<span style=""><span style="text-decoration: underline;">CONNECTIONS</span>  

• New Orleans S Darren Sharper played for the Vikings from 2005-08. During that period, Sharper appeared in all 62 games he appeared in and recorded 18 interceptions, three of which he returned for touchdowns. He represented the NFC as a Pro Bowl starter following the 2005 and 2007 seasons.
• Vikings QB Brett Favre prepped at Hancock North Central (Kiln, Miss) High School and subsequently starred at the University of Southern Mississippi from 1987-90. Sharper, Favre and Vikings K Ryan Longwell were teammates with the Green Bay Packers from 1997-2004. Saints TE Tory Humphrey and Favre were teammates in Green Bay from 2005-07.
• New Orleans head coach Sean Payton and Minnesota head Coach Brad Childress are both graduates and former signal callers at Eastern Illinois University.
• Saints special teams coordinator Greg McMahon served on the coaching staff at the University of Minnesota from 1983-84, where he served along with Vikings assistant offensive line coach Jim Hueber and wide receivers coach George Stewart.
• New Orleans secondary coach Dennis Allen, defensive line coach Bill Johnson and Stewart also served in the same staff in Atlanta.
• Saints running backs coach Brett Ingalls served as the offensive coordinator/offensive line coach at the University of Northern Iowa from 1997-99.
• McMahon and Minnesota assistant head coach/defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier served on the coaching staff at the University of Illinois. McMahon coached Vikings WR Greg Lewis and LB J. Leman at Illinois.
• New Orleans RB Pierre Thomas and Leman were college teammates in Champaign from 2004-06.
• Vikings running backs coach Eric Bieniemy is a New Orleans native. Bieniemy and New Orleans kicking consultant John Carney were teammates in San Diego from 1991-94.
• Vikings defensive line coach Karl Dunbar played at LSU from 1986-89 for the Saints from 1992-93 and has also coached at several high schools and colleges in Louisiana, including Louisiana State and Nicholls State.
• Saints running game/offensive line coach Aaron Kromer and Minnesota linebackers coach Fred Pagac served on the same staff with the Oakland Raiders from 2002-03.
• New Orleans LB Scott Fujita, Minnesota DE Jared Allen and S Benny Sapp were teammates in Kansas City in 2004. Pagac tutored Fujita in Kansas City that season. Kromer and Minnesota defensive backs coach Joe Woods served on the same staff in Tampa Bay in 2005.
• Saints assistant defensive line coach Travis Jones and Vikings assistant defensive line coach Diron Reynolds served on the same coaching staff with the Miami Dolphins in 2007.
• New Orleans WR Robert Meachem, LB Marvin Mitchell and Vikings G Anthony Herrera were college teammates at the University of Tennessee.
• New Orleans tight ends coach Terry Malone tutored Vikings G Steve Hutchinson at the University of Michigan, where he was teammates on the same offensive line with C Jonathan Goodwin.
• Saints QB Drew Brees and Minnesota LB Ben Leber were teammates in San Diego from 2002-05.
• New Orleans TE Jeremy Shockey, LB Jonathan Vilma and Vikings T Bryant McKinnie were college teammates at the University of Miami (Fla.).
• Saints TE Darnell Dinkins, Shockey and Vikings TE Visanthe Shiancoe were teammates with the New York Giants. Dinkins and Vikings RB Chester Taylor were teammates in Baltimore from 2004-05.
• Vilma, Goodwin and Vikings special teams assistant/player development coordinator Jason Glenn were teammates with the New York Jets.
• New Orleans CB Randall Gay, TE David Thomas and Minnesota TE Garrett Mills were teammates in New England in 2006. Thomas, Vikings LS Cullen Loeffler, CB Cedric Griffin and DE Brian Robison were teammates at the University of Texas and members of the 2005 NCAA National Championship squad.
• Saints DT Remi Ayodele, K Garrett Hartley, Vikings T Phil Loadholt and RB Adrian Peterson were college teammates at the University of Oklahoma.
• Dennis Allen and Minnesota DT Pat Williams were college teammates at Texas A&M. Williams, who prepped at Woosman (Monroe, La.) High School, was tutored with the Aggies as a college standout by Johnson. CB Jabari Greer played with Williams with the Buffalo Bills and previous to that New Orleans S Pierson Prioleau, Williams and Vikings CB Antoine Winfield were teammates with the Bills. Williams and Winfield were coached by defensive coordinator Gregg Williams when he served as head coach of the Bills from 2001-03.
• Vikings assistant to the head coach Dennis Polian served as director of football operations and assistant director of athletics at Tulane University from 2005-06.
• Vikings WR Jaymar Johnson played at Jackson State from 2004-07.
• Saints coaching assistant Brian Young and Vikings DT Jimmy Kennedy were teammates in St. Louis in 2003.
• New Orleans DL Anthony Hargrove and Kennedy were teammates in St. Louis from 2004-06...Saints assistant head coach/linebackers Joe Vitt served as Kennedy's head coach with the Rams in 2005, when he served as interim head coach for the final six contests. Kennedy was tutored by Gregg Williams in Jacksonville in 2008, where he was also teammates with Prioleau.
• Vikings DE Jayme Mitchell prepped at Forest Hill (Jackson, MS) High School and played at the University of Mississippi.
• New Orleans LB Troy Evans and Minnesota QB Sage Rosenfels were teammates with the Houston Texans in 2006.
• Vikings WR Darius Reynaud prepped at Hahnville High School.
• Minnesota S Jamarca Sanford played at the University of Mississippi from 2005-08.