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New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers Connections

A look at the franchise connections between the Panthers and Saints for Week 3’s NFC South matchup.

By lok12lok
New Orleans Saints v Minnesota Vikings Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images

The New Orleans Saints are set to face the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. It will be the 45th meeting between the two ball clubs. Throughout the history of the rivalry, the Saints are 20-24 in the all-time series, so they have some ground to cover if they want to get ahead of the rivals from Charlotte.

As always, the two teams facing off will have some familiar faces, and today we take a look at which players, coaches, and front office members share connections with the opposing team.

Player connections

  • WR Ted Ginn Jr. played for the Panthers in 2013 and from 2015-16.
  • LB A.J. Klein was a fifth round (148th overall) draft pick of Carolina in 2013 and played four seasons with the club, playing in 60 games with 23 starts, making 155 tackles, four sacks, an interception, a pass defense, three forced fumbles and 27 special teams stops.
  • TE Coby Fleener and Carolina DE Mario Addison were teammates with the Indianapolis Colts in 2012.
  • S Chris Banjo, FB John Kuhn, and DE Julius Peppers were teammates in Green Bay.
  • S Rafael Bush prepped at Williston-Elko (Williston, S.C.) HS and played at South Carolina State
  • Saints CB P.J. Williams and Panthers WR Kelvin Benjamin were college teammates at Florida State from 2012-14.

Coaching/Front Office

  • Assistant Special Teams Coach Kevin O’Dea and Carolina Head Coach Ron Rivera and Defensive Coordinator Steve Wilks served on the same coaching staff with Chicago.
  • Carolina Assistant Defensive Line Coach Sam Mills III is the son of former Saints LB Sam Mills, who played for New Orleans from 1986-94 and is a member of the Saints Hall of Fame.
  • Panthers S Mike Adams and Quarterbacks Coach Ken Dorsey played for Saints linebackers Coach Mike Nolan, when he served as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers.
  • Carolina Tight Ends Coach Pete Hoerner served on Nolan’s San Francisco offensive coaching staff from 2005-08.
  • Carolina Special Teams Coordinator Thomas McGaughey served as special teams coordinator/ defensive assistant at LSU from 2011-13.
  • Senior Defensive Assistant Peter Giunta and McGaughey served on the same Kansas City coaching staff in 2002 and with the New York Giants from 2007-10.

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