1966

Nov. 1 - National Football League awarded 16th franchise to New Orleans as NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle made the announcement at New Orleans' Ponchartrain Hotel ... the New Orleans States-Item headline that afternoon was "N.O. Goes Pro!"; Dec. 15 - John W. Mecom, Jr. becomes majority stockholder-president of franchise; Dec. 22 - Victor E. Schwenk appointed director of player personnel; Dec. 27 - Tom Fears named franchise's 1st head coach.

 

 1967

Jan. 9 - New Orleans' NFL franchise nicknamed Saints; Jan. 27 - Saints signed 1st player, former Ole Miss & L.A. Rams kicker Paige Cothren; Feb. 9 - Saints select 42 players in expansion draft; March 8 - 1st season-ticket drive launched ... Saints sell 20,000 on 1st day & 33,400 before 1st game; March 14 - Saints make Alabama FB Leslie Kelley top choice in NFL draft; July 1 - Rookies report for 1st training camp at San Diego's Cal Western; July 6 - FB great Jim Taylor signs with Saints; July 10 - Veterans join rookies at training camp; July 16 - DE Doug Atkins joined Saints in trade with the Chicago Bears; July 20 - Bert Rose named general manager; Aug. 2 - Saints lost to Los Angeles Rams, 16-7, in 1st preseason game at Anaheim, Calif.; Aug. 12 - Saints score 1st preseason victory by beating the St. Louis Cardinals, 23-14, at Shreveport, La.; Sept. 9 - Saints record 1st preseason win in New Orleans, downing the Atlanta Falcons, 27-14 ... the victory gave New Orleans a 5-1 preseason record, best ever for a 1st-year expansion team; Sept. 17 - Saints open 1st regular season schedule in style as rookie RB John Gilliam returned the opening kickoff 94 yards for a TD, but lost to the Los Angeles Rams, 27-13 in front of 80,879 at Tulane Stadium; Nov. 5 - Saints record first regular season win, beating the Philadelphia Eagles, 31-24, as Walt Roberts scores 3 TDs; Dec. 17 - Saints defeat the Washington Redskins, 30-14, to wind up with a 3-11 record, which tied the record for most wins by a 1st-year expansion franchise.

 

 1968

Jan. 30 - Saints select DT Kevin Hardy as 1st choice in NFL draft; March 29 - Victor E. Schwenk named general manager; Sept. 10 - FB Jim Taylor announces retirement.; Dec. 15 - Saints beat the Pittsburgh Steelers, in season's final game to emerge with 4-9-1 record and 3rd place finish in Century Division ... Saints' 2-year record of 7-20-1, was best ever for an expansion club.

 

 1969

Jan. 28 - Saints select G John Shinners in 1st round of NFL draft; Feb. 9 - 16-year veteran Doug Atkins receives Vince Lombardi Award as NFL's most dedicated player; Aug. 6 - K Tom Dempsey signed by the Saints; Oct. 5 - In Los Angeles vs. the Rams, rookie Tom Dempsey kicks a 55-yard FG, the Saints longest field goal to date ... the kick was the NFL's longest that season and 1 yard shy of tying the NFL mark; Nov. 2 - Saints snap 6-game losing streak at St. Louis, 51-42 ... the game set NFL record of most total passing TDs in a game as the Saints' Billy Kilmer and the Cardinals' Charlie Johnson connected on 6 each; Nov. 16 - Tom Dempsey sets Saints record with 4 FGs against the N.Y. Giants, hitting his 4th with :11 left in the game to pull out a 25-24 victory; Dec. 21 - Saints close 3rd season with 27-24 win over Pittsburgh to bring record to 5-9 ... Danny Abramowicz wins NFL receiving honors with 73 catches for 1,015 yards and 7 TDs ... DE Doug Atkins retired after 17 NFL seasons.