1967 Saints

this special film comes to you with the compliments of Texaco and your Texaco dealer who sells famous guy chief and fire chief gasoline young good dog because good luck stage gonna work today I go boom let's give a one upon gun please it had begun like a dream a touchdown on their first play now tom fears and New Orleans were formally introduced to the Rams and professional football oh let's go defense let's go 450 feet he's going to run at this time sleeping at sleep the other school and honor tucked each other free talk to her I told man till another time his weight on my ceiling stays shoulders even bowfin Billy hey I'll pick up Oh No they can kick a field goal they got plenty of time two football player were such a bore 80,000 people in attendance on September 17th echoed the sentiments of RAM captain Eddie mater the Saints had lost but it played well the baptism was now over and to follow was an elusive search for their first win it is widely acknowledged that the youngest in any field is in for a difficult time the Saints were no exception for the many ingredients that make up a winning team were merely unknown factors to them and it was these unproven factors that were to make the Saints tick or fail to tick in the early going they got a few years experience in just a few games and it hurt learn by doing and in the Saints cram course they did a lot of learning the quarterbacks weren't immune either as they found themselves in very unbecoming positions no aliens had taken some early licks alright but from the beginning there was a certain band of men that formed the cornerstone around which the Saints would grow these were the veterans the men with know-how with poise and polish the agile and accomplished at running back there was Jim Taylor and Ernie wheelwright but it was Taylor who exemplified the pride and spirit of these elder statesmen in ten record field season he has carried the ball more times for more yardage than any other active player at running back and the other positions it was the veterans who showed the way the quarterback the leader and New Orleans possessed two of these experienced elements number 15 Gary Kwas Oh releases the ball in a graceful overhand motion he is the classic style thrower bill Kilmer number 17 is anything but a classic thrower and yet his style and leadership brought winning results at UCLA the 49ers and now with the Saints almost everything he puts up in the air seems somehow to find the proper place the receivers are the game breakers the veterans who can turn the course of a contest with one play there was ray Pogue and Tom Hall who combined more than ten years experience between them and there was a 160-pound flanker nicknamed the fleed Walter Roberts was to go on and score many more touchdowns for New Orleans the defense the linemen whose hands waving eight feet in the air can discourage a friend Tarkenton pass the linemen who must stop a Johnny Unitas before he stops them from the start it was the defense that was the steady performer on the squad there were veterans like Lou Corleone and Earl legged number 72 who comes on like a grizzly bear late for supper but the one who gets to the passer is Doug Atkins the mountain that rushes like a man Atkins was in his 15th season of professional football and quickly earned the same respect of his teammates that the league's quarterbacks had known for years the linebackers the men who only have to worry about everything number 37 Steve Stonebraker symbolizes the physician for New Orleans he matches quickness with a fortune-tellers ability to solve opponents patterns but today linebackers must be part tackle and part safety or heart brick wall and part Fred Astaire the ED whittingham davis simmons Stonebreaker or number 55 Jackie briquette it was with the linebackers that the Saints possessed their greatest veteran strength no men in the game are under greater pressure than the past defenders Obert Logan is young in years but highly experienced but there was one Saint defender who stood far ahead of the others Dave Witsel number 23 he is a man in motion the one who stops the run or gets to the pass he is a roamer who seems to invite the quarterback to throw then he goes and gets it himself witzel ended the season tied as the league's best in interceptions by picking off ten enemy passes and owner john Meachem loved every one of them in their first few games the Saints were taught many lessons but now a change was slowly occurring led by these veterans they were now making the great plays the nice catches and the hard hits the Saints started showing the rest of the league that they could dish it out as well as taken through four games a win had not yet come in a driving rainstorm in Dallas Texas the Saints met the Eastern Conference champion Cowboys and for 59 minutes these two teams battled evenly but Dallas held a slim lead and seemed destined to end with one minute to play the score stood Saints ten Cowboys 14 then the twists of fortune turned Dan Reeves fumbled and Ted Davis recovered the loose ball with time running out bill Kilmer had to pass the rain was coming down harder now and for the first time the Saints felt the pressure of a last-second Drive but on 3rd down Tom Hall caught a pass then fumbled it out of bounds would stop the clock I touched down now would win the game a slippery football gave Dallas a tough win but New Orleans a tougher loss in their next home game the Saints met the defense minded Pittsburgh Steelers but two plays by veterans highlighted a Saints dominated first half the first came on a spectacular goal line interception by Dave Witsel the second was a touchdown scored by Jim Taylor another 10-year Pro he gave a thrilled crowd reason to cheer as they let it the half 10 to nothing it was the veterans in the first half but in the second a new name became firmly edged into the Saints future Danna Brenna Wits was a 17th round draft choice from Xavier and in this game the young rookie caught 12 passes for 156 yards which was the NFL's second-best performance of the year a short-handed receiver he clutches the ball like he could squeeze next month's rent out of it but despite the heroics of Abramowitz as in the Dallas game with less than two minutes left to play the Saints were to be denied their first win New Orleans had led throughout the fourth quarter but a Steelers score canceled it and dealt the Saints and other frustrating loss Saturday night in New Orleans for the Saints tomorrow would bring another historic event then primer from San Jose State number 27 Walter please Louisiana