New Orleans 2Saints tight end Jimmy Graham has been named to the Reese's Senior Bowl 75th Anniversary Team.
Former Saints offensive tackle Terron Armstead and running back Darren Sproles were also named members of the team.
Graham had three receptions for 29 yards in his Senior Bowl in 2010. The Saints would go on to draft the tight end from the University of Miami in the third round, 95th overall in the 2010 NFL Draft. Graham would set records during his first stint with the Saints from 2010-2014. In five seasons in New Orleans, Graham demolished the franchise's receiving records for tight ends with 386 catches for 4,752 yards with 51 touchdowns. Graham re-signed with the Saints in 2023 returning to the team hr started with. Graham has played in seven games and has one reception for eight yards and a touchdown. Overall, in Saints record books, Graham is ranked second in receiving touchdowns and sixth in total touchdowns, receptions and receiving yards.
Over the course of his 12-year NFL career, Graham has appeared in 191 regular season games with 133 starts, posting 714 receptions for 8,514 yards (11.9 avg.) with 86 touchdowns. In nine postseason contests with six starts for the Saints, Packers and Bears, Graham has posted 31 receptions for 402 yards (13.9 avg.) and five touchdowns.
Graham has been selected to the Pro Bowl five times, three times as a Saint and was a two-time Associated Press All-Pro (2011 and 2013). He was a first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler in 2013, when he led tight ends in virtually every receiving category with 86 receptions for 1,215 yards (14.1 avg.) with a team-record and league-best 16 touchdown grabs, the second-highest scoring grab for an NFL tight end all-time. Graham was a second-team All-Pro and was selected to the Pro Bowl (starter) for the first time in 2011, when he set the club receiving record at the time with 99 receptions for 1,310 yards (13.2 avg.) with 11 touchdowns.
Another Saints draft pick, Armstead played in the senior bowl in 2013. The Saints drafted the tackle out of the University of Arkansas at Pine-Bluff in the third round, 75th overall of the 2013 NFL Draft. Armstead took over starting left tackle duties in Week 16 as a rookie and would go on to start in 97 games during nine seasons with the Saints. He would be named to three pro-bowls during his tenure with the Saints in 2018, 2019 and 2020. Armstead currently plays for the Miami Dolphins.
Sproles meanwhile started off his career with the San Diego Chargers after being drafted in the fourth round, 130th overall, in the 2005 NFL Draft. In the summer of 2011, Sproles would sign with the Saints where he would spend three seasons, playing in 44 games. During his three years in New Orleans, Sproles rushed for 1,067 yards, including a career high season total of 603 in 2011, plus ran it into the end zone five times. The dual-threat back also caught 232 passes for 1,981 yards with 16 touchdown receptions, including a career-best 710 yards in 2011 and career-best seven touchdown receptions in both the 2011 and 2012 seasons. Sproles also served as the kick and punt returner during his time with the Saints, the position he is being honored for by the Senior Bowl, where he recorded 671 punt return yards including one touchdown and 1827 kick return yards.
Sproles would finish his 15-year NFL career having played in 183 games, racking up the sixth highest all-purpose yards in the league with 19,696. He was named to the Pro Bowl three seasons and would win a Super Bowl as a member of the 2017 Philadelphia Eagles. Sproles retired following the 2019 season.
"The history of our game means everything to us here at the Senior Bowl so this is a special announcement," said Senior Bowl Executive Director Jim Nagy. "This 75th Anniversary Team includes many of the greatest players in NFL history and they are all legendary players for their respective franchises. We look forward to bringing these all-time greats back to where their NFL journeys started, the city of Mobile, Alabama. The Senior Bowl is grateful for our partners at the NFLPA for helping to make this celebration happen."
The 2024 Reese's Senior Bowl will kick off at 12 p.m. CT on Saturday, February 3, 2024 (televised nationally on NFL Network) and will include a halftime ceremony honoring the 75th Anniversary Team.
The 75th Anniversary Team selections were made through a process that included a public online fan vote, a poll of all 32 NFL general managers, and consideration from the Senior Bowl's selection committee.
