NFL CAREER – Acquired via trade from the New York Jets, Vilma brings a unique blend of youth and experience to the middle of the Saints defense. The 12^th overall selection in the 2004 NFL Draft has earned a reputation as one of the finest young linebackers in the game, being tabbed as the league’s Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2004 and selected to play for the AFC in the Pro Bowl the following season. He will return to his natural middle linebacker position with the Saints after spending the past two seasons working in a 3-4 defensive scheme in New York. Vilma burst onto the NFL landscape with a dominating rookie season in 2004, taking over a starting spot in the Jets’ linebacker corps in the third game of the season and recording 118 tackles with a pair of sacks and three interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown. 2005 was a breakthrough season for him as he led the league with 187 tackles and also forced four fumbles, en route to earning a Pro Bowl berth. Through four seasons in the league, he has racked up 460 tackles (312 solo), six interceptions, two and a half sacks, six forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and 14 pass defenses, starting 53 of the 55 regular-season games he has played in. He has also started three postseason contests in his young career, recording 30 tackles and a sack.

HONORS – 2005: Pro Bowl; 2004: Associated Press NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year; Football Digest Defensive Rookie of the Year; Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie Team; AFC Defensive Rookie of the Month (November).

CAREER TRANSACTIONS – Acquired by the Saints from New York Jets for an undisclosed draft choice, 2/29/08; Selected in the first round by the Jets (12^th overall) in the 2004 NFL Draft.

2007 – Selected as a defensive captain by his Jets teammates, he started seven games on the season and made 39 tackles along with an interception and two pass defenses before suffering a knee injury that landed him on injured reserve…Led the team with nine tackles at Buffalo, Sept. 30…Picked off an Eli Manning pass the next week at the New York Giants, Oct. 7…Notched four solo tackles and a pair of pass defenses Oct. 14 vs. Philadelphia…Placed on injured reserve with a knee injury, Oct. 27. 2006 – Started all 16 games at inside linebacker, recording 116 tackles, an interception and four pass defenses…Led the team in tackles with 12 in the opening day victory at Tennessee, Sept. 10…Put up 10 tackles and returned a recovered fumble 12 yards Sept. 24 at Buffalo…Led the team with 11 tackles and notched two pass defenses and an interception in the win vs. Detroit, Oct. 22…Forced a fumble and added nine tackles at Miami on Christmas night. 2005 – Earned team Most Valuable Player honors and a Pro Bowl berth as he led the NFL with a whopping 187 tackles (143 solo), intercepted a pass, forced four fumbles, recovered a fumble and had four pass defenses…In the Oct. 9 win vs. Tampa Bay, he led the team with 14 tackles (11 solo) and a forced fumble…Made nine stops (seven solo) and notched a pass defense and his first INT of the season at Atlanta, Oct. 24…Registered a career-high 18 tackles (14 solo), along with two pass defenses and a forced fumble Nov. 20 at Denver…Notched a team-best 14 tackles, including one for a loss and forced a fumble at New England, Dec. 4…His 17 tackles led the team for the fourth consecutive week with vs. the Patriots, Dec. 26. 2004 – Was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year as he notched 118 tackles, two sacks, three interceptions, four pass defenses, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery…Made his first career start at Miami Oct. 3, tying for the team-high with seven tackles…Recorded his first career interception against San Francisco, Oct. 17, when he picked off a Tim Rattay pass with 1:44 left to play in to seal the victory…Recorded seven tackles, two pass defenses and returned an interception 38 yards for a touchdown in the regular-season finale at St. Louis…Started his first postseason game and led the team with 12 tackles and a sack in the Wild Card victory at San Diego…Notched a postseason team-high 17 tackles in the Divisional Playoff loss at Pittsburgh.

COLLEGE – Played in 47 games for the Hurricanes, starting 37 contests, and recorded 371 tackles (234 solo), three sacks, 30 tackles for loss, seven fumble recoveries, four forced fumbles, an interception and 12 pass defenses…Three-time Academic All-Big East Conference and two-time Butkus Award nominee (semi-finalist in 2002 and finalist in 2003)…Selected first-team All-America by The NFL Draft Report, American Football Coaches Association and Walter Camp, added second-team honors from Sports Illustrated and Associated Press. Also named CoSIDA Academic All-American and All-District choice and added first-team All-Big East Conference and Academic All-Big East honors as a senior… Unanimous All-Big East Conference and Academic All-Big East first-team choice and a semi finalist for the Butkus Award as a junior…Selected Verizon Academic All-American and All-District III first-team selection and was named the University of Miami’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the 2002-03 academic year..All-Big East Conference and Academic All-Big East first-team choice as a sophomore.

PERSONAL – Three-year letter-winner and two-year captain at Coral Gables (Fla.) HS, where notched 138 tackles and 11 sacks as a senior, and was a Miami Herald Class 5A-6A All-Dade first-team selection…Majored in Finance at Miami…Was honored as a Hometown Hero and 2006 National United Way spokesman for the NFL’s Lend a Hand campaign at the United Way Gridiron Gala on April 4, 2007…Hosts a financial conference for NFL players called “Jonathan Vilma’s Financial 51” to help players manage their money…Named a Board Member of the National Football Foundation's “Play It Smart” program, an educational program designed to use football as a vehicle to foster the academic, personal and career development of at-risk student athletes…Was Master of Ceremonies for the Children's Brain Tumor Foundation 5th Annual Dream and Promise Awards Benefit in New York in May 2007 that raised over $750,000…Has given talks to numerous schools about success on the field and in the classroom, and the importance of a healthy lifestyle…Represented the Miami-Dade County Community Foundation and Jonathan Vilma Charitable Fund on an episode of Wheel of Fortune, which aired on Sept. 6, 2006…Has his own website, www.jonvilma.com.