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A New Orleans native and son of onetime Saints quarterback Archie Manning, Peyton initially rose to prominence as one of the most coveted high school recruits of all time at Isidore Newman School. He racked up 7,207 passing yards, 92 touchdown passes and 13 rushing touchdowns in three varsity seasons there.

After compiling 11,209 passing yards and 89 touchdown passes at the University of Tennessee — and registering the SEC’s high-water mark for career wins, going 39-6 as a starter — Manning was selected No. 1 overall by Indianapolis in the 1998 NFL draft.

He went on to earn 14 Pro Bowl nods and 10 All-Pro designations (seven on the first team), with two Super Bowl victories to his credit — winning one each with the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos. Manning, who was named to the NFL’s 100^th season team in 2019, ranks third in NFL history in passing yards (71,940) and touchdown passes (539). He was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the first ballot in 2021.

Honorable mention goes to Eli Manning, Shreveport native Terry Bradshaw and Ruston native Bert Jones.

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The 2000 NFL MVP and three-time Offensive Player of the Year was the centerpiece of St. Louis Rams’ “Greatest Show on Turf” juggernaut. But his story started in New Orleans’ Ninth Ward at Carver High, where he starred as a cornerback and running back but also spent time as a quarterback, wide receiver, tight end and kicker. He rushed for 1,800 total yards and 32 touchdowns during his junior and senior seasons. But almost all his recruiting interest came at the cornerback spot, where he recorded 11 touchdowns and six pick-sixes as a senior.

Despite receiving scholarship offers from some of the biggest college programs in the nation, Faulk chose to attend the one school that allowed him to play on offense: San Diego State. Faulk earned consensus All-America honors twice and rushed for 4,589 yards with 62 total touchdowns in three seasons for the Aztecs. He finished second in Heisman Trophy voting to Miami quarterback Gino Torretta in 1992.

Faulk was drafted No. 2 overall in 1994 by Indianapolis and became one of the greatest dual-threat players in NFL history during a 12-year career with the Colts and Rams. He ranks fifth in league history with 19,154 yards from scrimmage and earned seven career Pro Bowl selections. Faulk, who won Super Bowl XXXIV with the Rams in the 1999 season, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.

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Van Buren, born in Honduras and orphaned as a child, was raised by grandparents in New Orleans. Although he didn’t play organized football until his senior year at Easton High, he played well enough at the end position to earn a scholarship to LSU. He emerged as a star for the Tigers in 1943, topping 100 rushing yards eight times in nine games and eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark at the Orange Bowl.

The 6-foot, 200-pound Van Buren was drafted No. 5 overall by Philadelphia in 1944 and became the most dominant NFL halfback of his era, blending a rare combination of agility, power and speed. He keyed the Eagles’ rise from mediocrity to excellence, leading the NFL in rushing four times as Philly won three division titles and two league championships during his prime.

Van Buren, who earned first-team All-Pro recognition five times, became the first LSU alum inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965. He was named to the NFL’s 100^th season team in 2019.

Honorable mention goes to Baton Rouge Catholic graduate Warrick Dunn; Slidell High and Tulane alum Matt Forte; and Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Taylor, who starred at Baton Rouge High and LSU.

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Something tells us it won’t take long for our WR1 and QB1 to get on the same page. Wayne earned all-state honors twice at Ehret High in Marrero, Louisiana, on the West Bank of the Mississippi River across from New Orleans. As a senior, he recorded 50 receptions for 930 yards with 10 touchdowns – and also made eight interceptions, including four pick-sixes, on defense.

Wayne matriculated to the University of Miami, where he became one of the best receivers in the history of a program known for producing great receivers. He set a school record for career receptions (173) that still stands. He also competed as a sprinter on the Hurricanes track team.

Indianapolis drafted Wayne with the No. 30 overall pick in 2001, and he went on to play the entirety of his 14-year NFL career with the Colts. He earned five Pro Bowl selections and a Super Bowl ring playing alongside quarterback Peyton Manning, and he would receive a sixth Pro Bowl nod in tandem with Andrew Luck. Wayne, who led the NFL with 1,510 receiving yards in 2007, ultimately would break Manning’s franchise records for career games played (211) and won (142) with the Colts.

Wayne ranks 10^th in NFL history in both career receptions (1,070) and receiving yards (14,345). Next stop, Canton.

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The son of two former LSU athletes — All-America track star Heather Van Norman and football running back Odell Beckham — our next Homegrown Legend is one of the most exciting players in the NFL today.

