Howard “Hokie” Gajan, a football presence in Louisiana for more than 40 years, died Monday. He was 56.
For the past 15 years, Gajan was the analyst of New Orleans Saints broadcasts on WWL-AM, but he was an all-state back at Baker High School and later a productive back at LSU under Charlie McClendon and Jerry Stovall. He went from being a 10th-round draft choice — the 249th pick in 1981 — to a prominent runner with the Saints under Bum Phillips and Jim Mora.
Gajan was diagnosed with cancer last year, and his daughter Kristin Gajan Sell told WWL Radio on Monday morning that Gajan had been moved to intensive care.