It’s official: The New Orleans Saints will play in the 2012 Hall of Fame game on Sunday, Aug. 5 in Canton, Ohio, against the Arizona Cardinals.
The NFL announced the pairing on Wednesday, nearly a week after it was reported that the Saints had volunteered for and accepted an invitation to play in the game that will cap three days of enshrinement festivities for the Class of 2012.
The game will be played in Fawcett Stadium, which is adjacent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame museum. The NFL Network will televise the game, which will kick off at 7 p.m.
The Saints were eager to play in the game because one of the more decorated players in franchise history, tackle William Roaf, is one of six men who will be inducted into the Hall the night before the game.
A first-round pick of the Saints out of Louisiana Tech in 1993, Roaf played with the Saints for nine seasons and was voted to a club-record seven Pro Bowls as a dominant blocker on the left side of the line.
Roaf is only the second Saints’ player to have played the majority of his career with the Saints to be elected to the Hall of Fame, joining linebacker Rickey Jackson (2010).
Also scheduled for induction this summer are defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy, a former Seattle Seahawks’ star who is now a personnel consultant for the Saints, cornerback Jack Butler, center Dermontti Dawson, defensive end Chris Doleman and running back Curtis Martin.
This will be the fifth Hall of Fame appearance for the Saints, who dropped a 20-7 decision to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2007. The Saints are 1-3 in their previous Hall of Fame matchups.
Tickets for the game are priced at $67, $62 and $52 and will go on sale Tuesday, March 13. For more information visit the Hall’s website at www.profootballhof.com.
THREE AGREE TO DEALS: The Saints announced Wednesday that they have agreed to terms on one-year contracts with three of their four exclusive rights free agents — safety Jonathon Amaya, wide receiver Adrian Arrington and long snapper Justin Drescher.
All three are two-year veterans who could only re-sign with the Saints if they were offered contract tenders of $540,000 by the team.
Arrington saw action in four regular-season games this past season and had two receptions for 31 yards before catching one pass in each of the Saints’ two playoff games.
Drescher has been the long snapper since joining the Saints midway through the 2010 season, while Amaya was a reserve safety and special teams contributor in 2011 after being acquired from the Miami Dolphins in the Reggie Bush trade.
