re: Alltime Saints Jersey # Countdown to First Preseason Game

The Saints very first Pro Bowler ever!!!

Dave Whitsell #23



On the inagural 1967 Saints team and taken in the expansion draft from the Bears.

In 1967, he lead the NFL in interceptions with 10 and was named to the Pro Bowl. His 10 grabs are still a Saints team record and he is number 5 all time in interceptions in Saints history. He retired following the 1969 season after 11 seasons and 46 career interceptions. In his 3 seasons with the Saints he had 19 picks and 2 scores. Was inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame in 1996.

quote:

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Birth: Jun. 14, 1936
Shelby
Oceana County
Michigan, USA
Death: Oct. 7, 1999
New Orleans
Orleans Parish
Louisiana, USA

DAVID 'WEASEL' WHITSELL, ONE OF THE ORIGINAL SAINTS: October 8, 1999

David Andrew "Davy" Whitsell, one of the original members of the New Orleans Saints, died Thursday of cancer at Kenner Regional Medical Center. He was 63.

Mr. Whitsell was born in Shelby, Mich., and lived in Metarie for 20 years before moving to Kenner eight years ago. He graduated from Shelby High School and Indiana University.

He played in the National Football League for 12 years. He was with the Detroit Lions for three years and the Chicago Bears for six years. Along with Mike Ditka - today the head coach of Saints- and Louisianians Richie Petibon and Rosey Taylor, Mr. Whitsell played on the 1963 Bears team that won the NFL championship.

Mr. Whitsell became a saint when he was picked up in the team's expanision draft, in which a new NFL franchise gets to pick players from existing teams. He played with the Saints for three years, and became the first member of the New Orleans franchise to play in the NFL's Pro Bowl game.

In 1967, the Saints' inauguaral season, Mr. Whitsell, a defensive back,led entire league in interceptions with 10.

Mr. Whitsell, known among his coaches and teammates as "Weasel," was inducted into the Western Michigan Hall of Fame in 1989 and the Saints Hall of Fame in 1996.

After his football career, Mr. Whitsell became a real estate investor. He was a member of the National football League Retired Players Association and the Kenner North Kewansi Club.

Mr. Whitsell is survived by his wife, Jacqueline Wooden Whitsell; two sons, Michael David Whitsell and David Morris Whitsell for Houston; two daughters, Amy Whitsell of Ithaca, N.Y., and Lisa Whitsell Keegan of Destrehan; and 10 grandchildren.

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And so I don't get screamed at, Pierre Thomas.





UFA out of Illinois in 2007. Started 22 games with 521 attempts for 2501 yards and 23 touchdowns. He also has 166 receptions for 1363 yards and 7 touchdowns. He's 9th all time on the Saints rushing leaders, 7th all time in rushing TDs and tied for 9th with Lance Moore in total touchdowns.


ETA: Beat me to it today blues. Took too long doing research trying to find out what happened to Whitsell.