The Story And Significance Of Emmitt Thomas - Led The AFL And NFL In Interceptions In A Season

Emmitt Earl Thomas is an American former professional football player and coach in the National Football League. He played college football at the now defunct Bishop College. He played professionally as a cornerback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the NFL. He owns the Chiefs all-time interception record with 58, which places him ninth on pro football's all-time list. Thomas was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame after being nominated by the Seniors Committee.

Thomas became a coach after his playing career. He won Super Bowl IV as a player with the Chiefs and Super Bowl XXII and Super Bowl XXVI as an assistant coach with the Washington Redskins.

Thomas made the Chiefs team as an undrafted free agent from Bishop College in Dallas; he was an AFL All-Star in 1968 and made the NFL's AFC-NFC Pro Bowl four times (1971, 1972, 1974, 1975) after the Chiefs joined the NFL in the 1970 AFL-NFL Merger. He was also selected All-Pro three times. In the 1969 season, he led all pro football with 9 interceptions, which he returned for 146 yards and a touchdown, helping his team win the AFL Championship and the fourth and last AFL-NFL World Championship Game, which the Chiefs won 23–7 over the NFL champion Vikings. Thomas recorded an interception in the Kansas City victory. In 1974, he led the NFL in interceptions (12), return yards (214), and return touchdowns (2).

Thomas retired from playing after 13 seasons; he finished his pro football career with 58 interceptions, which he returned for 937 yards and five touchdowns. He also recovered four fumbles, gained 64 yards returning punts, and returned 29 kickoffs for 673 yards. He played in 181 career games, tying for the fifth-most in club annals, and his 58 interceptions are a franchise record.

Thomas was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008. He was officially inducted at the Enshrinement Ceremony where his bust, sculpted by Scott Myers, was unveiled on August 2, 2008.

Thomas has been an assistant coach in the NFL since 1981. Before being named interim head coach of the Atlanta Falcons on December 12, 2007, after the resignation of Bobby Petrino, Thomas was the Falcons' Senior Defensive Assistant/Secondary Coach. After Petrino's sudden departure left the team in shambles, Thomas attempted to unite the Atlanta locker room, and was able to lead the Falcons to a season-ending victory over the Seattle Seahawks. On January 24, 2008, new Falcons head coach Mike Smith announced that Thomas would remain on staff as assistant head coach. Thomas was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame along with Darrell Green and Art Monk, two players he coached during Super Bowl runs with the Washington Redskins. On January 13, 2010, his contract expired and was not renewed by the Falcons.

On February 1, 2010, he was hired as the secondary coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. On February 12, 2019, Thomas announced his retirement from coaching.

Thomas resides in Kansas City, Missouri. He married Jacqueline Heafley in 1983, and they remained married until her death on August 21, 2017. He has one son, Derek, and one daughter, Dedra, from a previous marriage with ex-wife Dianne Thomas. Derek now resides in Las Vegas, Nevada, doing numerous coaching jobs. Dedra Thomas is currently a legal nurse consultant in Kansas City, Mo. Thomas has a total of eight grandkids: Keydron, Keynan, Kierrah, Kyandria, Bailey, Samantha, Jade and Shane.

Sources

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/

https://www.profootballarchives.com/index.html

https://americanfootballdatabase.fandom.com/wiki/Football_Wiki

https://www.gridiron-uniforms.com/GUD/controller/controller.php?action=main

https://www.profootballhof.com/hall-of-famers/

 "Emmitt Thomas Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 29, 2023.

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 "Thomas on Atlanta Falcons.com". atlantafalcons.com. Archived from the original on December 14, 2007. Retrieved December 17, 2007.

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 "Years - Hall of Famers - Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site". www.profootballhof.com.

 "Chiefs Defensive Backs Coach Emmitt Thomas to Retire after Coaching 38 NFL Seasons". Chiefs.com.

