<span style=""> <span style="text-decoration: underline;">NEW ORLEANS SAINTS VS. DETROIT LIONS</span>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;">"CONNECTIONS"</span>
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- Lions FB Terrelle Smith was a fourth-round draft pick of the Saints in 2000 and served as New Orleans' starter from 2000-03.
- Detroit DT Grady Jackson played for New Orleans from 2002-03. He was tutored by defensive line coach Bill Johnson in Atlanta in 2006. S Darren Sharper played with Jackson in Green Bay in 2004 and with QB Daunte Culpepper in Minnesota in 2005. DE Bobby McCray and Jackson were teammates in Jacksonville in 2007.
- Assistant special teams coach Mike Mallory played LB at the Michigan from 1982- 85, where he was a two-time All-Big 10 selection and finalist for the Butkus Award.
- Tight ends coach Terry Malone is a Detroit native who served on Michigan staff from 1997-2005, his final four seasons as offensive coordinator/tight ends. Malone tutored WR Adrian Arrington (Saints' practice squad), C Jonathan Goodwin, Detroit T Jeff Backus and T Jon Jansen. Goodwin and Lions LB Larry Foote were also Wolverine teammates.
- QB Mark Brunell, S Pierson Prioleau and Jansen were teammates in Washington from 2004 07.
- Detroit running backs coach Sam Gash played for defensive coordinator Gregg Williams in Buffalo in 2003 and spent the 2004 offseason with the Saints. Williams served on the same coaching staff in Tennessee with Lions coach Jim Schwartz from 1999 2000.
- LB Troy Evans was born in Bay City, Mich.
- WR Lance Moore starred at Toledo from 2001-04.
- Detroit offensive line coach George Yarno served in the same position at LSU from 2001-02 and Lions secondary coach Tim Walton served as defensive backs coach at LSU on the 2003 National Championship squad, tutoring CB Randall Gay..
- Detroit assistant special teams coach Bradford Banta prepped at University (Baton Rouge) HS.
- S Chris Reis and Lions WR Calvin Johnson were teammates at Georgia Tech.
- LB Robert Meachem/Jo-Lonn Dunbar.aspx">Jo-Lonn Dunbar and Lions T Gosder Cherilus were teammates at Boston College.
- Detroit coordinator of athletic medicine/athletic trainer Dean Kleinschmidt served on the Saints training staff from 1969-1999.
- Assistant head coach/linebackers Joe Vitt, Detroit defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham and defensive line coach Bob Karmelowicz served on the same staff in Kansas City.
- RB Reggie Bush, DT Sedrick Ellis and Lions LB Darnell Bing were teammates at USC.
- TE Buck Ortega, TE Jeremy Shockey and LB Jonathan Vilma played with Detroit CB Philip Buchanon at the University of Miami (Fla.). Ortega and Vilma were later college teammates with Lions DT Orien Harris...Harris spent part the end of the 2007 season with the Saints and was with the team through training camp last season before heading to Cincinnati.
- TE Darnell Dinkins and Harris were teammates in Cleveland in 2006. Shockey, Dinkins and Detroit CB William James were teammates with the New York Giants. Williams tutored James in Jacksonville in 2008.
- Evans and Buchanon were teammates in Houston from 2005-06...LB Scott Fujita and Lions P Nick Harris were college teammates at California.
- Fujita, LB Scott Shanle and Detroit CB Anthony Henry were teammates in Dallas in 2005.
- FB Heath Evans and Detroit TE Will Heller were teammates in Miami in 2005.
