#51 Sam Mills
by NYSaint on Jun 3, 2009 2:11 PM CDT
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5 Pro Bowls in the NFL (after proving himself and helping the Stars win 2 league titles in the USFL under coach Jim Mora)
3 time NFL All-Pro team
started 173 of 181 games in the NFL (1,319 tackles, 20.5 sacks, 11 interceptions, 4 TDs)
Sam Mills was the classic case of "you're too small to play in the NFL." here is a quote from sam's high school coach that was published in Sports Illustrated:
"No scout, no coach at a big college or in the pros wants to take a chance on a linebacker who is five-nine. If the kid doesn't pan out, the guy's job is on the line. Somebody above him is going to say 'Who got me this five-nine linebacker?' Or the head coach will look at some film where his team gets beat on a pass and say 'What, we couldn't find a six-two linebacker?' The kid's gone, and the guy who found him is gone too."
5'9" is not very appealing to head coaches for an inside LB, even in the USFL. On the Stars, Jim Mora did not want to play him. But assistant coaches told Mora day after day that Mills was the smartest, hardest working player on the field at every single practice. bald since childhood, born with poor eye-sight, weighing in around 230, bench pressing 400, sam made up for the inches (and follicles) he lacked with strength and heart. sam inspired everyone around the league, from the players he bruised and jacked-up week after week to the men he mentored as a player/coach.
sam mills battled cancer for 2 years, but was always there for the people who depended on him. he worked at a car dealership in the off-season to ensure his family was taken care of even if he lost his coaching job. he never missed a game, scheduling chemotherapy on off-days.
CALLING OUT ALL YOU SAINT FANS...not only do i want to see sam mills as our #1 CSC all-time inside LB...i want to officially nominate him as our all-time captain.
everyone has something to learn from sam mills. one of my favorite quotes from sam:
"You have your good days and your bad days. I am just glad I am having days, you know?"
the GOLDEN anniversary of his birth, Sam Mills would have been 50 today. happy birthday BIG guy!
read more about one of my hero's at ESPN
This FanPost was written by a reader and member of Canal Street Chronicles. It does not necessarily reflect the views of CSC and its staff or editors.
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Mills is the reason...
I became a Saints fan. In his honor I’ve decided I’d never change my avatar since I signed in on CSC
Just get the D going!
For any who never got to see him
When you see “Sam Mills” think “Mike Singletary.” Yes, he was that good.
This is OUR year!
Absolutely true!
…and Mike Singletary would probably say he was BETTER.
Dude was amazing, too small, too slow, too EVERYTHING, and still better than anyone else on the field.
An amazing player….truly a loss to us all.
by GSO Saints Fan on Jun 3, 2009 5:35 PM CDT up reply actions
Alas, poor Sam!
If they can make a movie out of Brian Piccolo’s story, Sam’s should be, too. He was phenomenal on and off the field. You talk about never quitting and Sam embodied that spirit. He’s the only player who’s death brought actual tears to my eyes when I heard about it.
“[Sam], I hope they got the greatest football team in America in Heaven. And, well, …I just hope God makes you first-string.” – adapted from Max Corkle in ‘Heaven Can Wait’
There is nobody so irritating as someone who is less intelligent than us and yet is wiser.
by Tigernut on Jun 3, 2009 3:08 PM CDT reply actions
Sam Mills
When I first saw Sam Mills play I was wow now here is a man of hart was one of the smallest players on the field but played like he was the biggest whe i thinkl about sam mills I have a name for him i call him Sam All Hart Milles because he never let anyone get him down and proved everyone wrong week in and week out allways giving 100 % allways leavig it all on the field letting his play on the fied do his talking.
Welcome to CSC!!!!
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by Dave Cariello on Jun 3, 2009 11:24 PM CDT up reply actions
Sam Mills
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOGwP-RO7go
Skip to the 2:00 minute mark if you want to see how I feel about Sam Mills. It’s worth noting that he’s arguably the best defensive player in Carolina’s history too, and at least one reason they started as competently as they did. I’m glad that another great player and leader has inherited his number on our squad.
"They held somebody, but they sure didn't hold LaRon Landry."
by Walter FTW on Jun 4, 2009 12:12 AM CDT reply actions 2 recs
Walter
Thanks for that link!! The whole thing was AWESOME!!! I would vote for either Sam Mills as captain or co-captain with Archie. As far as whether Sam was the best Saints Linebacker ever, my opinion is you have to lump them all together Johnson, Mills , Jackson – I guess Swilling was a DE- not sure, but my point is that they are indivisable- they have to be there together.
