- LB Jonathan Vilma was a first round draft pick of the Jets in 2004 and played in New York from 2004-07. He was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2004 and selected to the Pro Bowl in 2005.
- Jets executive VP/GM Mike Tannenbaum is a Tulane Law graduate and worked as an intern in 1994 and player personnel asst. with the Saints in 1996.
- Quarterbacks coach Joe Lombardi served as running backs/tight ends coach for the XFL's New York/New Jersey Hitmen in 2001.
- Coaching asst. Blake Williams was a four-year letterman at Princeton.
- WR Marques Colston was a standout at Hofstra from 2001-05.
- C Jonathan Goodwin was a fifth round draft pick of the Jets in 2002 and played in New York from 2002-05.
- Saints Senior Director of New Media Doug Miller worked for the Jets from 1991-2006 in various roles in the public relations and community relations department, including as the team's director of public relations before joining the Saints in 2006. Saints PR Assistant David Lawrence worked for the Jets in 2002-2003 as a public relations intern.
- DL Anthony Hargrove is a Brooklyn, N.Y. native.
- DE Will Smith is a New York City native. Smith and Jets TE Ben Hartsock were teammates at Ohio State.
- WR Courtney Roby and Hartsock were teammates in Tennessee in 2006.
- CB Malcolm Jenkins was a high school All-American at Piscataway (N.J.) HS. Jenkins and Jets LB Vernon Gholston were teammates at Ohio State from 2005-07. Both Jenkins and Smith were teammates with Jets C Eric Mangold with the Buckeyes.
- LB Jonathan Casillas prepped at New Brunswick (N.J.) HS.
- QB Drew Brees was tutored byJets off. coord. Brian Schottenheimer in San Diego
- from 2002-05, when he served as his position coach.
- Off. coord/ Pete Carmichael Jr. and Schottenheimer served on the same staff in Washington in 2001 and in San Diego from 2002-05.
- Head coach Sean Payton, asst. head coach/linebackers Joe Vitt and New York asst. head coach/off. line Bill Callahan served on the same staff in Philadelphia.
- Off. line coach/running game Aaron Kromer worked alongside Callahan in 2001. Kromer served as his line coach in Oakland from 2002-03. Callahan tutored G Carl Nicks at Nebraska from 2006-07. Nicks and Jets OL Matt Slauson were teammates with at Nebraska. Payton and Jets running backs coach Anthony Lynn served on the same Dallas staff in 2005.
- TE Darnell Dinkins was tutored by Jets quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh in Baltimore in 2004 when he served as off. coordinator.
- Vitt and Jets wide receivers coach Henry Ellard served on the same staff in St. Louis from 2004-05.
- Jets asst. GM Scott Cohen served on dir. of college scouting Rick Reiprish's staff in Jacksonville from 1999-2000.
- Area scout Terry Wooden's brother JoJo Wooden is the asst. dir. of player personnel for the Jets.
- Dir. of football administration Khai Harley is a Somerville, N.J. native and Rutgers grad.
- Jets dir., football administration Ari Nissim is a Tulane Law grad.
- WR Robert Meachem and Jets QB Erik Ainge were college teammates at Tennessee.
- S Darren Sharper and Jets DB Ahmad Carroll were teammates in the Green Bay secondary in 2004. Sharper and Jets FB Tony Richardson were teammates in Minnesota from 2006-07.
- DE Bobby McCray and Carroll were teammates in Jacksonville in 2006.
- McCray and Jets CB Lito Sheppard were teammates at Florida from 2000-01.
- Jets DE Marques Douglas played for the Saints in 2000 and spent part of the 2001 season on their practice squad. Dinkins, Douglas and Jets LB Bart Scott were teammates with
- Baltimore.
- Jets G Alan Faneca prepped at John Curtis (River Ridge) HS and was a first-team All American at LSU.
- Director of player programs Fred McAfee and Faneca were teammates in Pittsburgh in 1998.
- Goodwin and Jets K Jay Feely were teammates at Michigan.
- TE Jeremy Shockey and Feely were teammates with the Giants from 2005-06.
- Jets DT Howard Green prepped at Donaldsonville HS, played at Southwest Mississippi JC, and at LSU, where he was a teammate of CB Randall Gay and WR Devery Henderson and played for the Saints from 2003-04.
- Gay, FB Heath Evans, TE David Thomas and Jets LB Larry Izzo were teammates in New England. Evans, Thomas and Jets QB Kevin O'Connell were teammates with the Patriots in 2008.
- LS Jason Kyle and Jets DT Kris Jenkins were teammates in Carolina from 2001-07.
- CB Jabari Greer and Jets S Jim Leonhard were teammates in Buffalo from 2005-07.
- Jets P Steve Weatherford handled punting duties for the Saints from 2006 until midway through last season. Weatherford is a Baton Rouge native who was tutored by special teams coordinator Greg McMahon at Illinois where he was a college teammate of RB Pierre Thomas.
- S Pierson Prioleau and Weatherford were teammates in Jacksonville late in 2008.
- RB
- Reggie Bush and DT Sedrick Ellis played with Jets QB Mark Sanchez at Southern California.
Saints and Jets Connections
Sep 30, 2009 at 05:00 AM
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