Beyond The Mic: Marques Colston Is Forever A Saints Fan Favorite

His teammates call him "The Quiet Storm". It's a fitting nickname for 10 year NFL veteran wide receiver Marques Colston.

His quiet nature led many NFL fans to overlook his accomplishments as he didn't draw headlines for his personality. However, among Saints fans, he was never, isn't, and will never be overlooked.

Colston quietly joined a Saints roster in 2006 that would play their first season back in the Superdome following an infamous storm that had the NFL watching a cinderella team with a cinderella story.

Drafted in the 7th round out of Hofstra, Colston was an unknown when he joined Saints training camp at Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi. At 6'4, 231 pounds, his physicality stood out in camp, but could he develop into an NFL receiver?

Expectations weren't high for him or the team. Fast forward five months later, and the Saints were coming off an appearance in the NFC Championship game (a franchise first at the time), and an NFC South title, while Colston finished tied for second in NFL offensive rookie of the year voting. Turns out the slipper wasn't made of glass, his NFL ceiling was.

It was a fitting start for Colston, who has spent his entire 10 year career in New Orleans.

According to Mike Triplett of espn.com, Colston is likely to be released in coming days, a move that would save the Saints cap space, something they have little of heading into 2016.

Beyond the salary cap, Colston is coming off a season with career lows in receptions (45), receiving yards (520) and touchdowns (4).

Between his illustrious rookie season and perhaps his final act of 2015, Colston set franchise records for receptions (711), receiving yards (9,759) and touchdowns (72).

Along the way, he never was selected to a Pro Bowl (something Saints fans find hard to believe) as the NFL fans (who accounted for 1/3 of the vote) typically voted for players who drew bigger headlines and got more national media coverage. It only made Saints fans love him more.

A giant piece of the most successful decade in franchise history, Colston was the leading receiver for the 2009 Super Bowl team. He reeled in team-high 8 catches for 73 yards in Super Bowl XLIV, earning a championship for a team, city, state and fanbase who viewed the thought of a Super Bowl as a pipe dream prior to 2006.

Colston and quarterback Drew Brees rank 5th best in NFL history among QB to WR touchdown duos. Brees' first touchdown pass as a Saint came in the first game of Marques' rookie season. Colston caught it. 71 touchdowns between the pair followed.

All class. A constant professional. Incredible player. Rare talent. The Quiet Storm.

Other great players will leave an indelible mark on the Saints, but there will never be another Marques Colston.

When a player is as loved by a fanbase as Colston, wearing his jersey will forever be in vogue.

I look forward to seeing #12 jerseys at Saints games for the rest of my life.