Former New Orleans Saints Defensive Tackle Tries Out for Pelicans G League Team

Well, all of the New Orleans Saints fans who remember Khalen Saunders from a couple of seasons ago knew he was athletic for his size, but just how athletic is he?

Saunders went a little viral on New Orleans social media on Saturday, as he attended the New Orleans Pelicans' G League tryouts for the Laketown Squadron. The Squadron are moving to Kenner this year, so this was a cool attempt by the team to find some talent within the community.

After the tryout, Saunders had this to say on social media:

"So chat i just completed my NBA G League tryout with the Laketown Squadron. Thru just two games i amassed 2 pts, 2 rebs, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, quad tightness, low back stiffness, and most importantly, 0 fouls. I’d say an overall good day at the office."

It's that personality and uniqueness that made him a fan favorite during his tenure with the Saints. He spent two seasons on the team and racked up 100 tackles, two sacks, an interception, four TFLs and four passes broken up during his time.

It's not too surprising that he had enough in him to play basketball. Listed at 6-foot-0 and 324 pounds during his NFL career, people were consistently surprised at how well he moved. New Orleans would use him in a short-yardage blocking role because of it. 

Saunders has also been known to do backflips, participated in some pickup games in college.

While he probably won't make the Laketown roster, it was a fun thing to watch unfold on social media and a reminder of the personality Saunders can be. He and former teammate Cameron Jordan were joking about it afterwards.

Another thing to note from the day was a glimpse at how Jamahl Mosley operates. With new Squadron coach Brandon "B Great" Demas receiving the promotion this offseason and in his first year in that role, Mosley was there alongside him. Demas called Mosley a "man of the people" afterwards on social media.

This new coaching staff is interesting, as they have been together for a while overall. There are a couple of changes that have been made, but it's been the same group since they took over the Orlando Magic. Now they will mix in with a few of the people from the previous regime, and it seems like the relationships are off to a nice start.