the Philadelphia Eagles had come to New Orleans after several big wins and as much as the thousands of Saints fans hope for victory few gave them a chance against the high-scoring Eagles but on the opening kickoff water Roberts outran the entire Eagle team and route to a 91 yard touchdown then he recalled at exactly seven weeks earlier the Saints season had all begun with a similar play perhaps this would be the omen they were looking for a spark to initiate their first triumph the second quarter opened with the same results as the first though in a more unorthodox manner catching a swing pass over the middle Taylor had the ball jarred loose but inert Mister Roberts was on the spot to transform the error into six points of magic at the end of the first half the volatile Eagles came back as quarterback norm Sneed through a picture touchdown pass and pulled the score close at halftime 14 to 10 the Saints colorful halftime shows were finally upstaged today New Orleans favorite thief Davy witzel returned an interception 41 yards for the Saints third touchdown of the game with men like Shwetha Tillerman Garcia Cody in row the defense had now ballooned the lead to twenty four to ten but the Eagles brought the score dangerously close again I'm Timmy Browns touchdown catch so close that a Saints mistake now what again cost the lead the following kickoff proved to be the biggest play of the game for both teams the ball count off the chest of the Saints short receiver and number 86 Fred Hill had a great chance at it but lost the Saints recovered and the rest is history behind fine blocking by Joe envy husky and ray wrist Miller the Saints move the ball to midfield the heroes had been many from offense to defense and the Saints now climax their dream game on one play Gary quaza passed to the biggest hero of all Walter Roberts and for the patient and loving fans of New Orleans a welcome sight was the final score Saints 31 he goes 24 the leadership for their first win and most of the season until now had come from experienced players but the Saints are a team of the future a team of rookies and young players that have formed the nucleus of future teams John Gilliam number 42 typifies this youth he is the Saints fastest man their third leading receiver as well as ranking third in the NFL in kickoff return number 32 Tom Barrington is a power runner and late in the season was counted on for the tough inside yards behind the great block by Jerry Sturm another rookie Charlie Brown scored against the Baltimore Colts but if Gillian Brown and less Kelly leave them dazzled Randi Schultz leaves them stunned built in the Taylor mold Schultz number 33 will be hard to keep out of future Saints starting lineups complementing veteran receivers were young players like Vern Burke and number 89 Kent Kramer and of course Dan Abramowitz who in his first year was admitted into the exclusive group of receivers with 50 or more catches in one season brookey Tom McNeil is the third leading putter in the National Football League although he generally created more excitement when he didn't kick McNeil punted for a 43-yard average but his dangerous fourth down dashes quickly became his trademark rookies made the kicking game but it was in the secondary that youth had its greatest impact daredevil defenders like beau Burroughs George Rose Jim haidle and John Douglas were given tremendous responsibilities that will pay off in the future it was the fine blending of veterans and all these youngsters that carried the Saints to their final games in their first year the Saints were proud to be included as one of the 15 out of 16 NFL teams that fly the friendly skies have United the coaches had spent most of their time looking for opponents weaknesses and trying to find something to pin an attack on the Saints themselves were now a subtle mixture of veterans and youth Taylor Atkins witzel were some of 1967 brightest football names but Roe Gilliam and McCall are some of the names you'll remember in the future the last away game for New Orleans was played in the wintry shadows of Washington DC but the contest between the old and the new was never in doubt it was a total and convincing st. Victory dedicated to the rookies who made it so Danna bran would scored the opening touchdown and in a replay it can be seen that it was a block by Randy Schultz on a blitzing Sam Huff that gave Kilmer the chance to throw for the touchdown behind blocking from Jerry Jones and Eli strand and other rookie Don McCall scored in the Saints longest run of the year and the Saints 32:14 route over the Redskins ended as it began with a touchdown pass to Abramowitz pro-football in New Orleans is more than a football game it is fun pageantry and 83,000 loyal fans there you you the battle for NFL supremacy of the south and the last home game for the Saints but the 83,000 witnessed a horrible first half everything was going right for Atlanta and nothing was going right for New Orleans behind at one point by 18 a very frustrating half ended with the Falcons holding a 21 to 10 lead but in the second half some changes were made and the drama to catch up was on fine blocking by Dale Williams and Roy Schmidt gave Schultz all the room he needed this was the last score until late in the game when the Saints again came alive the offense moved when a crucial third down play was stopped short so fears called on kicker Charlie durkee to keep them within striking distance alright flea alright everything's alright we'll go come on dougie new aliens trailed by four points and had 97 yards to go for a touchdown kilmer had to throw but there was too little time to run successive passes to Gilliam and Pogue put the ball in Atlanta's 26 yard line there Barrington move 13 yards closer but time was running out thanks turn out yeah I'm going to go right that's okay you the Saints had won the first battle of the south but more than that they had just concluded a thrilling first season a grand salute to John Meekin tom fears and New Orleans from the opening kickoff return through their first victory to the final gun it was nothing but fun and excitement and no one could doubt that the Saints were football's newest boldest and most successful prodigy this film of the New Orleans Saints was presented by Texaco the company that sells more gasoline than anybody else we're first and we think that's a big responsibility

Channel: Shark Throwback

Views: 53,309

Rating: 4.9106145 out of 5

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Id: RoNPqnTCE50

Length: 26min 33sec (1593 seconds)

Published: Wed Oct 02 2013