As of today, we are 22 days away from the New Orleans Saints 2026 season opener. The Saints will begin their year on the road, traveling to face the Detroit Lions
on Sunday, Sept. 13. Wearing No. 22 for the Saints is cornerback Martin Emerson. We've already done a Saints Player of the Day feature on Emerson as No. 47, the jersey number he opened up training camp wearing. Therefore, we look back now at Mark Ingram II, the best Saints player to wear the 22 jersey.- Name (age): Mark Ingram II (36)
- Hometown: Flint, Mich.
- Position: Running back
- Height, weight: 5-foot-9, 215 pounds
- College: Alabama Crimson Tide
- Drafted: Round 1, 28th overall in 2011 (Saints)
- NFL experience: 12 years (10 with Saints)
Mark is the son of Mark Ingram, a Super Bowl champion and NFL wide receiver for 10 years with the Giants, Dolphins, and Packers. At Flint Southwestern High School, Mark II was a Michigan all-state selection and Saginaw Valley Player of the Year as well as an all-state selection in the 100m
and 200m dash. He'd take his talents to the Alabama Crimson Tide. As a freshman in 2008, Ingram rushed for 728 yards with 12 scores and earned All-Freshman recognition.
In 2009, Ingram rushed for 1,658 yards and 17 touchdowns to lead the SEC in both categories. Ingram won the 2009 Heisman Trophy and helped lead Alabama to the BCS national championship, their first national title since 1992. A knee injury in 2010 hampered Ingram, but he still managed 875 rushing yards and 13 scores.
New Orleans traded a 2011 second round choice and 2012 first round pick to the New England Patriots to acquire the 28th choice in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft. They used that pick on Mark Ingram II. Ironically, Mark's father was also drafted with the 28th selection by the Giants in the 1987 NFL Draft. Ingram shared backfield duties over his first three seasons in New Orleans with Pierre Thomas, Darren Sproles, and Chris Ivory. Over those three years, he had 1,462 rushing yards and 11 scores.
Ingram finally took over primary rushing duties for the Saints in 2014, picking up 964 yards on the ground and earning his first Pro Bowl. After 769 rushing yards in 2015, Ingram broke through with his first 1,000-yard rushing season the following year. He rushed for 1,043 yards in 2016 and followed that up with a career-best 1,124 in 2017, scoring a combined 22 touchdowns.
After a shortened season of 645 yards on the ground in 2018, Ingram departed as a free agent to the Baltimore Ravens. He had one 1,000-yard campaign in two seasons in Baltimore before joining the Houston Texans in 2021. Midway through that year, Ingram returned to the Saints in a trade. He'd play out the final two years as a Saint, rushing for 490 yards. Ingram wore three numbers (28, 22, and 14) during his 10 years in New Orleans, but the bulk of his success came in the 22 jersey, which he wore from 2013 to 2018 and then again during his final season.
Mark Ingram II retired as the Saints all-time leading rusher with 6,500 yards and career leader with 52 rushing scores. He had 8,111 yards on the ground through his 12-year career and scored 75 total touchdowns. Ingram is assured a place in the Saints Hall of Fame when eligible and is one of the most productive offensive players in franchise history.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Countdown to Kickoff: Mark Ingram II is the Saints Player of Day 22
