New Orleans Saints
Former New Orleans player, Wayne Wilson has died.
Wilson played in 102 games for the Saints, carrying 658 times for 2,462 yards with 16 touchdown
Wayne Wilson, who served the team in a variety of capacities in the passing game, running game, and special teams, is deeply missed by the New Orleans Saints. Wilson, who was 66 years old, passed away over the weekend.
In the 12th round of the 1979 NFL Draft, Wilson was initially chosen by the Houston Oilers from Shepherd University. He played in 102 games for the Saints after joining after the preseason. He carried the ball 658 times for 2,462 yards and 16 touchdowns, caught 179 passes for 1,517 yards and 14 scores, and returned kickoffs 69 times for 1,583 yards (22.9 average) and 5,544 all-purpose yards. In addition to becoming the first Saint to reach 1,000 yards in kickoff returns, 1,000 receiving yards, and 1,000 rushing yards, Wilson also became the first player in Saint history to record double-digit career totals in receiving and rushing touchdowns.
Wilson carried the ball 103 times for 413 yards and three touchdowns, caught 25 passes for 175 yards and two touchdowns for a team-high five total scores, and returned seven kickoffs for 192 yards as the Saints finished 4-5 in a strike-shortened 1982 season, just missing the postseason on a tiebreaker.
Wilson led the Saints with 11 touchdowns in 1983, but the team finished 8-8 and missed the playoffs by a close margin. He caught 20 catches for 178 yards and two touchdowns, returned nine kickoffs for 239 yards, and ran 199 times for 787 yards with a club-high nine touchdowns for an outfit that finished sixth in the NFL in rushing offense. Wilson dominated the line of scrimmage in the Saints’ 17-7 victory over the Miami Dolphins on October 2 at the Superdome, running the ball 34 times for 160 yards. With Wilson rushing 18 times for 103 yards (5.7 average.), collecting five catches for 53 yards, including a 23-yard touchdown, and returning three kickoffs for 98 yards, including a 52-yard runback for 254 all-purpose yards, New Orleans moved to 4-2 the next week with a 19-17 victory over Atlanta. With 28 seconds left and New Orleans behind 17–16, Wilson successfully converted a first down on a five-yard carry to position himself up for the game-winning 35-yard field goal as the clock ran out.
