July 19, 2026, 4:55 a.m. CT

We are only 56 days away from the official start to the New Orleans Saints season. New Orleans will be on the road to kick off 2026, playing at the Detroit Lions on Sunday, Sept. 13. As the Saints head into training camp, no player is wearing No. 56.

It’s a uniform that had been worn at an elite level since 2018 by linebacker Demario Davis, who departed as a free agent for the New York Jets this offseason. The number was also worn by Pat Swilling, another elite performer and linebacker for the Dome Patrol. Our Saints Player of the Day feature focuses today on Swilling.

Name (age): Pat Swilling (61)Hometown: Stephens County, Ga.Position: LinebackerHeight, weight: 6-foot-3, 245 poundsCollege: Georgia Tech Yellow JacketsDrafted: Round 3, 60th overall in 1986 (Saints)NFL career: 12 years (7 with Saints)

Out of Toccoa High School in Georgia, Swilling had a tremendous collegiate career with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. He set the school record for sacks in a game (7), with his 15 sacks in 1985 leading to 1st Team All-American honors. That production prompted the Saints to select him in the third round of the NFL Draft.

As a rookie, Swilling appeared in every game as a reserve and would record 4 sacks. By 1987 he was a starter and helped form the intimidating Dome Patrol linebacking corps. The group led New Orleans to a 12-3 record that season and the franchise’s first ever playoff berth. Swilling contributed with a team-best 10.5 sacks along with 3 forced fumbles, 3 recoveries, and an interception. His statistics dipped a bit in 1988, but he still had 7 sacks and forced 4 fumbles.

Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.

In 1989, Swilling earned the first of five Pro Bowls in his career. He did so with a team-best 16.5 sacks, a franchise record at the time, along with an interception and a team-high 6 fumbles forced. The 1990 campaign yielded another Pro Bowl with 11 sacks and 4 forced fumbles, both leading the defense. Swilling’s career apex came in 1991. He led the NFL with 17 sacks, still a franchise record, while adding an interception return for a touchdown, fumble recovery, and 6 forced fumbles. This led to not only 1st Team All-Pro recognition, but also won him the 1991 Defensive Player of the Year. Swilling turned in another superb year in 1992 with 10.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery to earn a second consecutive 1st Team All-Pro. That season, all four members of the Dome Patrol earned Pro Bowl honors. It was the first and only time in NFL history for that occurrence.

During the 1993 offseason, the Saints would trade Swilling to the Detroit Lions. In return, New Orleans received the eighth overall choice and a fourth round pick in the 1993 NFL Draft. Those picks were used on future Hall of Famer Willie Roaf and Lorenzo Neal, but Swilling’s presence on the defense was greatly missed. He’d play five more seasons, earning one Pro Bowl and recording 31 sacks with the Lions and Oakland Raiders. Swilling finished a 12-year career in 1998 with 107.5 total sacks. Yet, criminally, he is not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

In seven years with New Orleans, Swilling had 76.5 sacks, forced 26 fumbles, recovered 7, and had 3 interceptions while earning four Pro Bowls, two 1st Team All-Pros, and a Defensive Player of the Year award. He was inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame in 2000 alongside Vaughan Johnson, a fellow member of the Dome Patrol. Pat Swilling served as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 2001 to 2004 in post-retirement. Swilling may have been ridiculously overlooked for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but it’s an honor that’s more than deserving as one of the greatest players in New Orleans franchise history.