The Story And Significance Of Roger Wehrli - Five Time First Team All-Pro In The 1970s

Roger Russell Wehrli is an American former professional football cornerback who played for his entire 14-year career with the St. Louis Cardinals of the National Football League from 1969 until 1982. He was a seven-time Pro Bowler after playing college football for the Missouri Tigers, where he was a consensus All-American and a first-round draft choice by the Cardinals in 1969. He was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007.

Wehrli's outstanding attribute was his speed. Originally expected to be taken in the third round, he ran a 4.5 40-yard dash and vaulted into the first round. Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach has called Wehrli the best cornerback he played against, and claims that the term "shutdown corner" originated as a description of Wehrli. Although he only played on five winning teams and only went to the playoffs in non-strike years twice, he is considered one of the best cornerbacks in the history of the game.

In his career, Wehrli had 40 career interceptions for 309 yards and recovered 19 fumbles. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007. When inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he became the second Missouri player to be elected, joining former tight end Kellen Winslow, who was enshrined in 1995. Wehrli was inducted into the Cardinals Ring of Honor on October 14, 2007.

An All-Rookie choice in 1969, Wehrli was voted All-Pro in 1970 and was a consensus All-NFC selection including being voted to the Pro Bowl. In 1971, Wehrli was 2nd team All-Pro by the NEA and again was a consensus All-NFC choice and was selected to his second Pro Bowl. In 1972 Wehrli was moved to safety by the Cardinals coaching staff where he played alongside Hall of Famer Larry Wilson. He returned to right cornerback in 1973.

In 1974 Wehrli was again All-Pro and he made his third Pro Bowl and was a consensus All-NFC selection. The following year, 1975 though 1977, he was a consensus All-pro and consensus All-NFC player and a Pro Bowler. In 1978 Wehrli's only post-season honor was being honorable mention All-NFC by UPI as his Cardinal team struggled under new coach Bud Wilkinson. In 1979 Wehrli had a fine season and was a consensus All-NFC pick and made his seventh Pro Bowl. In 1981, after 12 seasons as right cornerback (except for 1972), Wehrli switched to the left side. In his first start at the other corner, he broke up two passes and made four tackles as the Cards shut out the Buffalo Bills, 24–0.

In his 14 seasons, Wehrli played in 193 games. In addition to his starting defensive back duties, he was the holder on the place-kicks. In that role he scored a touchdown in 1982 on a fake field goal.

Sources

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/

https://www.profootballarchives.com/index.html

https://americanfootballdatabase.fandom.com/wiki/Football_Wiki

https://www.gridiron-uniforms.com/GUD/controller/controller.php?action=main

https://www.profootballhof.com/hall-of-famers/

 "Cardinals All-Time Team: Cornerbacks – Roger Wehrli - '69-'82". Revenge of the Birds blog. SBNation. August 1, 2009. Retrieved June 17, 2016.

 Miklasz, Bernie (February 4, 2007). "Hall of Fame for Wehrli? Roger that". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Archived from the original on February 7, 2007. Retrieved December 1, 2013.

The Story And Significance Of Dan Dierdorf - Six Time All-Pro At Offensive Tackle

Daniel Lee Dierdorf is an American sportscaster and former football player. He played 13 seasons (1971–1983) as an offensive tackle for the St. Louis Cardinals of the National Football League.

Dierdorf played college football for the Michigan Wolverines from 1968 to 1970 and was selected as a consensus All-American in 1970 and a first-team All-Big Ten Conference player in 1969 and 1970. He was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor in 1996 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000.

Playing in the NFL for St. Louis, he was selected by the National Football League Players Association as the Offensive Lineman of the Year for three consecutive years from 1976 to 1978. Between 1974 and 1980, he played in the Pro Bowl six times and was chosen as a first-team All-Pro five times. He was named to the NFL 1970s All-Decade Team and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996.