The younger Beckham was a multisport standout at Isidore Newman School in New Orleans, starring in football, basketball and track. He played both ways on the gridiron, recording 50 receptions for 1,010 yards and 19 touchdowns on offense, plus four interceptions on defense, as a senior. A coveted recruit, Beckham chose to stay close to home at LSU, where he would record 143 receptions for 2,340 and 14 total touchdowns in three seasons.

The Giants drafted Beckham No. 12 overall in 2014, and he earned NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors with 91 receptions for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns. In his first seven pro seasons, he has recorded five 1,000-yard receiving seasons and earned three Pro Bowl selections. Beckham enters his third season with the Cleveland Browns in 2021.

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Even though Joiner didn’t begin playing organized football until his junior year at Boston High in Lake Charles, Louisiana, his athleticism and speed helped him become a two-time all-state performer. That success led him to Grambling, where he honed his receiving skills and earned first-team All-SWAC honors three times.

Houston drafted Joiner in the fourth round in 1969, setting in motion a brilliant 18-year career with the Oilers, Bengals and Chargers. Joiner became known for his precise routes, soft hands and flawless technique, and Hall of Fame coach Bill Walsh once called him “the most intelligent, the smartest, the most calculating receiver the game has ever known.”

When Joiner retired after the 1986 season, his 750 career receptions were an NFL record. He also recorded 12,146 receiving yards and 65 touchdown catches. Joiner was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996.

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Whitworth ranked among the top offensive line recruits in the country at West Monroe High in Monroe, Louisiana, where he helped the Rebels win three state championships. His next stop was LSU, where he started all 52 possible games in four seasons. He earned first-team All-SEC recognition twice for the Tigers and never even missed a practice due to injury.

Whitworth was drafted in the second round by Cincinnati in 2006 and has remained durable as a professional, missing just 16 games in 15 seasons. Whitworth earned three Pro Bowl selections during 11 seasons with the Bengals and a fourth after joining the Los Angeles Rams in 2017. Entering the 2021 season, the 39-year-old Whitworth has played in 224 regular-season NFL games, starting 220, and appeared in 10 postseason games.

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An exceptional backstory precedes Dotson’s decade-plus of service in the NFL. At Alexandria High in central Louisiana, Dotson was a basketball standout. He stayed on that course through two college hoops seasons in junior college and two more at Southern Miss, where he averaged 3.9 points and 3.6 rebounds in 10.8 minutes per game as a 6-foot-9, 260-pound center.

Although Dotson had exhausted his basketball eligibility, he still had a fifth year of athletic eligibility available for any other sport. So despite never playing organized football before, he talked his way on to the football team under then-coach Larry Fedora. Dotson appeared in seven games as a defensive lineman and recorded four tackles.

The Buccaneers liked Dotson’s basketball footwork and signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2009 with the plan of grooming him as an O-lineman. He beefed up to 315 pounds and even appeared in nine games as a rookie. He would go on to start 106 of his 130 game appearances with the Bucs from 2009-19. Dotson, who played in eight games for the Denver Broncos in 2020, edges out Thibodaux native Greg Robinson and LSU alum La’el Collins for our second tackle spot.

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Although Faneca played high school football in suburban Houston, he’s definitely a Louisiana guy. Born in New Orleans, he grew up on the West Bank of the city as an LSU fan. He confirmed his Louisiana bona fides by returning home to play for the Bayou Bengals, developing into a consensus first-team All-America selection.

Pittsburgh drafted Faneca No. 26 overall in 1998, and he moved into a starting role early in his rookie season. He would go on to play 13 NFL seasons, earning nine Pro Bowl selections and six first-team All-Pro nods. Faneca won Super Bowl XL with the Steelers and finished his pro career spending two years with the Jets and a final season with the Cardinals.

Faneca was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021.

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Turner played high school football at St. Augustine in New Orleans, where he was high school teammates with Tyrann Mathieu and Leonard Fournette. Ranked as one of the nation’s top offensive guards, he chose to attend LSU amid scholarship offers from many major programs. Turner achieved second-team All-SEC status as a redshirt sophomore, his first full year as a starter, and decided to forgo his final two seasons of college eligibility.

Carolina drafted Turner in the third round in 2014, and it wasn’t long before he developed into one of the best guards in the NFL. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in five of his first six years with the Panthers before being traded to the Los Angeles Chargers in 2020. He’s played in 93 regular-season NFL games, starting 89, plus six postseason contests, including Super Bowl 50.

