Another member of the New Orleans Saints family is gone. Longtime radio color analyst on the team’s flagship station WWL, and former fullback, and scout, Hokie Gajan died at the age of 56 on Monday. He had been battling a cancer called Liposarcoma since last fall.
The Saints’ color analyst’s passing comes days after the franchise lost former defensive lineman Will Smith during a roadway shooting. Gajan and Smith were both elected for enshrinement into the Saints Hall of Fame and an announcement was planned for May.
Gajan called Louisiana home throughout his entire football career, from Baker High School to LSU to the Saints from 1981-87. He will be remembered most as one of the Saints’ radio voices on WWL, where he brought a unique Louisiana style to the broadcasts. He had been a member of the radio broadcast team since 2000.
His longtime broadcast partner Jim Henderson told WWL, “I loved him dearly. “He’s one of the best people, so true and genuine. He’s one of the most original people I’ve ever met. There were no acts, or anything false about Hokie. Everything you see is very true with him.”
Gajan is survived by his wife Judy and daughters Jennifer, Kristin, Megan and Alexis.
Jason Barrett is the President and Founder of Barrett Media since the company was created in September 2015. Prior to its arrival, JB served as a sports radio programmer, launching brands such as 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He also spent time programming SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY. Jason also worked on-air and behind the scenes in local radio at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years on the national stage, producing radio shows for ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT. Among them included the Dan Patrick Show, and GameNight.
You can find JB on Twitter @SportsRadioPD. He’s also reachable by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
