The Pro Bowl was never something I put much stock in because it's always felt like a popularity contest, and I often felt like the guys that finally made it to the game were typically overdue in the recognition they got but underperformed compared to seasons they were probably more deserving and didn't get the invite. Did that sentence make any sense? Anyway, most of you probably know that the Saints got the most Pro Bowl invites the year they won the Super Bowl with seven total players (Brees, J. Evans, Sharper, Harper, Vilma, Goodwin, Stinchcomb). But did you know before that, the Saints had six guys invited twice?
In 1987, the strike year, the Saints sent Morten Andersen, Sam Mills, Reuben Mayes, Hoby Brenner, Dave Waymer and Brad Edelman to the game.
In 1992, the Saints sent Morten Andersen, Pat Swilling, Rickey Jackson, Sam Mills, Vaughan Johnson and Joel Hilgenberg to the game.
Beyond those great years of individual recognition, the Saints have had five invites twice (2009, 1979), four invites three times (1969, 1991, 2002) and three invites eight times.The players with the most Pro Bowl trips are:
Willie Roaf 7
Morten Andersen 6
Rickey Jackson 6
Pat Swilling 4
Sam Mills 4
Vaughan Johnson 4
Joe Horn 4
Drew Brees 4
All other players in team history had two or less. The Saints have also been completely shut out of the Pro Bowl 11 times, including eight consecutive years from 1970 to 1977. Surprisingly, you might remember that they also sent no one to the game in 2007.
Another interesting tidbit is that the Saints averaged 3.27 Pro Bowlers per season when Jim Mora coached (in 11 years), while Sean Payton has averaged only slightly better at 3.4 Pro Bowlers per season (in 5 years). While Payton has had a lot more success in the playoffs, the individual player recognition he landed was about the same. Jim Haslett averaged exactly three Pro Bowlers per season in the six years he coached.
All this information was found here if you feel like geeking out and checking out how the Saints have fared in years past in this relatively meaningless honor.