Cardinals all-time team features Fitzgerald, Anderson, and stars from long ago
Cardinals all-time team features Fitzgerald, Anderson, and stars from long ago
Unique would be a good word to describe the history of the Cardinals franchise. While in Chicago, the team won a championship in 1925 that wasn’t recognized by the league until several years later due to rule-breaking by both the Cardinals and the second-place Pottsville Maroons. Chicago went to back-to-back championship games in the late 1940s, but didn’t play for the league title again for another 60 years, when the Arizona Cardinals lost to Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XLIII.
The all-time Cardinals team is led by current star wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, top rusher Ottis Anderson, who made his mark in the early 1980s, and several players from those early title teams that may not be household names to modern fans.
Head Coach: Bruce Arians (49-30-1) is the owner of the most wins in franchise history. Under him, the Cardinals had three double-digit win totals and reached the NFC title game in 2015. Jimmy Conzelman (34-31-3) transformed a team that went 2-7-2 in his first season in 1940 to a two-time NFL Championship Game participant and the league champion in 1947. Ken Whisenhunt (45-51) led the team to its first title game appearance in 60 years, which ended with a loss to the Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII. Arizona went 10-6 and won its second straight NFC West title the following year, but lost in the Division round. Don Coryell (42-27-1) used a high-powered offensive scheme to produce three double-digit win seasons and two division titles, although the team went 0-2 in the playoffs. Charlie Winner went 35-30-5 over five seasons, but never led the club to the playoffs. Norm Barry led the team to an 11-2-1 mark and a league championship in 1925.
Quarterback: Jim Hart is the all-time franchise leader with 34,639 yards and 209 touchdowns in 18 years. He went to four Pro Bowls and had two 3,000-yard seasons. Neil Lomax ranks second with 22,771 yards and 136 scores. The two-time Pro Bowler had four seasons with 3,000 or more yards, including 4,614 in 1984 (a team record at the time) and a league-leading 3,387 three years later. Hall of Famer Kurt Warner led the team to Super Bowl XLIII during his five-year stint in Arizona. He was a Pro Bowler and the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award winner in 2008 after throwing for 4,583 yards and 30 touchdowns. Carson Palmer also spent five years with the club. He led the Cardinals to the 2015 NFC Championship Game and made the Pro Bowl that year while setting franchise records with 4,671 yards and 35 scores. Jake “The Snake” Plummer was a member of the 1997 All-Rookie Team and threw for more than 3,000 yards twice.
Running Back: Anderson is the team’s all-time leader with 7,999 yards and 46 scores. He made the Pro Bowl in his first two seasons and was an All-Pro and the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1979 after setting a franchise record with 1,605 yards. Hall of Famer Ollie Matson was a five-time All-Pro and a Pro Bowler in all six of his seasons in Chicago. He was traded to the Rams for nine players after the 1958 season. Lyvonia “Stump” Mitchell ranks second with 4,649 yards and fourth with 32 touchdowns. Best known for his return skills, Mitchell ran for 1,006 yards and seven scores in 1985. Hall of Famer Charley Trippi was the best-known member of the “Million Dollar Backfield,” which won the 1947 championship and returned to the title game the following year. Trippi was a two-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in 1948. Johnny Roland was a Pro Bowler in his first two seasons and ran for 3,608 yards and 27 touchdowns, including 10 in 1967. John David Crow was a three-time Pro Bowler who ran for 1,071 yards in 1960 and 14 scores two years later. Terry Metcalf went to three Pro Bowls in five seasons.
Fullback: Larry Centers was a two-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in 1996. He excelled as a receiver, ranking third with 535 catches. Jim Otis is third with 3,863 rushing yards, including 1,076 in his 1975 Pro Bowl season. Wayne Morris is second in team history with 37 touchdowns to go with 3,375 yards. Pat Harder was another member of the “Million Dollar Backfield” that played in two straight NFL title games. He won the United Press International MVP Award in 1948 and was a Pro Bowler two years later.
