The Arizona Cardinals are the longest operating professional football franchise in the NFL. The team was born on the south side of Chicago in 1898 and has been in continuous operation since 1918.
The franchise found its name in 1901 when owner Chis O’Brien bought faded maroon football uniforms from the University of Chicago. When he saw them he said, “That’s not maroon, it’s cardinal red!” Through its history, in Chicago until 1959, in St. Louis from 1960 to 1987 and the current Phoenix/Arizona era the team has always struggled to win. Still, the franchise has produced many NFL greats who’ve worn that cardinal red.
Head Coach: Jimmy Conzelman (1940-1942, 1946-1948)
There are three possible choices for top coach for a franchise that has never achieved sustained success in its history. First choice, the Cardinals coach with the best franchise winning percentage. But his team got blown out in his only NFC Championship Game appearance. Then the second-winningest coach, who led the St. Louis Cardinals to two division championships but came up empty both years in the playoffs.
The final option is the coach who led the Chicago Cardinals to two straight NFL title game appearances. Jimmy Conzelman coached the team to its only championship game victory in franchise history. Since winning is what it’s all about he tops the list as the Cardinals’ greatest coach.
Conzelman had a rough first stint as the team’s coach but came back to the Cardinals in 1946. With the “Million Dollar Backfield” of quarterback Paul Christman, halfbacks Elmer Angsman and Charley Trippi and fullback Pat Harder the Cardinals finished the 1947 season 9-3 and played in their first NFL Championship Game. They won, defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 28-21.
In 1948, Conzelman won Coach of the Year honors by leading the Cardinals to an 11-1 record. That year’s championship game was played in Philadelphia in a heavy blizzard that kept burying the yard lines. The Eagles turned a Cardinals fumble into the only touchdown of the game in a 7-0 win.
Conzelman retired as the Cardinals coach after that season to go into the advertising business full time. Without him, the team slowly slid back to the bottom of the NFL’s Western Division.
Quarterback: Jim Hart (1966-1983)
Kurt Warner led the Cardinals to their only Super Bowl appearance and Paul Christman was the quarterback for the only championship game the Cardinals have won in their history but Jim Hart owns the franchise record books when it comes to passing.
In his 18 seasons with the Cardinals, Hart threw for 34,639 yards. His prime years, 1974 to 1977, hit as the “Air Coryell” era took off in St. Louis. Hart made the Pro Bowl four of his five seasons with Don Coryell as head coach. Hart made the Pro Bowl in each of those seasons and led the Cardinals to a 38-18 record and two playoff appearances in 1974 and 1975.
Running Back: Ottis Anderson (1979-1986)
Ottis Anderson is best known for his work with the New York Giants. That’s where he won his two Super Bowl rings. But before that, Anderson came into the league as a dominant running back for the Cardinals.
In his 1979 rookie season, Anderson rushed 331 times for 1,605 yards, a 4.8 yards per carry average plus eight rushing and two receiving touchdowns. For those achievements, he was selected to play in the Pro Bowl and earned First-Team All-Pro honors. He continued his role as a workhorse back for his entire career in St. Louis. Anderson averaged 309 carries per season, excluding the strike year of 1982. Overall he gained 7,999 yards and scored 46 rushing touchdowns with the Cardinals.
Honorable mention for this position is Ernie Nevers. He played in Chicago for three seasons but made an impact that launched him into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The greatest achievement of his career was on November 24, 1929. Nevers destroyed the cross-town Bears by scoring six touchdowns and four extra points in a 40-6 victory. His 40 points scored in a single game is still a record to this day.
Wide Receiver: Larry Fitzgerald (2004-Present)
If there were such a thing as Mr. Cardinal, Larry Fitzgerald would be the man. He has nearly double the numbers of targets, receptions, yards and touchdown catches than any other receiver in Cardinals’ history. He’s also a leader in the locker room, gives back to the community and has been nominated for membership with Marvel’s Avengers.
Fitzgerald has been to the Pro Bowl 11 times in his 14-year career and was named a First-Team All-Pro once. There is no doubt that once Fitzgerald hangs up his spikes his number 11 will be retired by the Cardinals and the Pro Football Hall of Fame will come calling five years later.
Wide Receiver: Roy Green (1979-1990)
Roy Green was a fourth-round pick in 1979 as a defensive back with the nickname “Jet Stream.” He spent most of his rookie season returning kicks, including one for 106 yards against the Dallas Cowboys.
Even as a defender, Green would always run routes as a receiver in practice which was an advantage for the Cardinals. In 1981, when injuries struck their receiving corps. Head coach Jim Hanifan added the position to Green’s resume while also keeping him busy in the secondary and as a returner (15 years before Deion Sanders received national attention for doing the same).
Green was named to the Pro Bowl twice and made First-Team All-Pro twice, in 1983 when he led the NFL in touchdown catches and 1984 when he led in receiving yards. Green is also the 16th player named to the Cardinals’ Ring of Honor.
