It has been an absolutely brutal and sad week for fans of the New Orleans Saints.
Two days after former defensive end and team captain Will Smith was shot and killed in New Orleans, the team’s longtime radio color commentator, Hokie Gajan, died at age 56 following a bout with cancer. Ironically, Smith and Gajan were already scheduled to be inducted together into the Saints Hall of Fame next month.
Gajan had been the team’s color commentator on the Saints Radio Network since 2000. His announcing style could best be described as “guy sitting at the barstool next to you” with a side of “country boy who made his way into the big city by hitching a ride on the rails,” both of which made him a perfect fit for both New Orleans and its lesser-inhabited environs. His name, which is also an only-in-Louisiana thing, was affixed to him as a child when he had to get stitches after falling and hitting his head dancing to the Hokey Pokey.
Gajan had been associated with the team every year since 1981, when they drafted him in the 10th round out of LSU. He played for the Saints until 1985, and his 1984 season ranks third all-time in yards per carry for backs with at least 100 attempts (6.05), trailing only Mercury Morris in 1973 and Barry Sanders in 1997.
After retirement he worked with the organization as a scout, with his unpopular opinion that trading a crapload of picks for Ricky Williams was a terrible idea — he didn’t even grade Williams as a first-round pick — apparently accelerating his move to the broadcast booth the next year. That turned out for the best, as it was over the airwaves that he reached cult hero status among fans much like Ralph Kiner once did with the Mets.
To remember a happier time for Saints fans, the below clip is suggested, including the very Hokie analysis, “How better can it get? The thing is in Miami, so we won’t have to bring any show shovels.”
