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Posted on 5/3/13 at 9:36 am to CBandits82
Leslie Howard Kelley (born December 9, 1944 in Decatur, Alabama) is a former American football fullback/linebacker in the National Football League for the New Orleans Saints. He played college football at Alabama and played just 3 seasons in the NFL without ever starting.
He was the first ever draft choice of the Saints, taken with the final pick of the first round in the 1967. The Saints originally had the #1 overall pick in that draft, but traded it to the Baltimore Colts for quarterback Gary Cuozzo. The Colts selected Michigan State All-America defensive end Bubba Smith with the traded pick.
[edit]
He was the first ever draft choice of the Saints, taken with the final pick of the first round in the 1967. The Saints originally had the #1 overall pick in that draft, but traded it to the Baltimore Colts for quarterback Gary Cuozzo. The Colts selected Michigan State All-America defensive end Bubba Smith with the traded pick.
[edit]
Posted on 5/3/13 at 9:55 am to CBandits82
You know I find this topic funny. Especially if you consider that both Russell Erxleben and Ricky Williams, both being huge first round mistakes by the Saints were both from University of Texas. Let's hope this year's UT pick turns out better. 
This post was edited on 5/3/13 at 9:56 am
Posted on 5/3/13 at 10:22 am to CBandits82
quote:
I still cant believe we gave up an entire draft for this guy. An entire draft. Insane and psychotic. Yet, we did it
I cant stop laughing at this.
Posted on 5/3/13 at 11:28 am to Kafka
I would with Russell Erxleben. Horrible.
Shawn Knight, yeah he sucked, another absolute stiff the Saints drafted in the 1st round in the late 70s was another D-lineman, Joe Campbell. Garbage.
Shawn Knight, yeah he sucked, another absolute stiff the Saints drafted in the 1st round in the late 70s was another D-lineman, Joe Campbell. Garbage.
Posted on 5/3/13 at 11:29 am to Kafka
I would agree with Russell Erxleben. Horrible.
Shawn Knight, yeah he sucked, another absolute stiff the Saints drafted in the 1st round in the late 70s was another D-lineman, Joe Campbell. Garbage.
Shawn Knight, yeah he sucked, another absolute stiff the Saints drafted in the 1st round in the late 70s was another D-lineman, Joe Campbell. Garbage.
Posted on 5/3/13 at 12:12 pm to TigerJeff
Erxleben was the worst in a history of terrible 1st round picks. There is no way he could have been a success. The only thing I can think of is the front office was trying to imitate Al Davis when he selected Ray Guy in the first round a few years prior. Even though Guy is a Hall of Fame punter that was a crazy pick too but they were the Raiders. The Saints had a horrible defense and needed to upgrade in a big way. If I remember correctly the year we drafted Erxleben was the year the Saints went 1-15 and the coach got fired.
Posted on 5/3/13 at 12:39 pm to White Roach
quote:
He did okay for the Saints, considering the situation he was in. He had several really good years with the Redskins. I believe he put Sonny Jurgenson on the bench.
Jurgensen was hurt and Kilmer led them to the Super Bowl. Jurgensen never really came back after the injury.
Posted on 5/3/13 at 12:45 pm to Manswers
quote:
If I remember correctly the year we drafted Erxleben was the year the Saints went 1-15 and the coach got fired.
The Saints went 1-15 that year because of cocaine, not Russell Erxleben.
Posted on 5/3/13 at 1:41 pm to SaintlyTiger88
Molden
Posted on 5/3/13 at 1:51 pm to Manswers
Alvin Toles. Larry Burton. Kurt Schumacker. Mark Ingram.
Posted on 5/3/13 at 1:55 pm to TigerJeff
I think it's too early to call Mark Ingram a bust, and he's far from being the worst pick the Saints have ever made in the first round. He has shown some promise, I say let's see what happens before final judgment is passed. And there's no possible way, even at this point, that you could say that Ingram is worse than Sullivan or Erxleben, the leading two for the worst of all time.
