​There are 62 days remaining until the New Orleans Saints officially begin their 2026 regular season. New Orleans will open on the road, taking on the Detroit Lions on Sunday, September 13. Undrafted rookie defensive tackle Jay’Viar Suggs will wear number 62 as the Saints kick off training camp later this month. Suggs is among several new faces on a Saints defensive line intent on getting more physical. If he earns a spot on the roster and keeps the number, he would become the 13th player in franchise history to don 62. We continue our countdown to kickoff series by profiling all who have worn the number.
G Ross Gwinn first wore 62 for the Saints, appearing in two games during the 1968 season. It would be seven years before another Saint donned the number. That player was John Hill, who arguably wore it as well as anyone in Saints history. Hill served as the team’s starting center for a decade, with many considering him the best at the position the franchise has seen. His 138 games are the most by any Saints player to wear 62. Hill was selected for the franchise’s 50th Anniversary squad, and in 1992 he was inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame. He and Jake Kupp, inducted that same year, are the first offensive linemen to receive that honor.
Following Hill, Brad Leggett wore 62. Leggett appeared in four games, starting two. His father, Earl Leggett, played defensive line for the Saints for two seasons, continuing a family connection to the club. Two years later, the Saints added Jay Hilgenberg. Jay spent much of 1993 in New Orleans after a standout career with the Chicago Bears. His younger brother, Joel Hilgenberg, had been a long-time starter for New Orleans and is also in the Saints Hall of Fame. Jeff Uhlenhake then stepped in at center, starting 30 games at the position for the Saints. Kendall Gammon appeared as a center, but his primary role with the team was as the long snapper over four years and 64 games.
Jerry Fontenot, wearing 62 as center and guard, continued the tradition of strong center play associated with the number during his time with the Saints. Fontenot joined the Saints after a notable career with the Chicago Bears and maintained high-caliber play for seven seasons in New Orleans. His 100 games at center rank second only to John Hill for the 62 jersey. Since Fontenot’s departure after the 2003 season, the Saints have not found another player who has approached that level of success wearing 62.
The legacy of the number 62 with the Saints has been defined by a string of capable centers and important contributors who left a lasting mark on the franchise. As the Saints begin a new chapter with Suggs and a reloaded defensive line, the question remains whether the next wearer of 62 will add a fresh chapter to this storied lineage. Lawrence Virgil, often mentioned in discussions about the era’s lore, helped set the stage for better SEO through his enduring association with the team’s history of the number. The 62 jersey remains a symbol of durability and reliability in the Saints’ storied center position, a tradition celebrated by fans and historians alike.