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Feb. 2 -New Orleans Saints represented in Pro Bowl by WR Joe Horn, RB Deuce McAllister, kick/punt returner WR Michael Lewis and special teams ace RB Fred McAfee; March 5 - New Orleans Saints sign three free agents: CB Ashley Ambrose (four-year contract), T Wayne Gandy (six-year contract) and LB Orlando Ruff (three-year contract); March 7 - New Orleans Saints sign free agent P Mitch Berger, agree to terms with K John Carney, March 13 - New Orleans Saints trade 2003 sixth-round pick to Minnesota for QB Todd Bouman; March 21 - New Orleans Saints trade T Kyle Turley to St. Louis for a second-round pick in 2004; April 14 - New Orleans Saints sign free agent TE Ernie Conwell to a five-year contract; April 15 - Club announces 2003 training camp will be held at the team's practice facility in Metairie, La.; April 19 - New Orleans Saints trade third and seventh-round picks in 2003 and an undisclosed pick in 2004 to New England for S Tebucky Jones; April 26 - The New Orleans Saints select Georgia DT Johnathan Sullivan sixth overall with their first selection in the NFL draft ... The choice was acquired from Arizona after the New Orleans Saints traded the Cardinals its two first-round picks (16th and 17th overall). As part of the deal, the two clubs also swapped second-round picks and the New Orleans Saints received Arizona's fourth-round selection; May 13 - Owner Tom Benson announces he will bring an Arena Football expansion franchise to the city, the New Orleans VooDoo. The club is to begin play in February, 2004; May 27 - The New Orleans Saints traded their seventh-round selection in 2004 to the Miami Dolphins for LB Derrick Rodgers; July 26 - New Orleans Saints begin first-ever training camp at home facility in Metairie, La. Sept. 28 - RB Deuce McAllister rushes for 101 yards on 17 carries vs. the Indianapolis Colts, beginning a franchise-record streak of nine straight 100-yard performances; Oct. 19 - New Orleans Saints post the third-highest scoring total in franchise history with a 45-17 romp over Atlanta at the Georgia Dome; Nov. 2 - New Orleans Saints win third straight over defending Super Bowl champion Buccaneers at Tampa Bay, 17-14. In the game, McAllister sets a team record with his sixth straight 100-yard game, and DE Willie Whitehead wins NFC Player of the Week honors with three sacks. Nov. 16 - A 23-20 overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons gives the New Orleans Saints their 100th victory in the Louisiana Superdome. McAllister sets a team record with 237 yards from scrimmage, including 173 rushing; Nov. 30 - McAllister rushes for 165 yards on 31 carries in a 24-20 victory at Washington, his ninth straight 100-yard game. The streak tied former Chicago RB Walter Payton and Jacksonville RB Fred Taylor for the third-longest in NFL history. He would be held below the milestone the following week vs. Tampa Bay; Dec. 14 - QB Aaron Brooks tossed a career-high five TDs, including a club-record four caught by WR Joe Horn, in a 45-7 victory over the New York Giants in a nationally-televised game on ESPN. It marked the first time since 1989 that New Orleans posted over 40 points twice in the same season; Dec. 21 - In one of the most memorable final plays from scrimmage in NFL history, the New Orleans Saints pulled off a 75-yard, three-lateral touchdown as time expired to cut Jacksonville's lead to one point. WR Jerome Pathon capped the play with a leap into the end zone, but the PAT attempt by K John Carney sailed wide right, giving the Jaguars a 20-19 victory. Dec. 28 - McAllister had 49 yards in the season-ending victory over Dallas, becoming only the second player in club history to go over 1,600 rushing yards in a season and the first to post over 2,000 total yards from scrimmage ... New Orleans Saints finish 2003 season at 8-8.
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