5 most underappreciated players in New Orleans Saints history

2. Deuce McAllister, RB (2001-2008)

Just before Sean Payton took over, the Saints had shown a little bit of progress. While a 3-13 campaign ended Jim Haslett's time as head coach, he had two winning seasons and two 8-8 campaigns in 2003 and 2004.

They weren't knocking on the door of the Super Bowl but they were at least competitive. And one of the primary reasons for this was Deuce McAllister, who was the franchise rushing yardage leader when he retired. McCallister had 6,096 yards and 49 touchdowns — both of which were surpassed by Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara has tied the touchdown mark.

McAllister hit his stride in year two when he ran for 1,388 yards and 13 touchdowns for the 9-7 Saints. He followed that up with a career-high 1,641 yards in 2003.

Injuries slowed him down from that point on and while he had more than 1,000 yards in two more seasons, he finished his career with a couple of campaigns where he ran for fewer than four yards per carry.

The Saints ended up winning the Super Bowl in 2009 and while he was no longer with the team during the regular season, he was signed during the playoffs and served as an honorary captain. He never played for them but still has a Super Bowl ring, which he deserves.

Perhaps he would earn more praise if he were there during that season but unfortunately, he gets forgotten about often since he just missed out on their most successful run.