Hokie Gajan (1 Viewer)

Hokieisms. Saints broadcast version of Dizzy Dean. "That boy could go rabbit hunting with a hammer."
The one I enjoyed the most was when Aaron Brooks was scrambling in the pocket to buy time. Hokie said he was “running around like a sprayed roach”. Yes, I did :hihi:
 
Hokie is my sons uncle. My ex is his niece. Quality guy. You could see football took a toll on his body, knees especially but would never complain. Loved watching football, just bring around him but if you’d barely ever hear him talk about it unless asks. Loved to talk hunting and fishing though. Can’t say enough nice things about him. Family made the best green beans I’ve ever had. Still trying to get the recipe!
Rookie move - you don’t break up until you have all the recipes
 
Hokie Gajan.

The best first name in the history of the league.
And if that wasn’t enough, the best last name in the history of the league.

Not joking on either.

So, clearly the runaway winner for best ever name in NFL history.
 
My first Saints game was against the Jets in 1983. I remember him breaking off a long run in that game. Prob one of the few highlights of the game lol.
Ha, I actually remember that one, too. It was the first full season I remember as a kid. And the first three quarters were full of highlights. Blew a double-digit lead in the fourth, though. Team remained winless on MNF until the following season.

By all accounts, Hokie represented Louisiana well and is still missed today.
 
Didnt know Hokie but once sat behind him and backup QB Dave Wilson at a New Orleans Breakers game - not the current incarnation, but the Breakers team that played home games at the Dome for one season in 1984.. They were just a couple guys wathcing ball and drinking beers, but to the 9 yr old me it was almost like sitting behind the Fonz .
 
My first Saints game was against the Jets in 1983.



Oh god i remember that game all too well.. it was a school night (Monday night game) so early in the 4th quarter Dad said Let’s go home …. After all, the Saints were up by 3 or 4 TDs so at least we were assured of a win………. As we walked thru the Poydras Plaza below the Hyatt on the way to our car, every time we passed a store or restaurant , they all had TVs by the front door, and each time we passed one, the Jets had scored again.. by the time we reached the car and turned the radio onto 870 to Hap or Buddy D- the Jets had gone ahead and won the game….. was an early lesson in heartbreak, only to be greatly exceeded a few weeks later when the Whodats missed the chance to lock up the first ever winning season and playoff berth on the bare foot of Rams kicker Mike Lansford, who’s kick sailed into the end zone where we were sitting … Oy vey .
 
Oh god i remember that game all too well.. it was a school night (Monday night game) so early in the 4th quarter Dad said Let’s go home …. After all, the Saints were up by 3 or 4 TDs so at least we were assured of a win………. As we walked thru the Poydras Plaza below the Hyatt on the way to our car, every time we passed a store or restaurant , they all had TVs by the front door, and each time we passed one, the Jets had scored again.. by the time we reached the car and turned the radio onto 870 to Hap or Buddy D- the Jets had gone ahead and won the game….. was an early lesson in heartbreak, only to be greatly exceeded a few weeks later when the Whodats missed the chance to lock up the first ever winning season and playoff berth on the bare foot of Rams kicker Mike Lansford, who’s kick sailed into the end zone where we were sitting … Oy vey .
Yeah typical Saints back then lol. I was in awe since it was my first Saints game live. I still have pictures I took of George Rogers on the sideline among others. Up to that game, as a kid I would watch on TV when they were local or listen to the games on the radio. My parents got me Saints tickets for my birthday so my dad took me. I remember we got rear-ended on the way there by a city bus. I was panicked because we were going to miss the kickoff. My dad told the driver not to worry about it (we had minor bumper damage) and we proceeded to the game. For years he used to like to make the joke that he was set for life once he got a lawyer...but I just COULDN'T miss the kickoff...
 
Ha, I actually remember that one, too. It was the first full season I remember as a kid. And the first three quarters were full of highlights. Blew a double-digit lead in the fourth, though. Team remained winless on MNF until the following season.

By all accounts, Hokie represented Louisiana well and is still missed today.
Yeah they broke that streak against the Steelers. Friend of mine in school was a Steelers fan and gave me a hard time that whole day on Monday leading up to that game. On Tuesday morning after the win, I squeezed into an old shirt that was WAY too small for me then...and proceeded to proudly walk up to him in front of the school before we all went in. He just shook his head. The shirt was one of those old yellow ones that just said WHO DAT across it.
 
I was a toddler when he played.

Can someone explain why his career was so short? Also, why did he not see more touches?

Just looking at his stats his “years played” as well as “total touches by year” seem very disproportionate to the mythic status he holds among older Saints fans.
 
I was a toddler when he played.

Can someone explain why his career was so short? Also, why did he not see more touches?

Just looking at his stats his “years played” as well as “total touches by year” seem very disproportionate to the mythic status he holds among older Saints fans.
Hokie played the fullback role rather than a true running back. He played during the tenure of our Heisman Trophy draft pick, George Rogers. There was nothing flashy about his style or ability. He just played with heart. I wouldn't call his history with the Saints as being 'legendary'. But he did earn the respect of Saints fans as one who played above expectations... perhaps even above his own natural ability. In his career there was a brief time when he held the seasonal record for the best yards per carry average. I believe he had a 6.1 yard average at the time. (His career rushing average was 5.4 yards per carry!)

He also endeared himself to many Saints fans for having some of his best games against our most hated rivals. I remember a game against Seattle when he suffered a devastating knee injury while attempting to break through the 'A' gap to score a touchdown. What he lacked in talent, he made up for with effort. It didn't hurt his popularity in that he was a local guy who was a workhorse at LSU. Fans generally love a player who always gives everything he's got on the field. In a nutshell, that how Gajan played the game.
 

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