By Darin May 31 American Football History Timeline
Path Cleared for Saints Sale
That was the headline in The Town Talk, Shreveport, Louisiana, on June 1, 1985, and it is our Newspapers.com Football History Headline of the Day. It is reporting on the …
- May 31, 1985 – The New Orleans Saints were sold to Tom Benson from John Mecom Jr. for $70,204,000.
The final hurdles to the sale were the New Orleans City Council and the School Boards, each of which approved surrendering its share of sales taxes to keep the Saints in New Orleans as part of the deal. This was no small sacrifice either, as the nearly $2.8 in revenue surrendered by the two groups went back to the Saints, but the caveat was that Benson signed a 21-year lease with the Superdome. Benson stepped forward in March of 1984 to help on the day when negotiations with the A.N. Pritzker family from Chicago fell apart in February.
Mr. Benson, at the time of this writing, still owns the team and has kept the franchise in the Superdome in New Orleans long beyond his initial 21-year obligation. He has employed coaches such as Jim Mora, Mike Ditka, and Sean Payton, and has even clutched a Lombardi Trophy after winning Super Bowl XLIV over the Indianapolis Colts, just a couple of years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the New Orleans area.
May 31 Football Hall of Fame Birthdays
- May 31, 1953 – Elizabeth, New Jersey – Richard Wood, Southern California Linebacker. The NFF’s Bio on Wood tells us that he was a member of two National Championship teams and was Southern California’s first three-time All-American. His athleticism was made for playing linebacker, as his 4.6 speed allowed him to track down speedy backs while his strength made his hits seem “like a hammer,” according to Coach John McKay. Wood came to the varsity in 1972 and not only led the undefeated Trojans in tackles but also surpassed his closest teammate by 30 stops. Richard also excelled in pass coverage with five interceptions, returning one for a touchdown and deflected four other passes. For his efforts, he gained first-team All-America status. Richard Wood’s collegiate football records are celebrated in the College Football Hall of Fame after his induction in 2007.
- May 31, 1967 – Vicksburg, Mississippi – Kevin Dent Jackson State Safety 2006