Arizona Cardinals Franchise Jersey Countdown: History of No. 18

The history isn’t deep but a number of players have worn number 18 for the Arizona Cardinals

Only 18 more days folks. We’re getting closer and closer to the Draft where we will finally know what the teams Cardinals intentions are with the number one overall pick.

Thus far we have only had one number that brings any sort of excitement. That was Patrick Peterson’s current jersey. The most recent in our countdown was No. 19, and the most “exciting” player was John Skelton.

As we continue our countdown we no sit at jersey No. 18. It’s a short history, but one player sticks out when you look at it. Carl Birdsong. Birdsong played five seasons in the NFL, all five being with the then, St. Louis Cardinals. He served as the teams punter from 1981 to 1985, with a Pro Bowl nod in 1983. He played in 73 of his 73 games, thanks to a shortened 1982 season.

Cliff Stoudt also wore the jersey. Stoudt was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1971 draft. He joined the Cardinals in 1986 and served as the teams backup until 1988. He went 0-4 as a starter with the team, throwing nine touchdowns and 15 interceptions.

Since 1994 everyone but Kerry Taylor has worn the jersey for only one season. These names include:

Kevin Knox
Jake Soliday
Reggie Newhouse
Max Komar
Stephen Williams
Marquis Bundy
Greg Little
Brice Butler
Kevin White

Newhouse was with Arizona for two seasons but switched from 87 to 18. Komar looked promising in 2010. He played in eight games, catching 12 passes for 117 yards. He was only in the league for two seasons.

Kerry Taylor was a fan favorite, playing his college ball at Arizona State and playing his High School football at Hamilton. He caught three passes with Arizona for 40 yards.

Greg Little and Brice Butler wore the jersey during the preseason in 2018 but neither made the 53 man roster.

Kevin White is currently wearing the jersey. The oft injured receiver joins Arizona looking for a fresh start. He caught 25 passes for 285 yards in Chicago. White and the team are both hoping he can finally get past the injury bug and finally meet the expectations of his draft status.

We will continue our countdown as we get closer to the NFL Draft. So stick with Raising Zona for all your draft needs.