Saints Countdown To Kickoff With The History Of Number 93 originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

There are 93 days left until the New Orleans Saints start their 2025 regular season with an opening showdown against the Arizona Cardinals.  

Wearing number 93 for the Saints this year will be defensive lineman Nathan Shepherd. He’s in his third year with the team and entering his eighth NFL season overall. Let’s have a look at Shepherd, along with the other players that have worn 93 during a regular season game for New Orleans. 

Saints History of 93

• Gary Lewis, DT (1983)

• Kevin Young, DE (1987)

• Wayne Martin, DE (1989-99)

• Darren Howard, DE (2000-05)

• Rob Ninkovich, DE (2006)

• Josh Savage, DE (2007)

• Bobby McCray, DE (2008-09)

• Junior Galette, DE (2010-14)

• Kevin Williams, DT (2015)

• David Onyemata, DT (2016-22)

• Nathan Shepherd, DT (2023-present)

Lewis, a fourth-round pick in 1983, was the first to don 93 for the Saints. He only played that season in the NFL, appearing in six games and not registering a tackle. Young was next to wear 93, appearing in one game as a replacement player during the 1987 player strike.

The Saints used the 19th overall choice in the first round of the 1989 NFL Draft on Wayne Martin out of Arkansas. Martin would go on to have an outstanding 11-year career, all in New Orleans. He played in 173 of a possible 179 contests, earning 2nd Team All-Pro in 1992 and a Pro Bowl berth in the 1994 season.

Martin recorded 82.5 sacks during his Saints career, adding 25 fumbles forced or recovered and an interception. He had five years of double-digit sack totals and ranks third in franchise history in that category. In 2003, Martin was inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame.

When Martin retired after the 1999 season, the Saints replaced him more than aptly with Darren Howard, a second-round choice in the 2000 NFL Draft out of Kansas State. Howard was an underrated member of a ferocious defensive line through the early 2000s, spending six years in New Orleans. 

Howard played in 81 games for the Saints between 2000 and 2005, starting 77 contests. Over that span, he had 44.5 sacks, 89 tackles for loss, and 2 interceptions. He had two seasons of double-digit sacks, including a team-high 11 in 2004.

Ninkovich is best-known for a standout career with the New England Patriots. He actually began his career with New Orleans as a fifth-round pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. Ninkovich played just three games with the Saints in 2006 before being released the following preseason. 

Savage wore 93 for one game during the 2007 season before switching to 95 for three contests the following year. McCray took 93 in 2008, playing two years with the Saints and contributing 7.5 sacks, 23 QB hits, and 15 tackles for loss.

An undrafted rookie in 2010, Galette had a forgettable end to his Saints career after five seasons with the team after a spectacular start. Galette had 31.5 sacks as a Saint, including a combined 22 takedowns in 2013 and 2014, while adding 62 QB hits and 34 stops for negative yardage. 

Big defensive tackle Kevin Williams took 93 for one year in 2015. He helped an otherwise bad run defense, but had just one tackle for loss and no sacks. Next to Wayne Martin and arguably Darren Howard, the best 93 in team history would arrive in the draft that following offseason. 

The Saints doubled down on defensive tackles in the 2016 NFL Draft, selecting Sheldon Rankins in the first round. They followed that up with a little-known Canadian prospect out of Manitoba by way of Nigeria in the fourth round named David Onyemata. 

Rankins had a nice career for the Saints, but the ultra-athletic Onyemata would be even more productive. In seven years with New Orleans, Onyemata had 23 sacks, 63 QB hits, and 28 tackles for loss while missing only eight of a possible 114 games.

Once Onyemata departed in free agency, the Saints brought Shepherd in at defensive tackle. He’s held that spot for two years, making 30 starts and missing just one game. In that span, Shepherd has 5 sacks, 7 tackles for loss, and 14 QB hits. He’ll look for even better numbers in Brandon Staley’s New Orleans defense this season. 

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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.