The New Orleans Saints’ Sam Mills became a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the first time after his eligibility began in 2003.
A 5-foot, 10-inch player out of Montclair State University in New Jersey, Mills failed to reach the NFL and went undrafted due to his size. Scouts were weary of his height at the linebacker position, so he fought to make a team as a free agent.
After short stints with the NFL’s Cleveland Browns and the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts, Mills joined a new league called the USFL in 1983.
Mills met future Saints head coach Jim Mora with the Philadelphia Stars to build a short-lived dynasty in the USFL, winning back-to-back titles in 1984 and 1985.