Tom McNeill, the punter on the original 1967 New Orleans Saints team who still holds the record for longest punt in team history (81 yards), passed away Saturday. He was 81.

McNeill was signed by the Saints as an undrafted free agent out of Stephen F. Austin in 1967. In his seven-year career in the NFL he appeared in 66 games with the Saints, Vikings and Eagles. McNeill still holds the Saints record for the longest punt with an 81-yard punt in 1969. McNeill appeared in 26 games with the Saints over the 1967, '68 and '69 seasons.

His record-setting punt came in a home game against the Dallas Cowboys in 1969.

"I wish they had all been like that," McNeill told Rod Walker of The Times-Picayune of his punt during an interview in 2022. "It was just such a thrill to be able to do that. At that time, nobody had done one like that. It just so happened that everything went right that day. The weather. The wind. And my leg."

McNeill was friends with legendary Saints kicker Tom Dempsey who in 1970 set the NFL record for longest field goal (63 yards).

"I knew Tom Dempsey really well," McNeill told Walker in 2022. "Let's put it this way: I had to listen to Tom Dempsey talk a lot. He was just a real fun person."

After his NFL career McNeill was a sales person for Cameron ironworks in Houston for 25 years.

Thomas Gregg McNeill was born Aug. 12, 1943 in Rockford, Ill., and went to high school at Spring Branch in Texas.

McNeill is survived by his wife, Jane McDow McNeill, his oldest son, Kevin McNeill and his two daughters Mariclare and Megan McNeill, his middle son, Kory McNeill and wife, Terry McNeill, and their two daughters Kenzie McNeill MacKay and Kenzie's husband Conner MacKay and Keely McNeill, and his youngest son Kerry McNeill and his daughter Chloe Hendrix-McNeill.

Funeral arrangements are pending.