“Guardians of the Dome: It’s Time to Immortalize the Dome Patrol in Bronze Glory”
Long before the New Orleans Saints hoisted a Lombardi Trophy, and before the Superdome echoed with championship roars, four warriors stood at the heart of the defense—relentless, fearless, and unforgettable. They were the Dome Patrol: Rickey Jackson, Sam Mills, Vaughan Johnson, and Pat Swilling. Together, they formed the greatest linebacker corps in NFL history, carrying the hopes of a city that had long waited for a reason to believe. Yet today, as bronze statues rise around the Caesars Superdome, their legacy still waits in silence. It’s time to change that. It’s time to honor the Dome Patrol, not just in memory, but in metal—etched forever into the story of New Orleans.
“Before Brees, before the banners, before the Who Dat Nation found its rhythm — there was the Dome Patrol.”
They were thunder before the storm, heartbeats before the hype. When the New Orleans Saints were still chasing respect in the NFL, the Dome Patrol gave the city something greater: identity, fire, and pride. Now, nearly three decades later, it’s past time for their names to be not just remembered, but etched in stone — literally.
On June 3rd, Saints legend Sam Mills would’ve turned 66. Though he passed in 2005, his legacy still stands — quite literally — as a 5-foot-9 bronze statue outside Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. It’s a beautiful tribute by the Panthers, who honored Mills not just as a player, but as a coach, mentor, and symbol of perseverance. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: there’s no such monument for him in New Orleans. Not yet.
And he wasn’t alone in greatness.
The Dome Patrol — Sam Mills, Rickey Jackson, Pat Swilling, and Vaughan Johnson — is the only linebacker unit in NFL history to send all four members to the Pro Bowl in the same season (1992). Together, they formed a fearsome front that terrorized offenses, lifted the Saints to playoff contention, and laid the foundation for the franchise’s future.
🛡️ The Stats That Demand Bronze:
18 total Pro Bowl appearances
12 All-Pro selections
3 of the top 3 all-time Saints tackle leaders
Rickey Jackson: 1,104 solo tackles (1st all-time for the Saints)
Sam Mills: 894 solo tackles (2nd)
Vaughan Johnson: 664 solo tackles (3rd)
Pat Swilling: Defensive Player of the Year (1991)
And yet — only Rickey Jackson and Sam Mills have found their way into Canton, with statues built elsewhere and speeches made far from the roar of the Superdome. Mills passed before seeing his Hall of Fame induction in 2022. Johnson followed in 2019. Only Swilling and Jackson remain to receive their roses — and it’s time they do, while they can still feel it.
🕯️ Monuments Speak When Legends Can’t
The Saints already honor monumental moments: Tom Benson with the Lombardi, Steve Gleason’s “Rebirth” punt block, and the Vietnam Memorial. These are powerful, deserved, emotional tributes.
But there’s a gap in that circle of greatness — a gap shaped like four linebackers in black and gold, shoulders squared, ready to fight.
The Saints should erect a life-size bronze monument of the Dome Patrol outside the Caesars Superdome — a lasting testament to the era that gave this team its edge, its toughness, its early taste of pride.
They Gave the Saints Identity When Winning Was Scarce
Before Super Bowls, before banners waved, the Dome Patrol stood as the first true culture the Saints ever had. They were gladiators in the Coliseum, playing for a franchise that hadn’t yet earned national attention — and didn’t care. They played for each other, for the city, and for a cause bigger than stats.
They gave fans a reason to scream even when the offense struggled, even when seasons didn’t end in championships. They were the soul of the team during the rough years — and it’s time the team honors them for it.
