Best Saints By The Numbers: #52

All summer long, we’re going to list the best players in New Orleans Saints history to wear every number, 00-99.

Yesterday, we did #51.

Today, #52:

The pick: Jim Kovach

When deciding who is the best New Orleans Saints player to ever wear #52, the choice is limited to center Jeff Faine and linebackers Frank Emanuel, Harry Jacobs, John Huard, Dick Palmer, Mike Lemon, Skip Vanderbundt, Jim Kovach, Brian Forde, Mike Stonebreaker, Richard Harvey, Jr., Vinson Smith, Sedrick Hodge, Todd Davis, and Jonathan Casillas.

Our choice is going to be Kovach, a middle linebacker, who played seven years for the Saints, from 1979-1985.

After playing his college football at Kentucky, Kovach was selected by the Saints in the fourth round of the 1979 NFL Draft.

After playing mostly on special teams in his first two seasons with the Saints, the 6-foot-2, 230-pound Kovach became a four-year starter beginning in 1981, and was part of a solid 3-4 linebacking group, featuring Kovach, Dennis Winston, Whitney Paul, and Rickey Jackson.

After 87 games with the Saints, including 58 as a starter, Kovach left the team a couple of game into the 1985 season and finished the year, and his career, with the San Francisco 49ers.

Kovach, who went to medical school during his time in the NFL, also went to law school after his retirement, and is currently both a physician and lawyer.