season, catching 34 passes for 503 yards and 4 touchdowns over 33 games. Scales played four years for the Saints through the late 1980s into early 1990s, but had only 21 catches for 196 yards.
Nov 20, 1994; FILE PHOTO; New Orleans Saints receiver Torrance Small (83) catches a pass against Los Angeles Raiders defensive back James Trapp (37). Mandatory Credit: Long Photography-USA TODAY NETWORK
Torrance Small followed Scales, and like Scales was a fifth-round draft choice. Small played five seasons in New Orleans, appearing in 72 games as a backup receiver.
Advertisement
Over that span, Small caught 176 passes for 2,180 yards and scored 16 times. He led the team in receptions during the 1996 season and was top-3 in receiving yards twice.
Poole, a fourth-round pick by the team in 1997, had decent production for an otherwise awful team in three of his four seasons. He'd record 91 receptions for 1,696 yards while catching 11 touchdowns. Poole led the Saints in receiving scores in 1999, finishing second in both catches and yards.
Donte' Stallworth was the highest drafted number 83 by New Orleans, getting selected in the first round with the 13th overall pick in 2002. Stallworth played four seasons for the Saints, playing 56 games and making 33 starts.
September 11, 2005; New Orleans Saints wideout Donte Stallworth (83) after a reception against the Carolina Panthers. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images Copyright © 2005 Bob Donnan
Over his four years with the Saints, Stallworth caught 195 passes for 2,791 yards and scored 23 touchdowns. His 70 catches, 945 yards, and 7 touchdowns in 2005 led the Saints and were the best of his 10-year career.
Advertisement
Stallworth was an outstanding complement to Pro Bowl WR Joe Horn during his other three seasons as a Saint. Surpassed by seventh-round rookie WR Marques Colston in 2006, Stallworth was surprisingly traded to the Eagles in preseason.
Billy Miller came over to the Saints in 2006 to play the final three years of his career. Miller was a solid blocker and contributed 86 receptions, 1,036 yards, and 3 touchdowns during his time with New Orleans.
Nov 1, 2015; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Willie Snead (83) catches a touchdown pass against the New York Giants. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-Imagn Images
Undrafted in 2014, Willie Snead bounced from the Cleveland Browns to Carolina Panthers before landing on the New Orleans practice squad at the end of that season. He'd earn a spot in the lineup the following year, and would be a terrific threat within the Saints offense in two of his three seasons with New Orleans.
Advertisement
Snead took the NFL by storm in 2015, catching 69 passes for 984 yards and scoring three times. The following year, Snead pulled in 72 receptions for 895 yards and 4 touchdowns. Off-field issues limited Snead's contributions in 2017, but he remains one of the better undrafted acquisitions in franchise history.
Juwan Johnson arrived as an undrafted wideout in 2020. After two years of modest production, Johnson converted to tight end during the 2022 preseason. Over the last three years, he's been a big part of the New Orleans offense and was re-signed to a lucrative three-year contract extension by the team this offseason.
Johnson has 146 receptions for 1,622 yards and 18 touchdowns during his career. The majority of that production has come over the last three seasons after the switch to tight end.
Dec 17, 2023; New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson (83) catches a touchdown pass against the New York Giants. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Johnson led the team in touchdown receptions in 2022 and led the Saints in receiving yardage last year. The mismatch he provides against defenses figures to be a key part of the Saints attack in 2025.
Advertisement
Entering his sixth season with New Orleans, Johnson is about to be the longest-tenured Saint to wear number 83. He needs only six more games to surpass Torrance Small's franchise-high in 83, while five more starts will allow him to pass up Dave Parks' team-high in that number.