Wide Receiver: Mel Gray (1971-1982)
A major reason why Hart owns all of the Cardinals’ passing records is he had Mel Gray on the receiving end. Gray is sixth on the Cardinals’ receiving yards list with 6,644 but thrived in the “Air Coryell” offense, averaging 18.9 yards per reception. Between 1973 and 1982, Gray caught passes in 121 consecutive games.
He’s fourth on the Cardinals’ receiving touchdowns list with 45 and topped the NFL with 11 in 1975. Gray was named to four straight Pro Bowls, 1974 to 1977, and was a first-team All-Pro once.
Tight End: Jackie Smith (1963-1977)
Jackie Smith was one of the tight ends who revolutionized the position during the 1960s. When Smith retired he was the all-time receiving leader among tight ends with 480 receptions for 7,918 yards and 40 touchdowns. He’s still sixth on the Cardinals’ all-time receptions list and touchdown catch list and third in yardage.
Smith made the Pro Bowl five times during his career and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994. With all his accomplishments though, he’s remembered by most NFL fans for one play while finishing his career with the Dallas Cowboys. In Super Bowl XIII, in the third quarter, from the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 10-yard line, Smith broke free in the end zone without a defender within yards of him. He dropped a sure touchdown pass from Roger Staubach. The Cowboys lost 35-31.
Left Tackle: Louis Sharpe (1982-1994)
Louis Sharpe took over the starting left tackle halfway through his rookie year. Then the 6’5″ lineman played in 180 of the next 192 games for the Cardinals. He made three Pro Bowls in three straight seasons, 1987 to 1989, and was credited with one reception in 1990 for a touchdown.
Left Guard: Irv Goode (1962-1971)
Irv Goode started 125 of 140 games for the Cardinals in his 10 years in St. Louis before wrapping up his career in Miami. He played opposite Ken Gray for most of his Cardinals career to provide solid protection in the middle of the offensive line. Goode was named to two Pro Bowls, in 1964 and 1967.
Center: Tom Banks (1971 to 1980)
Tom Banks was the Cardinals’ eighth-round pick in the 1970 NFL Draft. He had to sit out his rookie season due to a knee injury but when he did hit the field in 1971, Banks developed into one of the best centers in the NFL.
After another injury sidelined him for all but one game in 1974, Banks went on a run that saw him make four straight Pro Bowl teams while also earning first-team All-Pro honors in 1976.
Right Guard: Ken Gray (1958-1969)
In Gray’s first season he played as a defensive end. A year later, he switched to right guard and manned that position until he left St. Louis in 1970 for a final season with the Houston Oilers. He was named to the Pro Bowl six times and was twice named a first-team All-Pro. Gray was also recognized as the first-team guard on the NFL’s All-1960’s team.
Right Tackle: Dan Dierdorf (1971-1983)
Dan Dierdorf was the anchor on the right side of an offensive line that allowed the fewest sacks of any team in the NFC from 1974 to 1978. In 1975 that line tied a record for fewest sacks in a season with eight, a record they shared with the San Francisco 49ers until the Miami Dolphins surpassed it by only allowing seven in 1988.
Dierdorf was named to the Pro Bowl five times and earned first-team All-Pro honors three consecutive seasons, 1976 to 1978. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996.
Left Defensive Tackle: Eric Swann (1991-1999)
At 6’5″ and 305 pounds, Eric Swann was an immovable force in the center of the Cardinals’ defensive line for seven seasons before knee injuries slowed him in his final two years in Arizona.
Despite the injuries, Swann is sixth on the team’s all-time list with 45.5 sacks. He also managed to snare two interceptions in his career and returned one for a touchdown. Swann made the Pro Bowl twice, in 1995 and 1996. Overall, not bad for someone who never played a down of college football.
Left Defensive End: Freddie Joe Nunn (1985-1993)
Freddie Joe Nunn played defensive end and linebacker with the Cardinals. He had an up and down career but still holds the all-time franchise lead with 66.5 sacks. Nunn’s best season was 1988, the team’s first in Phoenix when he totaled 14 sacks and 53 tackles. He was never a Pro Bowler but he tops the Cardinals all-time list in sacks by 10 over Calais Campbell. That’s good enough for him to be the left defensive end on this list.
Right Defensive Tackle: Darnell Dockett (2004-2014)
Darnell Dockett became a starter his rookie season in Arizona but didn’t truly stand out until 2007 when he registered nine sacks and 58 tackles. That earned him his first trip to the Pro Bowl. In 2008 his numbers dropped a bit but he came up big when the Cardinals needed him most. In Super Bowl XLIII he sacked Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger three times and recorded six tackles in Arizona’s 27-23 loss.
Unfortunately for Dockett, his career was cut short by a torn ACL he suffered in training camp in 2014. In 2016 he signed a one-day contract and retired as a member of the Arizona Cardinals.
Right Defensive End: Simeon Rice (1996-2000)
Simeon Rice only spent five of his 12-year career in Arizona but he is still number three on the Cardinals’ all-time sack list.
Arizona selected him third overall in the 1996 NFL Draft and he broke out in his rookie season with 12.5 sacks. Rice’s only Pro Bowl season with the Cardinals came in 1999 when he amassed 16.5 sacks, 49 tackles, and five forced fumbles.
