Among the individuals honored at this year’s NFL Hall of Fame Induction ceremony in Canton, Ohio was Willie Roaf, one of the greatest players ever to wear a New Orleans Saints uniform.
Willie Roaf played college football at Louisiana Tech and when the Saints selected him as the 8th overall pick in the 1993 NFL Draft, the selection was a very popular one for football fans across the State of Louisiana. He was arguably the best football player in the entire 1993 Draft, which included other future NFL stars like Drew Bledsoe, Garrison Hearst, Jerome Bettis and Lincoln Kennedy. He could also be the very best player ever to play offensive tackle and most football experts would find it hard to argue against that distinction.
Roaf’s impressive list of honors include:
- 11 Pro Bowl appearances
- 6 First Team-All Pro selections
- 3 Second Team All Pro selections
- Selections to the NFL All Decade Teams of the 1990s and 2000s.
After the 2001 season, which was cut short by a serious knee injury, Roaf was sent to the Kansas City Chiefs in a very unpopular trade for Louisiana football fans. At Kansas City, Roaf bounced back from his injury and like his time with the Saints, was the unquestionable anchor of the offensive line and continued to be honored as an all star and one of the game’s best linemen until his retirement in 2005.
At the Hall of Fame Induction ceremony, Willie Roaf was presented by his father Cliff, who stood by during the induction speech. The gentle giant of a man at 300 lbs. and 6’5”, Willie Roaf thanked his father for his livelong support and called his late mother his inspiration. He also thanked the New Orleans Saints and the Kansas City Chiefs, thanked a number of his teammates including Sam Mills and Rickey Jackson, and thanked the Hall of Fame. Roaf’s late mother, Andree Layton Roaf was the first African-American woman to serve on the Arkansas Supreme Court. He wrapped up his speech looking towards the sky and paid tribute to her, saying, “Mom, I may have not become a doctor or a lawyer or a brain surgeon, but I did become a Pro Football Hall of Famer and that is what matters to me the most.”
Roaf will likely be honored once more at the Superdome once the season starts but the first preseason game in New Orleans is Friday, August 17th. The preseason may not have the same thrill and excitement of the regular season, but loyal Saints fans will still be in the seats rooting their team, featuring quarterback Drew Brees, who’s coming off a record breaking season.
Whether it’s a preseason game or the regular season, Limo Livery’s elite ground transportation services will be available to transport any size group of fans going to the game. For the best limo service in New Orleans, it’s simply Limo Livery.