Related: Saints To Bring In Veteran Running Back For Minicamp Tryout
Related: Derek Carr Further Explains Retirement Decision From New Orleans Saints
Related: Saints Countdown To NFL Kickoff With The History Of Number 86
Related: Saints Countdown To Kickoff With The History Of Number 87
Related: Saints Countdown To Kickoff With The History Of Number 88
Related: Saints Countdown To Kickoff With The History Of Number 89
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Miami Hurricanes Potential Playoff Berth in 2025 Hinges on Just one Player
Miami Hurricanes Potential Playoff Berth in 2025 Hinges on Just one Player originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Miami Hurricanes defense, specifically their pass defense, failed not only coach Mario Cristobal, but they also failed the fans by missing a chance to win the ACC title and earn a berth in the expanded college football playoff in 2024. Advertisement But Cristobal addressed that issue in this offseason by raiding the transfer portal for talented players that can defend against the pass. According to Carter Bahns of the one player that is the x-factor for the Hurricanes to make the playoffs this season is, surprisingly, transfer cornerback Xavier Lucas. Lucas recorded just one INT to go with 18 tackles and two pass breakups at Wisconsin a season ago. Wisconsin Badgers cornerback Xavier Lucas (6) celebrates with cornerback Max Lofy (12) following an Hanisch-USA TODAY Sport With that said, the x-factor is not Lucas at all. That moniker should fall squarely on the shoulders (and the surgically repaired throwing elbow) of former Georgia quarterback Carson Beck. Advertisement Beck passed for over 3,400-yards a season ago. He also threw 12 interceptions, eight of which were thrown over three consecutive games. Beck transferred after suffering the season-ending elbow injury. Then, Miami swooped in with millions and lured Beck to Florida. After an offseason of injury rehab and way-too-many distractions, Beck must step up and show what he can do at the most important position on the field during fall camp and during the season. Anything less than a conference championship and a playoff berth in 2025 will be a bust for the Hurricanes. Related: For Mario Cristobal and the Miami Hurricanes, Trouble Could Be Ahead in 2025 This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 21, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Top Steelers NFL draft prospect LaNorris Sellers passes up huge NIL deal
The top priority of the Pittsburgh Steelers scouting staff this college football season is to sort out what is already shaping up to be an elite quarterback class for the 2026 NFL draft. Thanks to the ridiculous nature of NIL money, the NFL now has another aspect of players to track and that's their loyalty to their team as opposed to making fast money in college football. One of the top quarterback prospects in the upcoming draft is LaNorris Sellers out of South Carolina. News came out about Sellers this week and thanks to some intervention by his dad, Sellers chose to pass up $8 million over two years in NIL money to stay. According to Sellers' dad, there were multiple schools bidding for his services, but he showed maturity and loyalty by staying, which is a huge green flag for an NFL team. Advertisement From a football standpoint, Sellers is poised for a huge breakout season. His athleticism and mobility are already off the charts and as the season progressed, we saw his pocket presence and processing speed improve drastically down the stretch. Sellers and Clemson's Cade Klubnik are my top two options for the Steelers and this move by Sellers just helps his case. This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers NFL draft prospect LaNorris Sellers passes up huge NIL deal
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Huge 2026 NFL mock draft update rebuilds Steelers offense
We are a month away from the start of NFL training camps and just after that, the college football season will kick off. So we thought now was the perfect time to update our five-round mock draft for the 2026 NFL draft. As things stand right now, we have five quarterbacks with a first-round grade and depending how the college season plays out, there should be a potential franchise quarterback on the board when the Steelers pick in the first round. This time around we utilized the mock draft simulator from Mock Draft Database that utilizes projected compensatory picks and very up to date prospect rankings. First round - QB Fernando Mendoza - Indiana The Steelers pick No. 15 overall in this mock and a run on quarterbacks leave them with Indiana's Fernando Mendoza. He's not a household name yet but by the time the draft gets here, he should be one of the first four quarterbacks off the board. Second round - CB Jalon Kilgore - South Carolina Kilgore has prototypical NFL size and athleticism and showed a ton of growth last season in his coverage technique. Third round - TE Max Klare - Purdue We are rooting for Darnell Washington but if tight end becomes a bigger part of the offense, a pick like Klare as a receiving weapon makes a lot of sense. Third round - WR Nic Anderson - LSU Anderson is healthy and getting a fresh start at LSU. He is good at everything and has no real glaring weaknesses to his game. Third round - RB Jonah Coleman - Washington If Jaylen Warren leaves after the season, the Steelers will need to add a back to go with Kaleb Johnson. Coleman is a powerful, squatty back with impressive balance truly elite vision with sneaky athleticism. Fourth round - OT Drew Shelton - Penn State Massive powerfuly run blocker who just overwhelms defenders with his size and power. Fourth round - S Keon Sabb - Alabama Exceptional developmental safety who might end up going much sooner than this if he can develop more in coverage Fifth round - IOL - Febechi Nwaiwu - Oklahoma Nwaiwu transfered to Oklahoma last season and after he got up to speed, really looked good as the team's starting right tackle. We expect him to make another big jump in 2025 and he could be Isaac Seumalos' replacement. Fifth round - WR Germie Bernard - Alabama Alabama is Bernard's third FBS team in four seasons. He's not spectacular in any area but he's found a way to develop as a really reliable possession receiver if he can just have some stability in coaching and scheme. This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: 2026 NFL mock draft lands Steelers Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza