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McClure is a Baton Rouge native who attended high school and college locally at Central High and LSU. He played tight end, defensive end and center in high school before specializing as a center for the Bayou Bengals. McClure developed into a first-team All-SEC selection but slipped to the seventh round in the 1999 NFL draft and then tore an ACL in his first pro training camp.

Despite that difficult start to McClure’s NFL career, he rebounded to become a consistent cornerstone of the Atlanta Falcons’ offensive line for more than a decade. Over an 11-season span from 2002 through 2012, he missed just three games. McClure appeared in 198 total regular-season games, starting 195, plus nine postseason contests in 14 seasons with the Falcons.

We also should mention Leesville High and LSU alum Kevin Mawae, a Pro Football Hall of Famer whose football skills are unquestioned. He earned eight Pro Bowl selections during a 16-year NFL career, but he doesn’t quite fit the homegrown aspect of our roster. Mawae was born in Georgia and spent his childhood on the move while his father served in the Army.

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Born and raised in New Orleans, Smith was a standout football and basketball player in high school at McDonogh 35. He then attended the University of Nebraska, where he gradually climbed the depth chart until becoming a full-time starter as a senior in 1987. That season, Smith earned national attention for his pass-rushing skills, recording 7½ sacks and 65 tackles. He earned first-team All-Big 8 honors and was drafted No. 2 overall by Kansas City the following spring.

Smith went on to enjoy a 13-year pro career, using his speed and skill to rack up 104½ sacks, 30 forced fumbles and 12 fumble recoveries with the Chiefs, Broncos and Chargers. In Kansas City, he formed one of the NFL’s great pass-rushing tandems with Derrick Thomas and helped the Chiefs earn six consecutive playoff berths from 1990-95.

Smith joined the Broncos as a free agent in 1997 and won two Super Bowls in three seasons with Denver before concluding his career with San Diego in 2000. He earned six career Pro Bowl selections and was named first-team All-Pro in the 1993 season, when he led the league with 15 sacks.

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Dean possessed uncommon quickness, and he was much stronger than his 6-foot-3, 230-pound frame might indicate. The role of today’s NFL edge rusher can be traced directly to Dean.

He first played high school football at Lincoln High in Ruston before moving to Ruston High when that school was integrated in 1970. He stayed in town to attend Louisiana Tech, where he would contribute to the Bulldogs’ 1973 Division II national championship. In four seasons at Louisiana Tech, Dean recorded 392 career tackles and was named Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year twice.

San Diego drafted Dean in the second round in 1975, and he became one of the NFL’s top pass rushers. He earned four Pro Bowl selections in 11 seasons with the Chargers and 49ers. He recorded 17½ sacks in the 1983 season, including six in one game against the Saints. He won Super Bowls XVI and XIX with San Francisco and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008. The College Football Hall of Fame enshrined Dean in 2009, and Louisiana Tech retired his No. 70 jersey in 2017.

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Like Fred Dean, Williams also graduated from Ruston High – albeit a few decades later. Williams became a coveted high school recruit, earning state Outstanding Defensive Player honors as a senior. He headed south to LSU for college, where he won a BCS national championship in the 2003 seasons and developed into a first-team All-SEC selection. Williams recorded 16½ sacks and 26 tackles for loss in four seasons for the Tigers, starting 33 of the 46 games in which he appeared.

Buffalo drafted Williams in the fifth round in 2006 — not even the first defensive tackle selected by the Bills that year — but he would become a franchise pillar. Williams played his entire 13-year career for Buffalo, registering 48½ sacks and earning six Pro Bowl selections. Williams retired after the 2018 season and accepted his first coaching role earlier this year, signing on as defensive coordinator at his prep alma mater.

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Johnson began playing youth football at age 7 and emerged as a standout at Mitchell High in Bossier City. He went on to play for legendary coach Eddie Robinson at Grambling, earning All-SWAC recognition three times. He recorded 134 tackles as a senior, then earned MVP honors at the East-West Shrine Game and Senior Bowl, cementing his status as one of the top players at any position in the 1975 draft class.

Johnson was selected No. 8 overall by the Chargers, one round before Fred Dean, and the imposing duo would play together for six-plus seasons in San Diego and two more years with San Francisco. Big Hands was named to four Pro Bowl rosters and tapped for first-team All-Pro honors twice with the Chargers. He later won Super Bowl XIX with the 49ers in the 1984 season. Johnson, who was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997, edges out Monroe native Pat Williams for our final spot on the defensive line.

