Countdown to New Orleans Saints Kickoff: A History of No. 29

The 2017 New Orleans Saints are now less than one month away from the start of the regular season. In 29 days, the Saints will take on the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night football. Canal Street Chronicles continues our countdown to kickoff series by looking back at some of the Saints players that have worn the No. 29.

Mo Spencer (CB, 1974-1978)

Spencer began his rookie year with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1974, but by season's end was in New Orleans. As a starter at cornerback, he led the team with 5 fumble recoveries in 1976, and his 4 interceptions in 1978 was good for second on the team.

Reggie Sutton (CB, 1987-1988)

Sutton is perhaps most famously known for being one of the University of Miami (Fla.) defensive backs beaten on Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie's victorious hail mary pass to Gerard Phelan in Nov. 1984, in one of the most famous college football games of all time. The Saints selected him in the 5th round of the 1986 draft. Despite only starting three games in 1987, Sutton tied for the team lead with 5 interceptions. He also blocked 3 punts, returning 1 of those blocks for a touchdown. He followed that up with 3 more interceptions in 1988, good for 2nd on the team. Unfortunately, Sutton struggled with drug addiction, and the Saints were forced to release the athletic playmaker in the spring of 1988.

Vencie Glenn (S, 1991)

Glenn was a ballhawking free safety in the NFL for 10 seasons. Sandwiched between 5 successful years in San Diego, and 3 more in Minnesota, was a one year stop with New Orleans in 1991. Glenn finished 2nd on the team with 4 interceptions that season for the playoff-bound Saints, while adding 2 more fumbles either forced or recovered.

Sammy Knight (S, 1997-2002)

Knight came to the Saints as an undrafted free agent in 1997 out of USC. He made an immediate impact, starting 12 games as a rookie, and leading the Saints defensive backs in tackles. His 5 interceptions were a team high, earning him a spot on the NFL All-Rookie team. His encore performance in 1998 was even better, intercepting 6 passes, returning two for touchdowns, while adding 2 fumble recoveries. He was not only a team leader on New Orleans' surprising run to the playoffs in 2000, leading the team in tackles, while intercepting another 5 passes for the team lead and again scoring 2 touchdowns and adding two sacks.

Knight was responsible for 11 turnovers in 2001 (6 interceptions and 5 fumbles), while again leading the team in tackles, and finally earning his first Pro Bowl berth. Knight added another team leading 5 interceptions in 2002, once again pacing the team in tackles, before leaving New Orleans as a free agent at the end of the season. Knight intercepted 28 passes during his 6 years with the Saints, returning 4 for touchdowns and either forcing or recovering 15 fumbles. As an honor for all his accomplishments, Sammy Knight was inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame in 2011.

Josh Bullocks (S, 2005-2008)

Bullocks was a 2nd round pick by the Saints out of Nebraska in the 2005 draft. He started 43 out of 48 games for New Orleans in his first 3 seasons, intercepting 5 passes and finishing 3rd on the team in tackles during the '06 and '07 seasons. Bullocks left the Saints after the 2008 season to sign a free agent contract with the Chicago Bears, where he would play the final two years of his career.

Chris Ivory (RB, 2010-2012)

Ivory made the Saints roster in 2010 as an undrafted free agent from tiny Tiffin College in Washington state. When the defending Super Bowl champion Saints were ravaged by injury at running back that season, it was Ivory that stepped up to lead the team in rushing with 716 yards and 5 touchdowns, despite starting only four games. His high effort and hard charging style made him a fan favorite during his 3 years in New Orleans, despite missing significant time with various injuries in 2011 and '12. Ivory was traded to the New York Jets in the spring of 2013, where he would have 3 successful seasons, including a 1,070 yard Pro Bowl campaign in 2015. Ivory currently plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Khiry Robinson (RB, 2013-2015)

Robinson joined New Orleans as an undrafted free agent from West Texas A&M in 2013. Like Chris Ivory before him, Robinson possessed an angry running style that made him an instant fan favorite. His 586 total rushing yards and 5 touchdowns between 2013 and '14 were the perfect compliment to Saints starter Mark Ingram. A horrific broken leg suffered in a midseason game in 2015 brought his Saints career to an end, and he signed on with the New York Jets at year's end.

Fullback John Kuhn enters his 2nd season as a Saint wearing No. 29. The 11 yr veteran Kuhn is a tough, throwback kind of player that fans love and every coach wants to have on their team. His lead blocking helped Mark Ingram achieve the Saints first 1,000 yards rushing season by a New Orleans back in 12 years, since Deuce McAllister accomplished the feat in 2004. Kuhn also proved to be a threat with the ball in his hands. His 4 rushing touchdowns in 2016 matched a career high, on just 18 carries, and he added a receiving score among his 16 receptions.

Other Saints players to wear No. 29: Ray Ogden (1967), Gene Howard (1968-70), Billie Hayes (1972), Rodney Lewis (1982-84), Undra Johnson (1989), Keith Taylor (1992-93), Vinnie Clark (1994), Mark McMillan (1996), Keyuo Craver (2003), Chris McAlister (2009)