Since his playing career ended, Dierdorf has worked as a broadcaster. He worked for the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) from 1987 to 1999, including 12 seasons as color analyst on Monday Night Football. He was then part of the NFL on CBS team as an announcer for 15 years from 1999 to 2013. Since 2014, he has been the color analyst for Michigan Wolverines football radio broadcasts. In 2008, Dierdorf received the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Dierfdorf was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the second round (43rd overall pick) of the 1971 NFL draft. As a rookie in 1971, he appeared in 12 games, six as a starter. During the 1972 and 1973 seasons, Dierdorf became a fixture in the Cardinals' offensive line, starting all 14 games both years. However, the Cardinals continued to struggle, compiling identical 4–9–1 records all three years. Dierdorf played at the offensive guard and offensive tackle positions in 1971 and 1972 before settling in at the offensive tackle in 1973.

From 1974 to 1976, Dierdorf started every game at right tackle for the Cardinals during a three-year span in which the team compiled records of 10–4, 11–3, and 10–4 under head coach Don Coryell. In 1977, Dierdorf sustained a broken jaw and missed two games to injury as the Cardinals fell to 7–7. In 1978, Dierdorf started all 16 games at right tackle for the Cardinals.

During his peak years from 1974 to 1978, Dierdorf was regarded as one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL. He was selected by the National Football League Players Association as the Offensive Lineman of the Year for three consecutive years from 1976 to 1978. The Cardinals' offensive line, led by Dierdorf, Conrad Dobler, and Tom Banks, led the NFL with the fewest sacks allowed for three years (and the National Football Conference for five years) in the mid-1970s. In 1975, the group set an NFL record, allowing only eight sacks in 14 games.

Dierdorf did not allow a sack during the entire 1976 and 1977 seasons. His streak ended in the first game of the 1978 season when Chicago Bears defensive end Tommy Hart tallied two sacks against Dierdorf. Dierdorf had not given up a sack since the 1975 NFC Divisional playoff game when Jack Youngblood sacked Jim Hart.

Dierdorf was selected to play in the Pro Bowl for five consecutive years from 1974 to 1978. Dierdorf also received first-team All-NFL honors as follows: in 1975 from the Pro Football Writers Association (PFWA); in 1976 from the Associated Press (AP), PFWA, Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA), and Pro Football Weekly (PFW); in 1977 from AP, PFWA, NEA, and PFW; and in 1978 from AP, PFWA, NEA, PFW. He was named as the NFC choice for the NFLPA/Coca-Cola Offensive Lineman of the Year Award three straight years (1976–78) and was the Seagram's Seven Crowns of Sports Offensive Lineman of the Year in 1975. He also won the Forrest Gregg Award for NFL Offensive Lineman of the Year in 1975.

On September 9, 1979, Dierdorf sustained torn ligaments in his left knee during an extra point attempt in the second quarter of the second game of the season against the New York Giants. After the game, Dierdorf said, "The knee was completely out of the socket. It moved a couple of inches off to the side. My leg was all twisted around and my foot was pointing in the wrong direction. It was painful. Very painful." Dierdorf was carried off the field on a stretcher, underwent knee surgery, and missed the remainder of the 1979 season.

Dierdorf returned to the Cardinals in 1980, starting all 16 games for the team at right tackle in both the 1980 and 1981 seasons. In 1980, he was selected to play in the Pro Bowl and was selected as a first-team All-NFL player by the NEA. In 1982, Dierdorf moved to center and was the starter at that position for all nine games in a strike-shortened season.

In 1983, Dierdorf returned to his right tackle position and appeared in seven games, only four as a starter. On October 11, 1983, after the Cardinals began the season with a 1–5 record, Dierdorf announced that he would retire at the end of the 1983 season. At the press conference announcing his retirement, Dierdorf said, "This was an easy decision for me to make. . . . Physically, I just can't play the type of game I want to." He added: "Ninety-five percent of me is sad that I'm retiring, but my knees are very, very happy."

