METAIRIE, La. -- For two long seasons, an undersized La'Roi Glover handled the dirty work in the middle of the Saints' defense with no complaints. But in 2000, a much-needed partner in grime arrived via free agency in the form of 320-pound Norman Hand, and the duo has emerged as one of the NFL's best defensive tackle tandems.

	La'Roi Glover led the NFL with 17 sacks in 2000.

With a helping Hand clogging the middle and serving as his oversized bodyguard, Glover was set free. Free of the double-teams he endured on almost every snap at nose tackle in 1998 and '99, of sneaky running backs constantly diving at his legs, of holding up the interior of the Saints' defense with his sculpted 280 pounds.

Glover thrived with this newfound freedom. He led the NFL with 17 sacks, was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week a league-record three times and was voted to his first Pro Bowl. Glover also was the runner-up to Ravens LB Ray Lewis in the NFL Defensive Player of the Year balloting.

Suddenly, big-time defense was back in business in New Orleans under the guidance of first-year head coach Jim Haslett. Led by Glover's sack explosion, the surprising Saints went 10-6, clinched the NFC West title and won the first playoff game in franchise history.

"It was a great year," Glover said. "All of the individual things weren't my focus, but it's nice. The winning has meant more than anything."

And though Glover may have been the Saints' MVP, Hand likely ranked as the club's most indispensable player. His impact can't be judged solely by his statistics, though he did have a career-high 65 tackles to go along with three sacks.

Hand's ability to eat up space and stuff the run -- duties that rarely create headlines or win honors -- allowed his mates up front to rush the passer with abandon.

In addition to Glover's league-leading sack total, defensive end Joe Johnson recorded 12 sacks and was the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year. Fellow defensive end Darren Howard had 11 sacks and was a consensus All-Rookie selection. They all credit Hand -- known around the locker room as "Heavy Lunch" -- for usually having a lone blocker in their path on the way to the quarterback.

"Without Norman, our front four couldn't have performed like we did," Saints DL coach Sam Clancy said. "He covers all those guys and lets them squeeze the pocket. I think we proved we were the best defensive line in the league this year."

It all started inside. Glover and Hand realized before training camp that they had the potential to be special. Not long after signing a five-year, $20 million deal to join the Saints, Hand made a play in an offseason drill that immediately caught Glover's attention.

"In our first minicamp, Norman chased down (Saints QB) Jeff Blake on a rollout," Glover said. "That showed how fast he could move from sideline to sideline, and I knew then that he wasn't just a big guy. When I saw that, I knew we'd have something."

Even while miscast as a run-plugging mauler the previous two seasons, Glover established himself as one of the NFL's best interior linemen. Though he usually surrenders a few pounds to offensive linemen, Glover posted a team-high 181z2 sacks over that span and was voted an alternate to the Pro Bowl both years.

But it was Hand's arrival that allowed Glover's combination of energy, strength and quickness to blossom. Hand's overwhelming bulk allows him to eliminate running lanes without really moving, and he's strong enough to toss around a couple of blockers. Opponents were forced to choose which defensive tackle to double, and the big guy didn't make the decision too difficult.

"It's hard not to double a guy who is 320," said Haslett, though Glover was given plenty of extra attention as well late in the season.

	Norman Hand keyed a Saints defense that ranked fourth overall against the run.

With Hand watching his back, Glover was able to free-lance while rushing the quarterback. He could use his speed and instincts to attack and create havoc, rather than spend the majority of his time fighting through traffic.

"Norman forces two people to block him, which obviously frees La'Roi up some," Saints defensive coordinator Ron Zook said. "But La'Roi accomplished a lot because of his work ethic and motivation. We thought they would be a good combination, but I don't think anybody expected Glover to get 17 sacks. That has a lot to do with his motor."

Glover is the Saints' strongest player, routinely bench-pressing more than 500 pounds. And at 6-foot-2, he has built-in leverage against taller offensive linemen. That was never more apparent than against Chicago in Week Six, when Glover drove mammoth Bears OT James "Big Cat" Williams into the backfield and dumped QB Cade McNown to the soggy Soldier Field turf for his third sack of the day.

"That play in particular won La'Roi a lot of respect around here," Hand said. "I know how strong La'Roi is, but to move a guy that is something like 370 pounds in pads is hard to forget. Big Cat is like 6-foot-7, and La'Roi looked like a little doll baby next to him. But he just pushed him around and got to the quarterback."

Glover is a rare playmaker at defensive tackle. But the Saints' defense wouldn't have been nearly as tough with two La'Rois up front. Hand supplied the brute force the Saints lacked in the trenches for the last few years, and the two tackles complement each other's talents.

"If we had two guys like La'Roi, we'd have both gaps in the middle wide open," Clancy said. "Having a guy like Norman in there makes all the difference. That's his value. And he still gets some push back there."

Indeed, Hand supplied more of a pass rush than even the Saints expected. And when he was bothered by injuries to both feet late in the season, the Saints' run defense suffered. Glover is one of the few players who can appreciate everything Hand has brought to the Saints because Glover himself played the position.

"Norman has brought a lot to the table," Glover said. "He's a guy who goes out there and does his job and doesn't complain. It's going to take two or three guys to block him. If you try to block him one-on-one, he's going to end up in the backfield."

Interestingly enough, both players took the long road to NFL success. Hand was released by Miami before developing into an inside force with the Chargers.

Glover, originally a fifth-round pick by the Raiders in '96, spent a season in NFL Europe before the Saints claimed him off waivers the next year.

Now they both play for huge contracts, are recognized as being among the league's best at their positions and were a big part of Haslett's success in his first year. But neither takes anything for granted.

"I always watched Glover on film when I was in San Diego, and I knew I wanted to play with him," Hand said. "I never knew he was this good. In the minicamps, we kept working with each other and pushing to get better because talent doesn't always get the job done. And once we put on the pads, nothing changed."

Ricky Zeller covers the Saints for the Saints Digest.

Material from Pro Football Weekly.
Visit PFW's web site at http://www.profootballweekly.com