Terron Armstead and Mark Ingram II had productive football seasons outside New Orleans — Armstead as a Miami Dolphin and Ingram as a Baltimore Raven — but each considers themself a Saint, through and through. The left tackle and running back spent most of their careers, made their names, earned their reputations and generated their most production in New Orleans and Thursday, they were announced as inductees into the Saints Hall of Fame for 2026.
Press box supervisor Sal La Rock also will be inducted as the Joe Gemelli "Fleur de Lis" Award winner. The induction ceremony will be announced at a later date.
Armstead played nine of 12 seasons with the Saints and started 93 of 97 games while being named All-Pro once and a Pro Bowler three times. Ingram was a Saint for 10 of 12 seasons and ran for 6,500 yards and 52 touchdowns, numbers that were franchise records when he retired but since have been surpassed by his friend, Alvin Kamara.
"Being in this hall of fame, representing this team in this city — I couldn't write a better story," said Armstead, a third-round pick from Arkansas Pine-Bluff in 2013. "It's perfect for me, it's perfect for my family. This is everything for me. This is, I made it. This is the pinnacle, this is the goal.
"The Saints will always be me. I will always be a Saint, for the rest of my life, and we will always represent the Black and Gold. No matter what I do, where I go, I will be a representation of that, anywhere in the world. The future of the Saints, I'm invested. The winning, the success of everything to come forth, I'm invested. I'm here as a resource: Anything that I can ever do for this organization, for this city, I'm here.
"The main thing that I take from the city of New Orleans is the resilience — the willingness and the ability to battle back, to respond to anything. Any challenge, any adversity. That's the identity of New Orleans, that's the identity of me and I'm here now as a Hall of Famer. Couldn't be more proud."
Ingram, a Heisman Trophy winner at Alabama, was the second of two-first round picks by the Saints in 2011. After injuries undermined production his first three seasons, he ran for 3,900 yards and 33 touchdowns from 2014-17, and was named a two-time Pro Bowler while sharing backfield duties.
"I had ups and downs early in my career," Ingram said. "I remember Fast (former Saints running back Fred McAfee) encouraging me, believing in me. (Executive Vice President/General Manager) Mickey (Loomis) encouraging me, believing in me. I'm thankful for that because it always wasn't easy, especially my first three years.
"New Orleans means so much to me, because I developed so much as a man during my time here. Obviously, football is great but the relationships I built in this building, the relationships I built in this city, those things will last a lifetime. I'm thankful to be a part of such a city that embraced me and welcomed me and loved on me. The Black and Gold bleeds forever through my blood."
Ingram said he imagined making a big enough impact to become a Saints HOF.
"I think we used to come through this hallway, right in front of the team meeting room. I think they used to have the Saints Hall of Famers up there," he said. "And I remember walking down that hall many, many years, many, many weeks, many, many days and just hoping that one day, that I would leave an impact strong enough to be able to garner that recognition."
Thursday was that day for Ingram, who said he was indebted to New Orleans.
"I met my wife when she was visiting New Orleans, I had three of my children here in New Orleans, played 10 seasons here in New Orleans," he said. "So, what this city means to me — I can't even explain it in words."
La Rock has been employed by the Caesars Superdome since 1998. He started in event services for public safety and was promoted to supervisor of the press box two years later. He leads a 14-member staff.
"We have fun, but we have a serious responsibility because everyone that enters that press box, you are my responsibility," La Rock said. "I have to get you in and out of the press box safe, I have to give you a quiet working relationship, I have to make sure that the media have a quiet environment to work in. Why is that? Because they have to turn in a quality story. Their quality story will affect what the court of public opinion thinks of the Saints and their future. And in the meantime, I have to make sure that I give a New Orleans welcome to all of the visiting teams, their owners and their staff. We treat them like family."
