Twenty-Five Greatest Players in Cardinals History

Few tackles were as solid as Dan Dierdorf.

Many people remember Dierdorf as one of the announcers of Monday Night Football, or for his time doing the same job for CBS. However, fans of the Cardinals know he was the best offensive lineman the franchise has ever had. Before he moved to the announcer’s booth, he was a dominating offensive tackle on the field.

Dierdorf was a second round draft pick out of Michigan, and played both guard and tackle for his first few seasons. Eventually, he found a home at tackle and began the task of building a Hall of Fame career. From 1974 to 1978, he was at his best, and earned Pro Bowl berths in each of those seasons. During that run, he went two full years without allowing a single sack. During that run, the team was, not coincidentally, pretty good, going 44-28 and making two trips to the playoffs.

He was a pretty good announcer, but Dierdorf was a better football player. He went to a total of six Pro Bowls, and was first-team All Pro three times. He was placed in the Cardinal Ring of Honor, and in 1996, was elected to the Hall of Fame.