The media selection committee of the Saints Hall of Fame has selected cornerback Tracy Porter and safety Brett Maxie for induction in 2025. In addition, two awards will be given out by the media selection committee. The first is the Joe Gemelli "Fleur de Lis" Award, which will be presented posthumously to former WGNO Sports Director Ed Daniels. The second is the Saints Hall of Fame Courage Award, which will honor Steve Gleason, whose unwavering strength continues to inspire the entire New Orleans community.
Porter, 5-11, 200, is one of the most celebrated defensive backs in franchise history. He played four seasons with the Saints from 2008-2011 after being selected in the second round (40th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft out of Indiana. In 43 career regular season games with 39 starts for the Black and Gold, the Port Allen native recorded 227 tackles (178 solo), seven interceptions, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and 37 pass breakups. He also started all six postseason contests he appeared in, posting 34 tackles (28 solo), two interception returns for 100 yards, including one brought back 74 yards to clinch the team's Super Bowl XLIV victory, one forced fumble and two pass breakups. Porter also played one season with Denver (2012), one season with Oakland (2013), one season with Washington (2014) and two with Chicago (2015-16),
One of the most iconic plays in Saints history came at the hands of Porter in Super Bowl XLIV against the Indianapolis Colts. With just 3:24 remaining and the Colts threatening to tie the game, Porter anticipated a slant route and jumped in front of Peyton Manning's pass at the 26-yard line, and sprinted 74 yards for a touchdown. The interception did not just seal the victory—it ignited a celebration across New Orleans as the Saints captured their first-ever Super Bowl title, forever changing the legacy of the franchise and the spirit of the city. Two weeks earlier in the NFC Championship played at the Superdome against the Minnesota Vikings, Porter intercepted Brett Favre with 19 seconds left in the fourth quarter at the New Orleans 22-yard line to stop a potential Vikings game-winning drive and sending the contest to overtime where the Saints would prevail, 31-28, to clinch their ticket to Super Bowl XLIV.
Maxie, 6-2, 210, was an undrafted free agent that signed with New Orleans to begin his NFL career in 1985 out of Texas Southern. He played nine seasons for the Black and Gold and wreaked havoc as one of the best safeties in franchise history. In 118 games with 72 starts, Maxie recorded 438 tackles, 15 interception returns for 206 yards with three brought back for touchdowns, three sacks, five fumble recoveries and one special teams stop. He also started all three postseason contests he played in for New Orleans, including the first playoff contest in franchise history on January 3, 1988, vs. Minnesota. The 1987 season marked the Saints' first winning record in franchise history at 12-3, with Maxie playing a pivotal role in their success. In Week 11 at Pittsburgh, Maxie made a play that is remembered as one of a signature moment in Saints history. He secured a key tackle on fourth down to seal not only the victory for New Orleans, but also the first winning season in the 20-year history of the Saints. Maxie also played for the Atlanta Falcons (1994), Carolina Panthers (1995-96) and San Francisco 49ers (1997).
Daniels was a New Orleans native who graduated from Rummel High School and Loyola University New Orleans. He began his broadcasting career in Lake Charles in 1980 before moving back to New Orleans to work as a sports reporter at WDSU 6. After working there for almost a decade, he found his permanent professional home at WGNO in 1992 as the station's sports director. Daniels covered the Saints, Pelicans and the area's college and high school sports scene with the utmost professionalism throughout his tenure. One of his biggest achievements was engineering the creation of the station's "Friday Night Football" program, dedicated to shedding attention on high school sports and its athletes as a whole. Daniels also served as a radio color analyst for the Saints preseason radio broadcasts from 1995-99 and was an original member of the Saints Hall of Fame Selection Committee since its inception in 1988. He was recognized for his work by receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Press Club of New Orleans in 2014 and was three times named the Louisiana Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. Daniels passed away in 2024 at 67.
