​A countdown to the Saints’ 2026 season shows that 66 days remain until the New Orleans Saints begin their year on the road, opening on Sunday, Sept. 13 at the Detroit Lions. Reserve guard William Sherman wore No. 66 to conclude last season, and he continues to sport the jersey as training camp commences. Sherman’s journey through practice squads before landing with New Orleans makes him the 17th player in franchise history to don the 66 jersey. Our kickoff countdown series continues by examining each of those players.
Bill Cody first wore 66 for the Saints, joining the franchise in its formative years and staying for its first four seasons. He appeared in 40 games during that span, recording one interception, recovering four fumbles, and posting 1.5 sacks. Royce Smith was the first offensive player in the number, and as the eighth overall pick in the first round of the 1972 NFL Draft, he is the highest-drafted Saint to wear 66. Yet his time with the team was brief, spanning 24 games and two seasons with only 13 starts. Rocky Rasley followed, contributing 14 games in his lone season with New Orleans. Tom Wickert spent two years with the Saints but played in just eight games.
The notorious Conrad Dobler joined the Saints in 1978 and became the starter for all 16 games in the 1979 season. Louis Oubre, a fifth-round pick in the 1981 NFL Draft, appeared in 37 games over three seasons and emerged as an underrated component of the offensive line. Chuck Commiskey, while not a standout contributor like Oubre, backed up the line for most of his 34 appearances across three seasons.
Larry Williams wore the number in 1991, appearing in six games that season. A photo from that era shows Williams on the Saints’ sideline during a 1991 NFC West showdown with the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park. In that game, the 49ers prevailed 38–24. Williams’ stint with the team was brief, and he wore 66 for only six games in 1991 before Mike Verstegen arrived on the scene a few years later. Verstegen, a third-round pick in the 1995 Draft, stands as the second-highest Saints draft selection to wear 66. He spent two seasons with New Orleans, taking part in 22 games.
After Verstegen, it would be another five years before another Saint wore 66: Victor Riley. Riley spent three seasons with the Saints but wore the number for only his first 14 games in the 2002 season. Notably, Brian Young represents the sole defensive player to wear 66 for New Orleans. Young’s tenure with the Saints included 64 games, the longest continuous run for anyone donning the number. He played for New Orleans from 2004 to 2008, a stretch that cemented his place as the franchise’s enduring 66 wearer. As the Saints look ahead to 2026, Sherman’s continued presence in the No. 66 jersey adds to a lineage that blends notable offensive linemen, a few memorable defensive contributors, and a handful of players who briefly carried the number across several seasons.