Sam Mills Madden Career 1992-1998 - Peak 95 OVR

Sam Mills was born June 3, 1959, in Neptune, New Jersey, played at Montclair State, and went undrafted in 1981. Released by the Cleveland Browns and the CFL's Toronto Argonauts, he joined the USFL's Philadelphia Stars, won league titles with the Stars in 1984 and 1985, and signed with the New Orleans Saints in 1986.

He made the Pro Bowl in 1987 and 1988 as an inside linebacker in the Saints group known as the Dome Patrol. He recorded 102 tackles in 1991 and 130 in 1992, making the Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro in both years. Madden NFL 94 rated him a calculated 95 for the 1993 season, and Madden NFL 95 a calculated 92 for 1994, his last in New Orleans.

Mills signed with the expansion Carolina Panthers in 1995 and started all 16 games in each of his three seasons there. He made 122 tackles in 1996, earned his fifth Pro Bowl selection and was named first-team All-Pro for the only time in his career; Madden NFL 97 listed him at 90 for that season. He retired after 1997 with 1,265 tackles, 20.5 sacks and 11 interceptions in 181 games, then coached Carolina's linebackers. He was diagnosed with intestinal cancer in 2003 and died on April 18, 2005. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022.