Twenty-Five Greatest Players in Cardinals History

Ottis Anderson was the greatest running back in Cardinals history.

There may be many who remember Ottis Anderson for his time with the New York Giants, where he won two Super Bowl rings, and was MVP of Super Bowl XXV. However, before his run in the Big Apple, he was putting up big numbers for the Cardinals, who were in Saint Louis at the time.

Anderson’s career started with a bang. In his debut, he rushed for 193 yards and a touchdown, and he would break 100 yards rushing eight more times in his rookie campaign. He finished the year with over 1,600 yards and 8 scores. He made the Pro Bowl and was named Offensive Rookie of the Year. In his first six seasons, he averaged 1,227 yards and 7 touchdowns, an especially remarkable feat considering his fourth year was a strike-shortened season where he only rushed for 587 yards. After a disappointing year in 1985, he was traded to the Giants.

Though he made himself a name for New York, he still stands as the greatest running back in Cardinals history, and he is still their all-time leader in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. The teams he played on were generally not very good, but Anderson was certainly one of the few bright spots.