New Orleans Saints vs. Atlanta Falcons Connections

• New Orleans RB Alvin Kamara is an Atlanta native who prepped at Norcross (Ga.) HS, where he rushed for 2,264 yards and 26 touchdowns while averaging 7.5 yards per carry and added 22 receptions for 286 yards and five scores as a senior in 2012, earning Georgia Mr. Football honors from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

• Saints Defensive Coordinator Dennis Allen's father, Grady, played for Atlanta from 1968-72. Allen served on the Falcons defensive coaching staff from 2002-05. Allen tutored Falcons QB Matt Schaub when he served as head coach of the Oakland Raiders in 2014.

• Saints K Wil Lutz is a Newnan native who played at Georgia State.

• New Orleans Linebackers Coach Mike Nolan served as defensive coordinator of the Falcons from 2012-14.

• New Orleans Quarterbacks Coach Joe Lombardi served on the Falcons coaching staff in 2009.

• New Orleans S Rafael Bush was signed by Atlanta as an undrafted free agent in 2010 and spent the first 16 weeks of the season on their practice squad before being elevated to the active roster for week 17 and the postseason.

• Saints T/G Andrus Peat and Falcons TEs Austin Hooper and Levine Toilolo were teammates at Stanford.

• New Orleans LB Craig Robertson and Atlanta C Alex Mack were teammates in Cleveland. Saints DE Cameron Jordan and Mack were college teammates at California.

• Atlanta LB Deion Jones played at both Jesuit High School and LSU.

• Atlanta Assistant Special Teams Coach Alex Sutulovich and Saints Offensive Coordinator Pete Carmichael served on the same staff at Louisiana Tech from 1997-99.

• Saints C Max Unger and Falcons G Mike Person were teammates in Seattle. Unger was tutored by Atlanta Offensive Line Coach Chris Morgan in Seattle in 2014.

• Saints LB Nate Stupar played for Atlanta from 2014-15.

• Falcons CB Robert Alford is a native of Hammond who starred at Southeastern Louisiana University.

• Atlanta Defensive Assistant/Linebackers Doug Mallory served as defensive coordinator at LSU. Atlanta DT Tyson Jackson played at LSU.

• Falcons Defensive Assistant/Defensive Backs Chad Walker is a New Orleans native who graduated (2000) and coached at LSU from 2003-04, served as a graduate assistant at Louisiana Monroe and served as defensive coordinator at Mississippi College.

• Falcons Director of College Scouting Steve Sabo served as a pro scout with the Saints from 1996-98.

• New Orleans RB Mark Ingram II and Atlanta WR Julio Jones were college teammates at the University of Alabama.

• New Orleans S Vonn Bell prepped at Rossville (Ga.) Ridgeland HS.