Wide Receiver: No matter what team receiving record you look up, Fitzgerald probably holds the mark. The 11-time Pro Bowler has 1,303 catches, 16,279 yards, and 116 scores. He led the NFL in receptions and touchdowns twice each and had more than 1,000 yards nine times. Fitzgerald played in Super Bowl XLIII and the 2015 NFC Championship Game, was named the Walter Payton Man of the Year the following season, and was an All-Pro in 2008. Roy Green ranks a distant second with 8,496 yards and 66 scores, and is fourth with 522 receptions. The two-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro led the NFL with 14 touchdowns in 1983 and 1,555 yards the following year. Anquan Boldin is second with 586 catches, fourth with 7,520 yards and fifth with 44 touchdowns. The three-time Pro Bowler teamed with Fitzgerald in Super Bowl XLIII and had five 1,000-yard seasons. Pat Tilley had 7,005 yards and 37 touchdowns in 11 seasons, and he was a Pro Bowler in 1980. Mel D. Gray was a four-time Pro Bowler who had 6,644 yards and 45 scores. He led the NFL with 11 touchdowns in 1975. Frank Sanders totaled 6,579 yards, including 1,145 in 1998. Ulmo “Sonny Randle” ranks third with 60 scores to go along with 5,438 yards. He was a four-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in 1960. Bobby Joe Conrad had 38 touchdowns and was an All-Pro in 1963 and a Pro Bowler a year later.
Tight End: Hall of Famer Jackie Smith is third in team history with 7,918 yards, fifth with 480 receptions and sixth with 40 touchdowns. He played 18 years in St. Louis and was selected to five straight Pro Bowls. Bill Stonesifer had 2,901 yards and 14 scores in six years. Doug Marsh had 19 touchdowns, including eight in 1983.
Tackle: Before becoming a commentator, Hall of Famer Dan Dierdorf played 13 years with the Cardinals. The six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro started all 14 games in each of his first 11 seasons. Luis Sharpe was a three-time Pro Bowler, a member of the 1982 All-Rookie Team and started 189 games with the club. Ernie McMillan played 178 games in 14 years and made the Pro Bowl four times. Bob Reynolds was a three-time Pro Bowler over nine seasons. James “Tootie” Robbins joined Sharpe on the 1982 All-Rookie Team and he went on to play 132 games in St. Louis and Phoenix. Bill Fischer went to three Pro Bowls in five seasons in the early 1950s. Frederick “Duke” Slater spent six seasons in Chicago and was one of the few black players not blacklisted in the 1920s.
Guard: Ken Gray was a six-time Pro Bowler and a two-time All-Pro who played 151 games in 12 years. Conrad Dobler was a three-time Pro Bowler in the 1970s. Bob Young was selected to a pair of Pro Bowls and was an All-Pro in 1979. Irv Good was a two-time Pro Bowler who played 134 games in 10 seasons. Garrard “Buster” Ramsey was a two-time All-Pro and a two-time NFL Championship Game participant. Mike Iupati was a Pro Bowler in 2015. Lance Smith played 140 games and Joe Bostic appeared in 132.
Center: Tom Banks was a four-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in 1976. Bob DeMarco was selected to three Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams during the 1960s. Lyle Sendlein played in Super Bowl XLIII and the 2015 NFC Championship Game. Jack Simmons was a Pro Bowler in 1956. Ralph Claypool was an All-Pro in the 1925 NFL title season.
Defensive End: Freddie Joe Nunn posted a franchise-best 66½ sacks, including 11 in 1987 and 14 the following year, but he never made a Pro Bowl. He also had 439 tackles and 11 fumbles recovered in nine seasons, which were split between end and linebacker. Calais Campbell ranks second with 56½ sacks, and he had at least five in all eight seasons in Arizona. He was a two-time Pro Bowler and a starter in Super Bowl XLIII. Simeon Rice is third with 51½ sacks, including 12½ in 1996 when he was named Defensive Rookie of the Year, and 16½ in his 1999 Pro Bowl season. Curtis Greer ranks fourth with 50½ sacks, with 16 in 1983 and 14 more the next year. Bertrand Berry totaled 40 sacks, including 14½ in his 2004 Pro Bowl season, to go with 11 forced fumbles. Al Baker had 37 ½ sacks in four years, with 13 in 1983. Chuck Walker was a Pro Bowler in 1966 and an All-Pro three years later.
Defensive Tackle: Darnell Dockett was a three-time Pro Bowler and a Super Bowl XLIII participant. He had 40½ sacks, including nine in 2007. Eric Swann was selected to a pair of Pro Bowls in nine years. He had 45½ sacks, with 8½ in 1995. David Galloway had 36 sacks, with 12 in 1983. Sam Silas (1965) and Bob Rowe (1968) were both Pro Bowlers.
