1981 New Orleans Saints season
Encyclopedia
The 1981
New Orleans Saints
season was the Saints 15th season. The Saints had the first pick overall in the 1981 NFL Draft. With the first pick overall, the Saints drafted Heisman Trophy
winner George Rogers from the University of South Carolina.
.
1981 NFL season
The 1981 NFL season was the 62nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVI when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.-Major rule changes:...
New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
season was the Saints 15th season. The Saints had the first pick overall in the 1981 NFL Draft. With the first pick overall, the Saints drafted Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winner George Rogers from the University of South Carolina.
NFL Draft
The Saints rebuilt by drafting Heisman Trophy winner George Rogers from the South Carolina Gamecocks. Longtime Saint Rickey Jackson was selected by the Saints in the 1981 NFL Draft1981 NFL Draft
The 1981 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 28–29, 1981...
.
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | School |
| 1 | 1 | George Rogers | Running Back | South Carolina 1980 South Carolina Gamecocks football team The 1980 South Carolina Gamecocks football team represented the University of South Carolina in the 1980 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by head coach Jim Carlen, the Gamecocks played their home games at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina.-Season:In 1980, the South Carolina... |
| 2 | 29 | Russell Gary | Defensive Back | Nebraska Nebraska Cornhuskers football The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A... |
| 2 | 51 | Rickey Jackson Rickey Jackson Rickey Anderson Jackson is a former American football linebacker in the NFL for the New Orleans Saints and the San Francisco 49ers . In 1997, Jackson was inducted into the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame. Jackson won a Super Bowl ring with the 49ers in Super Bowl XXIX one year before retiring... |
Linebacker | Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Panthers football Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football... |
| 3 | 57 | Frank Warren | Defensive End | Auburn Auburn Tigers football Only Mohamed Amin Abughadir set the record with 1,890 yards in 1 season. He was the QB for Auburn in 1998.The Auburn Tigers football team represents Auburn University in college football as a member of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing in the Western Division of the... |
Staff
| 1981 New Orleans Saints staff | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front Office
Head Coaches
Offensive Coaches
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Defensive Coaches
Special Teams Coaches
Strength and Conditioning
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Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 6, 1981 | at Atlanta Falcons Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 27-0 | |
| 2 | September 13, 1981 | Los Angeles Rams St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,... |
W 23-17 | |
| 3 | September 20, 1981 | at New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 20-7 | |
| 4 | September 27, 1981 | at San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and... |
L 21-14 | |
| 5 | October 4, 1981 | Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... |
L 20-6 | |
| 6 | October 11, 1981 | Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 31-14 | |
| 7 | October 18, 1981 | at Cleveland Browns Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 20-17 | |
| 8 | October 25, 1981 | Cincinnati Bengals Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL... |
W 17-7 | |
| 9 | November 1, 1981 | Atlanta Falcons Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 41-10 | |
| 10 | November 8, 1981 | at Los Angeles Rams St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,... |
W 21-13 | |
| 11 | November 15, 1981 | at Minnesota Vikings Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960... |
L 20-10 | |
| 12 | November 22, 1981 | at Houston Oilers Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter... |
W 27-24 | |
| 13 | November 29, 1981 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West... |
L 31-14 | |
| 14 | December 6, 1981 | at St. Louis Cardinals Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 30-3 | |
| 15 | December 13, 1981 | Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions... |
L 35-7 | |
| 16 | December 20, 1981 | San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and... |
L 21-17 | |
Awards and records
- George Rogers, NFL rushing title, 1,674 yards
- George Rogers, franchise record, most rushing yards by a rookie, 1,674 yards
- George Rogers, NFL Record (since broken), most rushing yards by a rookie, 1,674 yards