The New Orleans Saints family is remembering one of the players who helped lay the foundation for the franchise.
Former linebacker Phil Vandersea, who joined the team in its inaugural 1967 season via the expansion draft, died October 24 in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, at the age of 83 following a long illness.
Vandersea arrived in New Orleans with valuable championship experience.
A member of the Vince Lombardi-coached Green Bay Packers team that defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl I earlier that year, he was selected by the Saints in the 1967 NFL expansion draft.
At 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds, the Massachusetts native brought size, toughness, and versatility to a brand-new roster still finding its identity under head coach Tom Fears.
He appeared in eight games during the Saints’ first campaign, a 3-11 season, primarily lining up at linebacker while also contributing on special teams. Records show he returned one kickoff for 13 yards that year.
Though his stay in black and gold was brief—he returned to Green Bay the following season—Vandersea’s presence on the original roster remains part of the club’s founding story.
For an expansion team taking the field for the first time, having a player who had just contributed to a Super Bowl-winning squad carried both practical and symbolic weight.
A standout multi-sport athlete at Northbridge High School in Whitinsville, Massachusetts, Vandersea starred at the University of Massachusetts as a fullback, punter, and defender.
He helped the Minutemen finish 8-0-1 in 1963, earning the program’s second Yankee Conference title, and was later named to UMass’ All-Time Anniversary team and inducted into its Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012.
Across four NFL seasons with the Packers and Saints, he played in 46 games at multiple positions, reflecting the adaptability that made him useful to both established contenders and a fledgling franchise.
After his playing days, which also included a stint with the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL, Vandersea spent two decades working for the Massachusetts Department of Corrections as a counselor and community release supervisor.
He remained connected to football by supporting retired players and participating in concussion research.
He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Sandra, their children, grandchildren, and his younger brother.
For Saints fans and the organization, Vandersea’s brief but genuine role in 1967 represents the earliest chapter of a franchise that has since become a cornerstone of New Orleans.
The club joins the broader NFL community in offering condolences to his family and celebrating the life of one of its original players.
