New Orleans Saints Add Former Independence Bowl Star Cam Akers

He set a record during his Independence Bowl performance, and now he's returning to play in Louisiana...but this time, professionally.

Back in the 2017 Independence Bowl, it was the Florida State Seminoles against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles in Shreveport. The game took place on December 27th, with a 12:30pm local kickoff. Florida State was playing under interim coach Odell Haggins, and had a 6-6 record, but brought a lot of high end talent to the game.

NFL Talent Graced the 2017 Independence Bowl

Future NFL stars that suited up for Florida State that day included Brian Burns, Josh Sweat, Ryan Izzo, Auden Tate, Gabe Nabers, and Josh Ball. Not to mention first round draft pick Derwin James, who was on the roster, but didn't play.

One of the other NFL talents that played for FSU that day was running back Cam Akers. He was a Freshman that season, and ended up setting a record for Florida State that day.

Akers' Record-Breaking Independence Bowl Performance

During the 2017 Independence Bowl, Akers ran for 94 yards on 13 carries, and caught one pass for a 14 yard touchdown. But his rushing yards that day broke the Single Season Rushing Yardage Record for a Freshman at Florida State. The record came in the third quarter on a 17-yard run, and he would end the day and season with 1,024 yards. That broke Dalvin Cook's previous record of 1,008 yards.

Florida State won that Independence Bowl by a final score of 42-13. It was the perfect end to Akers first college season. He would go on to become a Second Round draft pick by the Los Angeles Rams in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Akers Joins New Orleans Saints Backfield

Now, Akers will be returning to Louisiana, but not to play in Shreveport. He's signed a one-year deal with the New Orleans Saints.

The Saints will likely be using Akers as an insurance policy for superstar running back Alvin Kamara. Giving the team some confidence for an offense that will be looking for anything solid after the departure of starting quarterback Derek Carr.

Cam Akers: A Veteran Presence for the Saints

Akers has rushed for 2,025 yards in his five-year NFL career. He's played for three different franchises since coming into the league. The Rams drafted him, and he stayed with them from 2020 into 2023. During the 2023 season, he split time between the Rams and Minnesota Vikings. Then in 2024, he started the season with the Houston Texans, before returning to Minnesota for the last 12 games of the year.

The Saints are hoping that Akers can be a spark off the bench, and a strong backup in case anything happens to Kamara.