He left for Tampa Bay in 2001 and is best known nationally for his career with the Buccaneers but he’s still one of the greatest defensive linemen in Cardinals franchise history.
Linebacker: Karlos Dansby (2004-2009, 2013, 2017)
Karlos Dansby is a linebacker who could do it all. He amassed 33 sacks and 770 tackles roaming behind the Cardinals’ line. Dansby was also a turnover machine with 15 interceptions, four returned for touchdowns and 12 forced fumbles. He is also credited with 53 passes defended during his time with Arizona.
Middle Linebacker: Eric Hill (1989-1997)
Eric Hill rarely got to the quarterback with just eight sacks for his career, but that wasn’t his job. He was the 10th overall pick in the 1989 draft and got started right away on his first of eight seasons with over 90 tackles. Hill tops the Cardinals’ all-time tackles list with 932. He never made the Pro Bowl during his career but anchored a solid linebacking corps for nine seasons.
Linebacker: Ken Harvey (1988-1993)
Ken Harvey didn’t make the Pro Bowl until he moved to Washington but had a major impact on the Cardinals’ defense for the short time he was there. He’s fifth on the team’s all-time sack list with 47.5 while also recording 437 tackles.
Cornerback: Roger Wehrli (1969-1982)
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach stated that Roger Wehrli was the best cornerback he ever played against. That’s an endorsement you don’t take lightly. Then again, in 1975 Wehrli picked off three Staubach passes, two in the fourth quarter, of a 31-17 win over the Dallas Cowboys so he should know.
Wehrli picked off 40 passes in his career to earn the number three spot on the Cardinals’ career interceptions list. He leads the team’s career fumbles recovered list with 22. Wehrli was named to seven Pro Bowls in his career and earned first-team All-Pro honors three times. He was named to the NFL’s all-1970s team and inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007.
Cornerback: Aeneas Williams (1991-2000)
Aeneas Williams is the only cornerback in Cardinals’ history that has more interceptions than Roger Wehrli. He finished his career in Arizona with 46, with nine returned for touchdowns. In 1994, Williams led the NFL in interceptions with nine and was named to his first Pro Bowl team. He’s tied with Larry Wilson for first on the Cardinals’ career fumble return yards list with 173. Finally, he tops all cornerbacks in team history with 569 tackles.
Williams went to the Pro Bowl six times while with the Cardinals and was named a first-team All-Pro three times. He’s a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1990s and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014.
Safety: Larry Wilson (1960-1972)
Wilson was one of the leaders of the Cardinals’ defense for his entire 13-year NFL career. He leads the franchise with 52 interceptions and 800 return yards. In 1966 he intercepted a pass in seven straight games and led the NFL with 10 that season.
If sacks and tackles statistics were kept during those years he would also be among the franchise leaders in those categories. Wilson impacted the defense as one of the first safeties to be used as a blitzer and earned the reputation of a savage hitter.
Wilson played in eight Pro Bowls and was named a first-team All-Pro five times. The Cardinals retired his number eight and honored him with a place in their Ring of Honor. Wilson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978.
Safety: Adrian Wilson (2001-2012)
Adrian Wilson wasn’t just a safety who had strong ball skills as his 27 career interceptions indicate. He was also a devastating hitter. He’s the franchise leader in forced fumbles with 16, two of those he returned for touchdowns. He’s also third on the Cardinals’ all-time list in tackles with 893.
Wilson was named to five Pro Bowl teams in his 12-year career and once earned first-team All-Pro honors.
Returner: Patrick Peterson (2011-Present)
For a majority of NFL franchises, Patrick Peterson would be listed at cornerback but he plays for one that boasts Hall of Famers Roger Wehrli and Aeneas Williams. Still, in his rookie season, Peterson added to his immediate impact in the Cardinals’ secondary by leading the NFL in punt return yards. He also brought back four punts for touchdowns.
He’s currently second on the Cardinals’ all-time punt return yardage list to Vai Sikahema and is eighth on the NFL’s all-time active punt return list. If kickoffs were still an important part of special teams Peterson would be ranking even higher on the Cardinals’ all-time return yards list.
Kicker: Jim Bakken (1962-1978)
Jim Bakken was one of the last straight-on, square-toe placekickers in the NFL. Jay Feely and Neil Rackers may have better field goal percentages but Bakken has almost twice the total of career points as they do.
He led the NFL in field goal percentage twice in his career, in 1965 and 1967, and was named to the Pro Bowl in both seasons. He also doubled as a punter for the Cardinals in 1965 and 1966. Bakken was the first to kick seven field goals in a game, against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1967.
Late in his career, in 1975 and 1976, Bakken pulled off a double, two Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro selections.
Punter: Rich Camarillo (1989-1993)
Rich Camarillo only punted for the Cardinals for five seasons of his 15 in the NFL but they were among the best of his career.
While with Phoenix he punted 346 times for 15,114 yards. In 1989 he topped the NFL with a 43.4 yards per kick average. In four of his five seasons with the Cardinals, Camarillo was the NFC’s Pro Bowl punter and named a first-team All-Pro once.