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Jones earned all-state recognition twice as a player at Jesuit High in his native New Orleans. He also was named Class 5A Outstanding Defensive Player as a senior, when he registered 179 tackles and eight sacks. Jones committed to LSU in 2011 and became a role player for the Tigers until winning a starting role as a senior and emerging as a draft prospect. That season, he posted a team-high 100 tackles to go with five sacks and two interceptions.

Atlanta identified Jones in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft, and it didn’t long for him to make an impact for the Falcons. He recorded three interceptions in each of his first two pro seasons and was named to the Pro Bowl for the 2017 season. Jones is every inch a new-age linebacker, tipping the scales around 225 pounds while doing his best work in coverage. He’s already intercepted 11 passes in just five seasons and holds the Falcons franchise record with five career pick-sixes.

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White earned all-state honors three times, twice as a running back and once as an all-around athlete, at North Webster High in Springhill, Louisiana. As a senior, he rushed for 1,650 yards and 31 touchdowns while averaging 7.9 yards per carry. In addition to compiling more than 5,000 rushing yards in high school, he foreshadowed his future as a linebacker with 192 tackles on defense.

One of Louisiana’s top recruits in the Class of 2016, he committed in state with LSU. Over three seasons in Baton Rouge, he registered 286 tackles, 29 tackles for loss and 8½ sacks. White won the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker and received consensus first-team All-America status as a junior.

After forgoing his senior season, he was selected No. 5 overall by Tampa Bay in the 2019 NFL draft. As a rookie with the Buccaneers, White recorded 88 tackles, recovered four fumbles, forced three fumbles, scored two defensive touchdowns and intercepted one pass. He then registered 133 tackles in the 2020 season, helping the Bucs win Super Bowl LV.

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Williams was an all-district strong safety but didn’t receive any athletic scholarship offers coming out of Fortier High in New Orleans. He enrolled at Southern University in Baton Rouge and hit the books for two years. As a junior, he got the itch to walk on for the Jaguars. Not only did he make the team, he was starting at cornerback by the fifth game of the season. Williams then earned All-SWAC recognition after leading the conference with seven interceptions in his second season. He stuck around for a third college season even though he already had earned his degree, working to improve his speed and hoping for a shot at the NFL. It was a wise decision. He would tie for the Division I-AA national lead with 11 picks that year and received All-SWAC honors again.

But what especially boosted Williams’ draft stock was his improved speed: 4.3 seconds in the 40-yard dash. The Cardinals picked him in the third round in 1991, setting in motion a brilliant 14-year NFL career. He earned six Pro Bowl nods in Arizona and recorded 46 interceptions during his 10 seasons with the team. Williams wrapped up his career spending four seasons with the St. Louis Rams, tallying nine more interceptions, earning two more Pro Bowl invitations and playing in Super Bowl XXXVI. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014.

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Lewis didn’t make his high school team until his junior year at DeSoto High in Mansfield, Louisiana, but it wasn’t long before he distinguished himself on the field. He became an all-district selection as a senior and earned a scholarship to Grambling. But once again, he had to wait his turn, as legendary coach Eddie Robinson didn’t make him a starter until his third college season. He took advantage when the opportunity arose, earning first-team All-SWAC honors twice while registering 11 total interceptions as a junior and senior.

Lewis was drafted in the third round by Kansas City in 1983 and would go on to play 16 NFL seasons. He earned four Pro Bowl selections and was named first-team All-Pro twice in 11 seasons with the Chiefs before spending his final five pro seasons with the Raiders. Lewis totaled 55 interceptions in 225 regular-season games. He was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Chiefs Hall of Fame in 2007.

Lewis earns our second cornerback spot, but honorable mention goes to Shreveport native Tre’Davious White and New Orleans native Ike Taylor.

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Even though it might have seemed like Reed always was the wise old sage patrolling the secondary, that wasn’t always the case. The St. Rose native cut his teeth as a terrific all-around athlete at Destrehan High just west of New Orleans, competing in basketball, baseball and track in addition to football. He was similarly versatile on the gridiron, starring as a defensive back but also playing quarterback, running back and kicker – plus returning kickoffs and punts.

After recording seven interceptions and 83 tackles as a senior for the Wildcats, Reed moved on to the University of Miami, where he became roommates with another Louisiana product, wideout Reggie Wayne. Reed totaled 21 interceptions, including 17 in his final two seasons, and four pick-sixes for the Hurricanes on his way to becoming a two-time consensus first-team All-American. He was named Big East Defensive Player of the Year as a senior in 2001, when the Hurricanes went on to win the BCS national championship.