Outside Linebacker: Larry Stallings played in 181 games over 14 seasons. He had 19 interceptions and 13 fumbles recovered, and he made the Pro Bowl in 1970. Ken Harvey ranks fifth with 47½ sacks, including 10 in 1990. He is also in the top 10 with 437 tackles. Karlos Dansby was a member of the 2004 All-Rookie Team and played in Super Bowl XLIII. He is third with 770 tackles and totaled 33 sacks, 12 forced fumbles, and 15 interceptions, with four returned for scores. Bill Koman was a two-time Pro Bowler who ranks third among defensive players with 16 fumbles recovered. Chandler Jones has amassed 41 sacks in three seasons, including a league-leading 17 in 2017, when he was an All-Pro and a Pro Bowler. Mark Arneson recovered 18 fumbles in nine seasons. Leo Sanford was a two-time Pro Bowler who had 16 picks in seven years. E. J. Junior played 111 games and had 24½ sacks, including 9½ in his All-Pro 1984 season.
Inside/Middle Linebacker: Eric Hill is the franchise leader with 932 tackles, including five seasons of 100 or more. Dale Meinert played in 125 games and made three Pro Bowls. Ronald McKinnon ranks second with 929 tackles and he also forced 12 fumbles. Daryl Washington made the Pro Bowl in 2012.
Cornerback: Hall of Famer Aeneas Williams ranks second with 46 interceptions, with an NFL-best nine in 1994 and six returned for touchdowns. The six-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro also registered 569 tackles. Roger Wehrli, another Canton enshrine, is third with 40 picks and is the franchise leader with 22 fumble recoveries. He is a seven-time Pro Bowler and a three-time All-Pro who played in 193 games. Hall of Famer Dick “Night Train” Lane ranks fourth with 30 interceptions, including a league-high 10 in 1954. He was a four-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in 1956. Two-time Pro Bowler Pat Fischer had 29 picks, including 10 in 1964 and three returned for scores. Patrick Peterson is an eight-time Pro Bowler and a three-time All-Pro, who had 23 interceptions. Jimmy Hill was a three-time Pro Bowler who totaled 19 picks.
Safety: Hall of Famer Larry Wilson is the franchise leader with 52 interceptions, including a league-leading 10 in 1966 and five brought back for touchdowns. Wilson was an eight-time Pro Bowler and a five-time All-Pro. Adrian Wilson was a five-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in 2009. He ranks first with 16 forced fumbles, third with 893 tackles and also had 27 picks. Jerry Norton was a three-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in 1960, when he led the league with 10 interceptions. Tim McDonald was named to three Pro Bowls and totaled 594 tackles. Jerry Stovall was a three-time Pro Bowler over nine seasons. Kwamie Lassiter had 24 picks in eight years. Known as the “Honey Badger” for his tenacity, Tyrann Mathieu was a Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in 2015.
Kicker: Jim Bakken tops the franchise list with 1,380 points, including three seasons with 100 or more and a league-leading 117 in 1967. The four-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro played 234 games, tied with Fitzgerald for the most in team history. Neil Rackers had 699 points, including 140 in his 2005 All-Pro and Pro Bowl season.
Punter: Scott Player was a 2000 Pro Bowler who ranks first with 30,752 yards, including six seasons with 3,000 or more. Rich Camarillo was a four-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in 1992. Carl Birdsong (1983) and Jeff Feagles (1995) were both Pro Bowlers.
Returners: LaRod Stephens-Howling is the team’s all-time leader with 4,067 kickoff return yards, including an NFL-high 1,548 in 2010. The 2009 All-Rookie Team member also brought back three kicks for touchdowns. Stump Mitchell had 4,007 kick return yards, with 1,292 coming in 1981, as well as 1,377 punt return yards. MarTay Jenkins totaled 3,865 kickoff return yards, including an NFL-record 2,186 in 2000. Vai Sikahema has 2,152 punt return yards, the most in franchise history. He was a two-time Pro Bowler, an All-Pro in 1987, and he led the league in yards twice. Peterson was a Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in 2011, when he topped the NFL with 699 punt return yards and four scores. Matson returned six kickoffs and three punts for touchdowns.
Special Teams: Ron Wolfley’s four Pro Bowl selections are tied for third-most at the position in NFL history (with Atlanta’s Elbert Shelley). Justin Bethel went to three Pro Bowls, Sean Morey was named in 2008 and Bishard “Budda” Baker was a Pro Bowler and an All-Rookie Team member in 2017.
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-By Kevin Rakas