Offensive Rookie of the Year and has over 7,000 yards in receptions with the Cardinals. Boldin holds the record for receptions with the Cardinals at over 540 and still climbing. In recent Arizona Cardinals history their successes include a recent Super Bowl appearance, stars have made a memorable impact with their fans. With that being said, let us look back at the numerous Arizona Cardinals rosters over the years that have provided extraordinary football talent. The following players made their place in the far-reaching Arizona Cardinals history that goes back to the 1800's. As time goes on, we will explore all the notable players on the historical Arizona Cardinals rosters, but for now we’ll discuss
Roger Wehrli, Dan Dierdorf,
Jackie Smith and Larry Wilson. Each of these individuals enjoyed most of their
professional football careers with the Cardinals and each of them have been
inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame.
Roger Wehrli played for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1969 to 1982, their first round draft pick. As their Cornerback, Roger had the franchise record 19 fumble recoveries and impressed fans with 40 career interceptions. A 7 time Pro Bowler, Roger Wehrli earned a spot in the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1970’s, not to mention the Hall Of Fame.
Roger’s teammate Dan Dierdorf also played a significant role in St. Louis Cardinals history. Dierdorf played with the Cardinals from 1971 to 1983 as an offensive lineman, playing both guard and offensive tackle. A 6 time Pro Bowler he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1996. Dierdorf had many accomplishments, although one the most notable was that he permitted the fewest number of sacks in the NFC for 5 straight years.
Thanks in part to Dan Dierdorf protecting the quarterback, Jackie Smith put up nice receiving yards. Their careers crossed paths from 1971 to 1977, although Jackie began with the Cardinals in 1963, eight years before Deirdorf. Jackie had close to 8,000 receiving yards and 40 touchdowns in his career. Impressive stats for a tight end, these stats placed him as the all-time leader for his position at that time. A 5 time Pro Bowler, Jackie was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1994.
Switching to a defensive player, as free safety, Larry Wilson intercepted over 50 passes in his career. His skills were so explosive that many thought he invented the “Safety Blitz”, even though it had been implemented before his time. One interesting note about Larry Wilson; at the beginning of his career Larry was doubtful about his chances of making the team after failed attempts at cornerback and offensive receiver. Once they placed him at the Safety position, the lights came on and his career took off. Larry Wilson made the Pro Bowl 8 times and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1978.