Baltimore drafted Reed No. 24 overall in 2002, at a time when safeties rarely were perceived to have that much value. It was a shrewd selection, as Reed developed into one of the most cerebral and intuitive players in NFL history and arguably the best safety of all time. He understood how plays developed, seemingly knowing where the ball would go in real time. But he also knew how his opponents studied, deliberately misplaying coverages weeks before a 2009 game against Peyton Manning. That ultimately baited the superstar quarterback into a critical interception.

Reed registered 64 career interceptions, a figure that ranks seventh in NFL history, and scored 13 touchdowns (seven interception returns, three on blocked punts, two fumble returns and one punt return) in 12 pro seasons. He won Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans in the 2012 season.

He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2019 and also named to the NFL’s 100^th season team that year.

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Clark emerged as a playmaker at Archbishop Shaw High in Marrero, Louisiana, across the Mississippi River from New Orleans. He racked up 16 career interceptions for the Eagles and earned all-state recognition as a senior.

Clark redshirted in his first year at LSU and steadily improved in four seasons on the field for the Tigers. He was a key backup and special teams standout as a redshirt freshman in 1998 and led the Bayou Bengals with 110 tackles the following season. By the time Clark completed his eligibility, he had totaled 315 tackles and eight interceptions.

Clark signed with the New York Giants after going undrafted in 2002, and he would provide consistent play in his 13-year career with the Giants, Steelers and Washington. He played in two Super Bowls with Pittsburgh, winning one, and was named to the Pro Bowl in the 2011 season. With more than 800 career tackles, Clark wasn’t afraid to get dirty. He also recorded 16 career interceptions, eight fumble recoveries and four forced fumbles.

Clark edges out Landon Collins and Eric Reid, both alums of Dutchtown High in Geismar, Louisiana.

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At 5 feet 9 and 190 pounds, Mathieu never has looked imposing on the football field. But as the nickname Honey Badger implies, Mathieu’s size belies his tenacity and athletic skill. Most big college programs doubted Mathieu because of his size coming out of St. Augustine High in New Orleans. LSU was among the few Power 5 schools to offer Mathieu a scholarship, and he headed to Baton Rouge after earning all-state honors as a senior.

Mathieu became known as a ballhawk and playmaker for the Bayou Bengals, recording four interceptions and eight fumble recoveries in two seasons. He also scored four touchdowns as a sophomore, two on defense and two on punt returns on his way to consensus first-team All-America honors. He also was a Heisman Trophy finalist and won the Bednarik Award as the nation’s top defensive player.

Even though he missed the 2012 season with off-field issues, Arizona drafted him in the third round the following spring. He would play five seasons with the Cardinals, earning first-team All-Pro status in 2015. Mathieu spent the 2018 season with the Houston Texans before helping the Chiefs win their first Super Bowl in 50 years in the 2019 season.

Mathieu received first-team All-Pro recognition again in 2019 and 2020, totaling 10 interceptions and 132 tackles over those two seasons. In eight pro seasons, Mathieu has registered 518 tackles, 23 interceptions, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.

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Mitchell is an easy selection as our return specialist. The alum of Plaquemine High near Baton Rouge ranks second in NFL history with 23,330 all-purpose yards. Mitchell, who played college ball at Louisiana-Lafayette, enjoyed a 14-year pro career with Washington, Philadelphia and the New York Giants. He won a Super Bowl ring with Washington after the 1991 season and was selected to the first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl squads in 1995.

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Gostkowski, a Baton Rouge native, serves as our place-kicker. The University of Memphis alum is the leading scorer in New England Patriots history with 1,775 points. He also ranks among the most accurate kickers in NFL history with an 86.3% success rate on field-goal attempts over his 15-year career.

Gostkowski played in six Super Bowls with New England, winning three, and was chosen as a first-team All-Pro twice and a Pro Bowler four times. He spent the 2020 season with the Tennessee Titans.

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Jones, an alum of Baton Rouge Catholic and LSU, was drafted in the seventh round by Seattle in 2004 and went on to play 15 NFL seasons with the Seahawks, Dolphins, Rams, Texans, Eagles and Chargers. He was twice recognized as a second-team All-Pro and won Super Bowl LII with the Eagles. He also was a member of the 2003 LSU squad that won the BCS national championship.

AFC rosters:

Buf / Mia / NE / NYJ // Bal / Cin / Cle / Pit // Hou / Ind / Jax / Ten // Den / KC / LV / LAC

NFC rosters:

Dal / NYG / Phi / Was // Chi / Det / GB / Min // Atl / Car / NO / TB // Ari / LAR / SF / Sea

• Doug Farrar: Ranking the 32 Homegrown Legends rosters