Saints Countdown to 2022 Kickoff: #69-62: Turley, Strief, & More!

In 2009, the Saints signed defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove after he served a year-long suspension for drug abuse. Hargrove appeared in all 16 games for the Saints in his comeback season and made six starts. 

Finishing the year with five sacks and his lone NFL TD, Hargrove found himself in Miami, FL. A year prior, he spent nearly a year re-finding himself and beating addiction in a treatment center eight miles from where he hoisted the Lombardi trophy.

Hargrove ended his NFL career by playing in 102 games with 25 starts. In 2009, Hargrove's Saints teammates awarded him the Ed Block Courage Award for his comeback to the field. The NFL veteran now serves on the Limestone College coaching staff.

#68 Offensive Lineman: Kyle Turley (1998-2002)

Kyle Turley played eight seasons in the NFL and five with the New Orleans. The Saints drafted Turley as the seventh overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft after an impressive NFL Combine performance. 

Turley was the first OL selected in the draft and signed a six-year contract with New Orleans.

In eight NFL seasons, Turley dressed in 109 games, starting 107. During his five years with the Saints, he appeared in 79 games, starting all 79.

Turley will be best remembered for the infamous helmet toss against the New York Jets in 2001. Turley protected quarterback Aaron Brooks after the Jets' safety Damien Robinson was twisting Brooks' helmet after a tackle near the goal-line.

#67 Offensive Lineman: Stan Brock (1980-1992)

Stan Brock played in 16 NFL seasons, 13 with the New Orleans Saints. The 6'6" OT was the Saints' No. 1 draft choice in 1980. Brock entered the NFL as a decorated collegiate athlete. During his time at Colorado, Brock earned First Team All-Big Eight Conference honors, the John Mackey Award, and an All-American nod.

Ranking fourth all-time in games played for the Saints, Brock was a cornerstone on the offensive line. Brock played all 16 games in nine seasons for New Orleans and finished his Saints career with 182 starts at OT. After 13 seasons with the Saints, the former All-American joined the San Diego Chargers to finish his NFL Career.

Brock was inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame in 1997. The long-time OT was a member of the Saints' first four playoff teams and later served as the Saints' color analyst in the early 2000s, succeeding in his former QB Archie Manning.

#66 Offensive Lineman: Ben Grubbs (2012-2014)

During his three seasons with the Saints, Grubbs was one of the most durable and dependable interior offensive linemen in the NFL. The former Auburn Tiger played all 16 games regular-season games in all three seasons of his Saints tenure. Grubbs also started two playoff games for the Saints in 2014 and earned Pro-Bowl honors in 2013.

New Orleans traded Grubbs in March 2015 to Kansas City for a 5th round draft pick. Grubbs lasted only one season with the Chiefs after an injury cut short his season.

The 2x Pro-Bowl offensive guard ended his time in New Orleans dressing and starting in 48 games. He played 100% of the Saints' offensive snaps in each of his three seasons in New Orleans.

#65 Offensive Lineman: LeCharles Bentley (2002-2005)

The New Orleans Saints drafted Bentley in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. After being selected 44th overall, the Saints moved Bentley from C to RG. Bentley excelled at RG, earning a spot on the NFL's All-Rookie team and Offensive Rookie of the Year Honors from Sports Illustrated. The following season Bentley earned his first Pro-Bowl nod, starting 13 games for the Saints.

In 2004 and 2005, Bentley returned to his collegiate position of center. During the 2004 season, Bentley played all 16 regular-season games for the first and only time in his NFL career. Bentley's last year in New Orleans came in 2005 when he earned his second trip to the Pro-Bowl, as an alternate. 

Today, Bentley owns the L. Bentley O-Line Academy. Bentley dressed in his four seasons with the New Orleans Saints, started 57 games, and earned two trips to the Pro-Bowl. Ohio State inducted him into the school's Hall of Fame in 2017.

#64 Offensive Lieman: Zach Strief (2006-2017)

The New Orleans Saints drafted Strief as a part of their historic 2006 NFL Draft class. He was a 7th-round pick, the 210th overall selection. In the first five years of his NFL career, Strief was used in a reserve role, starting seven games. Two of his seven starts came in 2009 during the Saints' run to Super Bowl XILV.

After the retirement of Jon Stinchcomb in 2011, Strief took the reigns as starting RT. Between 2012-2016 Strief would play over 90% of the Saints' offensive snaps, missing just six games in five years. In 2013, he was named a Pro-Bowl alternate but was not selected for the game.

 The Saints signed Strief to a five-year extension in 2014. He would play over 1000 snaps each of the next two seasons. However, in 2017, Strief injured his knee twice in 4 weeks and was placed on injured reserve. He retired from the NFL following the season. In his 12 years with the Saints, Strief dressed in 158 games, starting 94 games.  

#63 Defensive End: Steve Baumgartner (1973-1977)

In the second round of the 1973 draft, Steve Baumgartner played five seasons for the New Orleans Saints as a significant contributor to the Black and Gold defense for a half-decade. In his first four NFL seasons, the Purdue man played in the Saints' 14 regular-season games before joining the Houston Oilers halfway through the 1977 season.

"The time with the Saints, the big thrill was of course being drafted and then the opportunity to try to play in the NFL. New Orleans was like a big little town, when you came there as a member of the Saints it was like you were family"

- Steve Baumgartner on his time in New Orleans

In 61 games for the Saints, Baumgartner started 27, collecting 5 fumbled recoveries and 3.5 sacks as a rotational defensive lineman.

#62 Offensive Lineman: Nick Easton (2019-2020)

The New Orleans Saints signed Easton to a four-year, $24M deal in March 2019 after the unexpected retirement of C Max Unger. Easton played a key role as a reserve OL in 2019 playing in ten games and starting six in place of the injured LG Andrus Peat. The Harvard man played 38% of the Saints offensive snaps in 2019, committing only two penalties.

In 2020, Easton was plagued by injuries and concluded the season on injured reserve. Despite playing a key reserve role for the Saints' offensive line over the past two seasons, Easton was a cap casualty this offseason. He was released in February 2021. 

Keep up with our Countdown to Kickoff:

• Saints Countdown to 2022 Kickoff: #82-70 Graham, Evans & More!
• Saints Countdown to 2022 Kickoff: 89-83: Horn, Brenner, & More!
• Saints Countdown to 2022 Kickoff: #96-90: Cameron Jordan, Will Smith & More!
• Saints Countdown to 2022 Kickoff: #97 Renaldo Turnbull
• Saints Countdown to 2022 Kickoff: #98 Payton Turner
• Saints Countdown to 2022 Kickoff: #99 Shy Tuttle