Gleason initially joined the Saints in the middle of the 2000 season, following a standout career at Washington State. In seven seasons, he played in 83 games and excelled on special teams, recording 98 tackles, two fumble recoveries and four blocked punts, to go with 11 defensive tackles. Like Porter, on-the-field, Gleason is respected by the Saints fan base for one of the franchise's biggest plays, a blocked punt that was recovered for a touchdown on Sept. 25, 2006 in a 23-3 win over Atlanta in the reopening of the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina. One of the team's most community-minded members of the team, during his playing tenure, admiration for Gleason has only increased during his courageous battle with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Since his initial diagnosis in 2011, Gleason has poured his efforts into his nonprofit "Team Gleason", which supports people living with ALS via technology, equipment and services. Through his efforts with Team Gleason and another locally-based global nonprofit "Answer ALS", which is focused on finding a cure, he has collectively helped raise over $100 million to benefit those battling ALS. Team Gleason has provided over $55 million in technology, equipment, adventure and care services to people living with ALS, while Answer ALS has raised over $45 million towards the scientific quest for a cure.
Gleason has been recognized worldwide for his courage and philanthropy, becoming the first professional football player to receive the Congressional Gold Medal, receiving ESPN's Arthur Ashe Award for Courage and the George Halas Award (Pro Football Writers of America) for his perseverance and dedication.
Events surrounding the induction of Porter and Maxie, and the recognition of Daniels and Gleason will take place on the weekend of December 14, surrounding the Saints-Carolina Panthers game.
PREVIOUS HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
1988—Archie Manning and Danny Abramowicz
1989—Tommy Myers and Tom Dempsey
1990—Billy Kilmer
1991—Tony Galbreath and Derland Moore
1992—George Rogers, Jake Kupp and John Hill
1993—Joe Federspiel
1994—Henry Childs and Jim Finks
1995—Doug Atkins and Bob Pollard
1996—Dave Whitsell and Dave Waymer
1997—Stan Brock and Rickey Jackson
1998—Dalton Hilliard and Sam Mills
1999—Bobby Hebert and Eric Martin
2000—Pat Swilling and Vaughan Johnson
2001—Jim Wilks and Hoby Brenner
2002—Jim Mora and Frank Warren
2003—Jim Dombrowski and Wayne Martin
2004—Rueben Mayes and Steve Sidwell
**2005—No induction due to Hurricane Katrina
2006—Joel Hilgenberg
2007—Joe Johnson
2008—William Roaf
2009—Morten Andersen
2010—Joe Horn
2011—Sammy Knight
2012—Tom Benson and Deuce McAllister
2013—La'Roi Glover
2014—Aaron Brooks and John Carney
2015—Tyrone Hughes and Michael Lewis
2016—Will Smith
2017—Jonathan Vilma and Carl Nicks
2018—Lance Moore and Pierre Thomas
2019—Reggie Bush and Marques Colston
2020—NO INDUCTEES due to pandemic
2021—Jahri Evans and Roman Harper
2022—Devery Henderson and Fred McAfee
2023—Jabari Greer
2024—Drew Brees
PREVIOUS JOE GEMELLI FLEUR DE LIS AWARD RECIPIENTS
1989—Al Hirt
1990—Joe Gemelli (award later named for him)
1991—Dave Dixon
1992—Charlie Kertz
1993—Wayne Mack
1994—Erby Aucoin
1995—Aaron Broussard
1996—Marie Knutson
1997—Angela Hill
1998—Joe Impastato
1999—Frank Wilson
2000—Bob Remy
2001—Peter "Champ" Clark
2002—Dean Kleinschmidt
2003—Jim Fast
2004—Bob Roesler
2005—NO INDUCTEES due to Hurricane Katrina
2006—Buddy Diliberto
2007—New Orleans Saints Fans (Marcy Beter)
2008—Barra Birrcher
2009—Jerry Romig
2010—Dan Simmons and Glennon "Silky" Powell
2011—Bruce Miller
2012—Jim Henderson
2013—Pete Finney
2014—Al Nastasi and Tony Piazza
2015—Doug Thornton
2016—Hokie Gajan
2017—Jay Romig
2018—Michael C. Hebert
2019—Gov. Kathleen Blanco
2020—NO INDUCTEES due to pandemic
2021—Marco Garcia
2022—Kevin Mangum
2023—Steve Paretti and Bob Parkinson
2024—Doug Moreau
