The crowning moment in Buddy Ryan's coaching career came right here in New Orleans.
It was in the final seconds of Super Bowl 20 when his defensive players hoisted him to their shoulders and carried from the sideline and to the middle of the field in celebration.
Ryan had been the mastermind of the famed "46" defense that carried the Chicago Bears to their 15-1 regular season record, two consecutive playoff shutouts and a 46-10 victory over the New England Patriots.
It was that defense that frequently used eight-man fronts to overwhelm opposing quarterbacks.
"There's no way we win anything without his defense and without his coaching," then-Bears coach Mike Ditka said Tuesday to NFL Network.