Yes, we know that this is taking a while!
As many of you know, we at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team. We have another one ready, with our Top 50 Arizona Cardinals.
As for all of our top 50 players in football, we look at the following:
1. Advanced Statistics.
2. Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Football League.
3. Playoff accomplishments.
4. Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles that are not reflected in a stat sheet.
The most tenured team in the National Football League, the Arizona Cardinals have taken a long road, traversed multiple cities, and seen more hard times than good.
Formed in 1898 as the Morgan Athletic Club, they would be renamed the Racine Normals for two years before becoming the Racing Cardinals. Twenty years later, they were charter members of the National Football League as the Chicago Cardinals.
In the Windy City, the franchise won two titles, the first in 1925, disputed by the Pottsville Maroons, but there was no NFL Championship Game back then. The second title is undisputed, as with their "Million Dollar Backfield," they won the Championship Game in 1947, the last title they have won.
Taking a backseat to the Bears in Chicago, the Cardinals relocated to St. Louis in 1961. They only made the playoffs thrice in St. Louis and relocated again in 1987, becoming the Phoenix Cardinals. That name would change again to the Arizona Cardinals, and with Kurt Warner as their Quarterback, they made it to their first Super Bowl in the 2008 Season. They did not win but appear to have a permanent home in the desert.
Here is the inaugural top five:
1. Larry Wilson
2. Larry Fitzgerald
3. Charley Trippi
4. Roger Wehrli
5. Dan DIerdo
You can find the entire list here.
We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.
A two-way star at Utah, Larry Wilson barely reached six feet, which was primarily why he dropped to the Seventh Round of the 1960 NFL Draft, and it would not take long to see that he was the steal of the day.
A Cardinal for the entirety of his 12 NFL campaigns, Wilson was one of the most outstanding Safety of the 1960s and helped redefine the position. With his speed and tackling ability, the Cardinals had a player who could execute the Safety Blitz, a novelty at the time. Wilson had 21 (unofficial) Sacks over his career, and in traditional Defensive Back stats, he recorded 52 Interceptions, including a league-leading 10 in 1966, a year where he was second in MVP voting. He was also known for his toughness, having once played with casts on both arms.
From 1962 to 1970, Wilson was named to the Pro Bowl, and he rattled off five consecutive First Team Selections from 1966 to 1970. Not surprisingly, Wilson was chosen for the 50th, 75th, and 100th NFL Anniversary Teams.
Wilson entered the Pro Football of Fame in his first year of eligibility, one of two people (Tom Nix) being the other, to accomplish this astounding feat.
He may never have appeared in a playoff game, but many a game was won for St. Louis because Wilson was on their squad. The Cardinals retired his number 8 in 1970; in 2006, he entered their Ring of Honor.