Mills must be captain
…because Archie ain’t gonna be on the field. Drew is The Man.
And yes, the Dome Patrol ought to go in as a unit.
This is OUR year!
imagine...
if drew had the dome patrol…or if the dome patrol had DREW? i dont know who deserves who more
Superdome banner
Not sure why this has slipped through the cracks, but the Saints’ 2005 “home game” against the New York Giants in the Meadowlands was SUPPOSED to be “Sam Mills Day” at the Superdome. They were scheduled to unveil his #51 “Wall of Fame” banner, alongside Archie Manning, Pete Maravich, Eddie Robinson, etc., during a pre-game ceremony with his widow and family members in attendance. Three days after the preseason finale against the Ravens, Katrina hit and it was all swept under the rug.
As a season ticket holder and long-time admirer of Mills, I called the Saints team headquarters several times over the 2006 and 2007 seasons, asking when this event was going to be rescheduled. I got the runaround each time, no one able to give me the name of a direct contact, never a return phone call from the public relations or marketing departments.
Three seasons have come and gone now and I truly believe that enough is enough. GIVE US OUR SAM MILLS DAY. The Panthers have already long since honored him with a handsome statue outside of Bank of America Stadium. The man brought so much to our organization and it’s high time we recognized him for his tenacity and courage, both on and off the field.
by coldpizza on Jun 4, 2009 1:09 AM CDT reply actions 3 recs
NYSaint and I
were at that game
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by Dave Cariello on Jun 4, 2009 10:02 AM CDT up reply actions
BOOM! rec'd it!
I didn’t know about that, but agree that someone in the Saints organization needs to get this done and soon. It’s easy to see how they could have been distracted from honoring him in 2005 and 2006, but not over the last two years. Maybe it’ll finally happen this season. The fans may have to demand it because Payton and Loomis are entirely focused on the present day and aren’t going to devote any time to it. Someone in the administrative office will have to spearhead the charge to get it done.
Go Saints!!!! Deuce may be gone, but he will never be forgotten.
by David "Satch" Kelly on Jun 4, 2009 10:03 AM CDT up reply actions
Maybe our buddy Kenny
will give it some props over the waves.
That’s if he’s still talking to us.
Do you know what it means...
he is still talking to us
in fact, there might be some news on that subject fairly soon
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by Dave Cariello on Jun 4, 2009 1:57 PM CDT up reply actions
that would be great news
I’d love to see the ceremony be scheduled for November 8th, with both Saints and Panthers fans in attendance. Something like that would be unprecedented, gathering more interest on the national level. It would be the type of attention Mills deserves and I’m sure players, coaches and fans on both sides would embrace the dual show of remembrance. Of course, I’d just like to see it happen period, but given my druthers, that’s the date I’d want to go with.
Sounds perfect to me
Someone send Loomis a fax.
Go Saints!!!! Deuce may be gone, but he will never be forgotten.
by David "Satch" Kelly on Jun 4, 2009 3:04 PM CDT up reply actions
let's see what we can do
Are you sure they haven’t ever had it coldpizza?
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by Dave Cariello on Jun 4, 2009 4:35 PM CDT up reply actions
I'm positive
Just look up at the wall in the Superdome. There’s no Sam Mills banner.
Here’s an ESPN article that confirms the scheduled event:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2129697
As you can see, the article is dated August 9, 2005.
Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans on August 29, 2005.
The “home opener” was played September 18, 2005 in East Rutherford, NJ.
There has been no such ceremony held since. The Saints organization dropped the ball on this one. Trust me.
How about a petition?
Heck, I’ll start it:
Sylvain Grimard
6760 De LaNaudière
Montreal, Canada.
And unlike Wichita, we Montrealers do get our delivered pizza still warm…
Keep it coming buddy.
Just get the D going!
Sam is The Man
Mills will always go down as an inspiration to me personaly being a smaller backer in my playing days. I 100% agree with every word youveitten but does ne1 remember our other smaller backer that really made a difference? jj mcklesky was a class act too, maybe 2nd team honors?
Dome Patrol meet drew n company, new orleans meet super bowl glory
thanx for clarity
i couldnt for the life of me remember whether he was sam,nickel or cb. i was alot younger those days and no in retrospect i couldve googled it but either way thanx,
Dome Patrol meet drew n company, new orleans meet super bowl glory
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