Posted on 5/3/13 at 2:14 pm to lsutigers1992
The point is the Saints had a number of positions they needed to fill and had no business even drafting a K/P, much less in the first round. I don't blame Erxleben for the 1-15 record. That pick just shows how poorly run the organization was back then and how really bad that pick was.
Posted on 5/3/13 at 2:25 pm to Manswers
Russell Erxleben might be one of the worst 1st round draft picks in NFL history, so in my mind, that makes him the worst Saints 1st rounder.
Posted on 5/3/13 at 9:03 pm to cleeveclever
I am not justifying the pick, but I understand the rationale. I remember 1978. In 1978, the Saints lost 6 games by a touchdown or less (in clouding two Hail Mary losses to the Falcons) . And their kickers were horrible. They used 4 kickers: Rich Szaro, Jon Leypoldt, Nick Mike-Mayer, and Tom Jurich. They were a combined 12 for 25.
It was pre-free agency. Good kickers were at a premium. A majority of the kickers in the NFL were unreliable at best during that era. The best way to get a good kicker was to take a chance in the draft.
Again, I'm not justifying by any stretch. But it's not 2013 where you can pick up a guy off the street who could hit 70 percent of his field goals. But the saddest part of the whole thing was that they actually got lucky after he was hurt. They signed a washed up Garo Yepremian and he actually had a good year.
And....if he wasn't so terrible, they would have never drafted Morten Andersen a couple of years later.
It was pre-free agency. Good kickers were at a premium. A majority of the kickers in the NFL were unreliable at best during that era. The best way to get a good kicker was to take a chance in the draft.
Again, I'm not justifying by any stretch. But it's not 2013 where you can pick up a guy off the street who could hit 70 percent of his field goals. But the saddest part of the whole thing was that they actually got lucky after he was hurt. They signed a washed up Garo Yepremian and he actually had a good year.
And....if he wasn't so terrible, they would have never drafted Morten Andersen a couple of years later.
Posted on 5/3/13 at 9:24 pm to lsutigers1992
quote:
Too many to count Les Kelley Kevin Hardy John Shinners Royce Smith Kurt Schumacher Rick Middleton Larry Burton Russel Erxleben Lindsay Scott Alvin Toles Shawn Knight Vaughn Dunbar Alex Molden Jonathan Sullivan
I remember all on the above list...
What's even worse, if we look at the Saint history of some of the #1's we traded away for worthless players, and what we could have had... 
Posted on 5/3/13 at 10:51 pm to lsutigers1992
That draft had Winslow (accounted for 2 TDs a game) later in the 1st
Then Joe Montana in the 3rd
How the fvck did Joe Montana not go till the 3rd round but the Saints drafted a kicker 11th overall
Then Joe Montana in the 3rd
How the fvck did Joe Montana not go till the 3rd round but the Saints drafted a kicker 11th overall
Posted on 5/4/13 at 7:14 am to BuccWildBammer
Saints had Henry Childs at the time. Their best receiving TE ever before Jimmy Graham. It was not a need. Joe Montana had Drew Brees measurables. He was a risk. He wasn't 6-4 with a cannon arm.
The Saints should have drafted defense that year, no doubt.
The Saints should have drafted defense that year, no doubt.
Posted on 5/4/13 at 10:23 am to lsudjh
quote:
I say Ricky Williams. All the hype and not just a first round but the entire draft for what? Look at a few of the names following his in the draft.
That's ridiculous. I don't care how much we gave up for him, Ricky shouldn't be anywhere near this thread. You're comparing a guy who had 10,000 career rushing yds to a bunch of jokers who didn't belong in the league. I take it you don't remember Shawn Knight. He never started a game.
Posted on 5/4/13 at 12:05 pm to kizomich
I had a nightmare that we traded up to #5 in this years draft to take Manti Teo last night. I literally woke up with my heart beat at an all time high.
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