54 days until Saints opener: Every player to wear the No. 54 jersey

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54 days until Saints opener: Every player to wear the No. 54 jersey

Bob Rose , Saints Wire

Tue, Jul 21, 2026 ·

4 min read

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A 54-day wait remains between now and the New Orleans Saints regular season opener. The Saints will be on the road to start 2026, facing off against the Detroit Lions on Sunday, Sept. 13. Edge rusher Anfernee Jennings , an offseason addition, will be wearing No. 54 for New Orleans when entering this year's training camp.

Jennings was brought in to add quality depth to the edge behind Cam Jordan and Chase Young , but may also see time at off-ball linebacker. He's looking to become the 27th player to wear the 54 jersey for New Orleans. Here's a look at each who did so.

Saints History of No. 54

C Joe Wendryhoski (1967-68)
LB Tom Roussel (1971-72)
LB Dale Lindsey (1973)
LB Rick Middleton (1974-75)
LB Pat Hughes (1977-79)
C Paul Ryczek (1981)
LB Ed Simonini (1982)
LB Alvin Toles (1985-88)
LB Bill Roe (1987)
LB Winfred Tubbs (1994-97)
LB Ink Aleaga (1998-99)
LB Darrin Smith (2000-04)
LB Danny Clark (2006)
LB Troy Evans (2007-09)
LB Ramon Humber (2010)
LB Will Herring (2011-13)
LB Jo-Lonn Dunbar (2015)
LB Nathan Stupar (2016-17)
LB Kiko Alonso (2019)
LB Wynton McManis (2021)
LB Justin March (2021)
LB Ty Summers (2022)
DE Jason Pierre-Paul (2023)
DT P.J. Mustipher (2023)
LB Cory Littleton (2023)
DE Jonah Williams (2025)
LB Anfernee Jennings (current)

Joe Wendryhoski was the original center for the expansion Saints in 1967, starting all 28 games at the position through the first two seasons for the team. He was one of only two offensive players to wear No. 54 with New Orleans. Tom Roussel was the first of 23 defensive players to do it, appearing in 21 games through two seasons with 3 sacks and 2 interceptions.

Rick Middleton was the first New Orleans draft pick to wear No. 54. A first-round choice and 13th overall from the Ohio State Buckeyes in 1974, Middleton lasted only two years with the team before being shipped to the San Diego Chargers. Over those two years and 28 games, he had only one interception and a half sack. Middleton is the highest drafted player by New Orleans to wear No. 54. The Saints infamously took Middleton over his Ohio State teammate, Pro Football Hall of Fame LB Randy Gradishar, who went to the Denver Broncos one slot later.

Pat Hughes, arriving two years after Middleton, quietly had a far better career than the Round 1 draft bust. Hughes played three years and 46 games with the Saints. He had 7 interceptions, 5.5 sacks, and 4 fumble recoveries. Hughes was also one of only six out of the 25 players who wore 54 with New Orleans to do it for more than two seasons with the team.

Alvin Toles was another New Orleans first-round pick to wear No. 54. The Tennessee Volunteers star was taken 24th overall in the 1985 NFL draft. Toles played all of his four NFL seasons with the Saints, appearing in 55 contests but with just 17 starts. Despite his Round 1 expectations, he was mostly a backup to the Dome Patrol foursome after they formed in 1986. Still, his 55 games are the second most of any Saints player who's worn No. 54. Outside of strike-replacement player Bill Roe in 1987, there wouldn't be another Saint to wear 54 until 1994.

New York Giants running back Tyrone Wheatley (28) runs past New Orleans linebacker Winfred Tubbs (R) and downed Giants blocker fullback Charles May (30) for a fourth quarter gain in their NFL game September 28 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Replacing the injured Tiki Barber, Wheatley 60 yards and helped preserve a 14-9 Giants win.SPORT NFL — New York Giants running back Tyrone Wheatley (28) runs past New Orleans linebacker Winfred Tubbs (R) and downed Giants blocker fullback Charles May (30) for a fourth quarter gain in their NFL game September 28 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Replacing the injured Tiki Barber, Wheatley 60 yards and helped preserve a 14-9 Giants win. SPORT NFL

That player was Winfred Tubbs, a third-round pick by the Saints in the 1994 NFL draft. Tubbs is best-known for finishing his career with a productive three-year stint on the San Francisco 49ers . However, he was also a productive defender for otherwise bad New Orleans teams through the late 1990s. Tubbs played 52 games for the Saints over his first four seasons. He'd intercept 5 passes, recorded 5.5 sacks, and in 1997 had 160 tackles to finish second in the NFL.

St. Louis Ram running back Marshall Faulk (28) carries the ball pastNew Orleans linebacker Darrin Smith (54) during the first half at theLouisiana Superdome in New Orleans December 17, 2001. The Saints andRams are battling for the playoffs in the NFC West. REUTERS/DaveStueberDRM — St. Louis Ram running back Marshall Faulk (28) carries the ball past New Orleans linebacker Darrin Smith (54) during the first half at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans December 17, 2001. The Saints and Rams are battling for the playoffs in the NFC West. REUTERS/Dave Stueber DRM

Well-traveled linebacker Darrin Smith arrived to New Orleans as a free agent in 2000. He'd play the last five of his 12-year career as a Saint. His 64 games and 52 starts are the most for any player in a No. 54 New Orleans uniform. Smith was an underrated but standout defender with the Saints. Over his time with the team, he had 5 interceptions with 8 sacks and averaged 79 tackles per season.

NEW ORLEANS, LA - OCTOBER 30: Nate Stupar #54 of the New Orleans Saints reacts after intercepting a pass from Seattle Seahawks at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on October 30, 2016 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

After Smith, 13 players have worn No. 54 for the Saints over the last two decades. Ten of them have worn it for a year or less. Ramon Humber and Jo-Lonn Dunbar had some production in multiple years with New Orleans, with most of that success coming in a different jersey number. Nate Stupar probably had the most success of any No. 54 in the last 20 years. A special teams standout, Stupar also had an interception, 2 forced fumbles, and a sack in 20 games with the team on the defensive side.

Anfernee Jennings now gets his turn. A free agent pickup from the New England Patriots , Jennings has spent most of his NFL career as an edge rusher. He'll compete there to try and win a spot, but in training camp may also see some reps as an off-ball linebacker.

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Photos from Saints DB Martin Emerson Jr.'s youth football camp

Young athletes run drills during his Youth Football Camp at Pine Forest High School Saturday, July 11, 2026, Emerson was on hand helping to run drills, engage with the youth, and provide hydration, giveaways, and lunch.

(John Blackie/Pensacola News Journal, John Blackie/Pensacola News Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)