The NFL Draft lasted 12 rounds from 1977-92, and was trimmed to seven rounds in 1994.

The expanded choices didn't factor in for Texas Southern safety Brett Maxie in 1985; he still went undrafted.

But he signed with the New Orleans Saints as a rookie free agent looking to make his mark and Wednesday, he received the best sign that he had when it was announced that he was a 2025 inductee into the Saints Hall of Fame.

Maxie, a starter for the Dome Patrol defenses that ranked among the best in NFL history, had 15 interceptions (three returned for touchdowns) in nine seasons with the Saints.

Maxie will be joined in the Class of 2025 by former cornerback Tracey Porter, author of two of the biggest defensive plays in franchise history – interceptions in the NFC Championship Game and in Super Bowl XLIV – on the weekend of Dec. 14, surrounding the Saints-Carolina game in the Caesars Superdome.

The Saints HOF also announced that WGNO Sports Director Ed Daniels posthumously will be receive the Joe Gemelli "Fleur de Lis" Award, and former Saints safety Steve Gleason earned the inaugural Saints Hall of Fame Courage Award.

Maxie ground his way through 13 NFL seasons and helped the Saints advance to their first playoff game in 1988, but his induction speech centered on family – wife Angela, sons Brett II and Adam and daughters Maya and Olivia.

Brett II is entering his 11^th season as an area scout for the Dallas Cowboys, Adam is entering his eighth as a pro scout for the Carolina Panthers, Maya is a pastry chef for the Cowboys and Olivia is a mental health professional who advocates for children.

"I'm very, very proud of all of them," said Maxie, currently the defensive backs coach with the Houston Roughnecks of the United Football League. "(But) Angela is the glue to our family. It all starts with Angela, and it ends with Angela. She has done a tremendous job with our family in terms of raising our children.

"Every now and then I would show up, and pitch in, and help out raising, but she did it by herself, to be quite honest with you. Especially when I was a player, now that I'm coaching, there's just not a lot of time for me to be at home. And she did an outstanding job."

Porter, a second-round pick in 2008, finished his Saints career with seven regular-season interceptions, one returned for a touchdown. Porter said he'd hoped to be drafted in the first round and after those 32 players had been selected, he decided to take a nap.

"And I remember hearing the 40^th pick come up and it happened to be the Saints," the Port Allen, La., native said. "I'm laying there and I'm like, 'I should have gone first round,' and that didn't happen but once I saw the 504 number pop up on the phone, I had to look at the screen again.

"I answered the phone, lo and behold, (Saints Executive Vice President/General Manager) Mickey (Loomis) is on the phone, Coach (Sean) Payton is on the phone, they're asking me if I'm ready to come to New Orleans and play some football. And I'm pretty much saying, 'Well, yeah, coach, it's about time.'"

Porter said basketball was his first love but his height (5 feet 11) helped push him into football.

His interception with 18 seconds remaining in regulation in the 2009 NFC Championship Game in the Superdome preserved a 28-28 tie with Minnesota and allowed the Saints to kick a game-winning field goal in overtime, and his interception and 74-yard return for a touchdown sealed a 31-17 victory over the Colts in Super Bowl XLIV.

"I remember just before the interception happened (in the NFC Championship Game), we're calling the play, we're looking up and some of the fans are starting leave because time is winding down, they think they're going to come in and kick a field goal and the Vikings are going to go to the Super Bowl," Porter said, smiling. "But lo and behold, (Vikings quarterback) Brett (Favre) tries to throw across his body, the rest is history.

"I remember hearing that everyone that left the Dome was trying to turn around and come back in once we were going to overtime."

Daniels, a three-time Louisiana Sportscaster of the Year, passed away in the summer of 2024 at 67. He suffered a heart attack while in Los Angeles, preparing to cover Saints training camp in Irvine, Cal.

"Ed loved the Saints," said Robin Daniels, his wife. "He loved the Saints so much that he has never missed a training camp. And (in 2024), he was told they were going to send a photographer, 'You have to stay home and take care of things that are here.'

"Well, Ed wasn't going to have that so he took his vacation time and we paid for us to go to the Saints training camp. It was kind of like a mini vacation sort of thing that never happened, because (the heart attack) happened the first night that we were there.

"But that's how much the Saints meant to Ed."

Gleason already has a wall dedication in the Saints Hall of Fame, odes to his play as an ace special teamer (98 tackles, two fumble recoveries, four blocked punts in seven seasons), and his impact off the field; he was diagnosed with ALS in 2011.

Gleason has helped raise more than $100 million to benefit those battling ALS and Team Gleason, his nonprofit, has provided more than $55 million in technology, equipment, adventure and care services to people living with ALS.

He jokingly thanked the HOF committed for creating another award.

"I'm grateful for the example that the people of New Orleans for their courage and I'm happy to be here with these fellow honorees," he said via a speech-generating device that utilizes an eye-tracking system. "May we all continue to lead with love.

"Peace out, girl scouts."