In January 1984, after retiring as a player, Dierdorf was hired as an afternoon talk show host by KMOX radio in St. Louis. In the fall of 1984, he also worked as a color analyst on radio broadcasts of Missouri Tigers football and St. Louis Cardinals football games. In late 1984, he also added St. Louis Blues hockey broadcasts to his repertoire. In the fall of 1985, Dierdorf was hired by CBS as part of its broadcast team for NFL games. He worked on CBS broadcasts of NFL games in 1985 and 1986.

In April 1987, Dierdorf was hired by ABC to join Al Michaels and Frank Gifford on Monday Night Football broadcasts. He spent 12 seasons on Monday Night Football before resigning the post in early 1999.

During his affiliation with ABC, Dierdorf also served as a blow-by-blow boxing commentator in 1989, beginning with Meldrick Taylor's first defense of his championship, served as a correspondent for the network's coverage of the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, and called play-by-play of some College Football on ABC games in the early 1990s.

In April 1999, Dierdorf signed with CBS and was paired with Verne Lundquist as the network's No. 2 NFL broadcasting team. After week 2 of the 2000 season, Lundquist was moved to CBS' lead college football team, and Dierdorf served as commentator for Dick Enberg from 2000 to 2005. Lundquist would partner up with Dierdorf in week 1 in 2003 and 2005. He also partnered up with Kevin Harlan in week 1 of 2001, Ian Eagle in week 1 of 2002, and Todd Blackledge in week 1 of 2004 while Enberg was covering the US Open tennis on CBS. During the 2006 NFL season, Dierdorf was paired with Greg Gumbel as CBS' No. 2 NFL pairing behind Jim Nantz and Phil Simms. He remained paired with Gumbel for eight seasons from 2006 to 2013.

On November 20, 2013, Dierdorf announced that the 2013 NFL season would be his last as an analyst. "It has become a challenge for me to travel to a different NFL city every week, so it's time to step aside." Dierdorf's final broadcast for CBS was an AFC divisional playoff game on January 11, 2014, between the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots.

On April 17, 2014, Dierdorf was introduced as the new color analyst for Michigan Wolverines football radio broadcasts. He was paired with former college teammate Jim Brandstatter, who did play-by-play, on Michigan games. Brandstatter was Dierdorf's backup on the offensive line, at strong tackle. Dierdorf and Brandstatter both retired from broadcasting after the 2021 season.

In 1994 and 1995, Dierdorf was a finalist for election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but he narrowly missed the required 29 votes on both occasions. In January 1996, he received the required vote count and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

In addition to his election into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996. Dierdorf was named to the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor in October 1996. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000. In 2001, Dierdorf was named to the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame. In 2002, Dierdorf received a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame. In August 2006, Dierdorf became one of eight charter inductees into the Arizona Cardinals Ring of Honor.

In 2008, Dierdorf received the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award from the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The award was presented to Dierdorf for "longtime exceptional contributions to radio and television in professional football."

Dierdorf and his wife, Debbie, continue to live in St. Louis. They have two adult children.

Dierdorf was the co-proprietor, along with former Cardinals quarterback Jim Hart, of Dierdorf and Hart's, a St. Louis steakhouse which closed in 2013 after almost 30 years in business. Dierdorf also is one of the investors of KTRS radio in St. Louis.

Sources

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/

https://www.profootballarchives.com/index.html

https://americanfootballdatabase.fandom.com/wiki/Football_Wiki

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https://www.profootballhof.com/hall-of-famers/

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The Story And Significance Of Jackie Smith - Highest Average Yards Per Catch Among All Tight Ends In NFL History

Jackie Larue Smith is an American former football tight end who played in the National Football League for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football for the Northwestern State Demons. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994.

Smith was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the tenth round (129th overall) of the 1963 NFL draft, based on the recommendation of Jack Rockwell, then a Cardinals trainer and a part-time scout, who saw him in a spring game during his senior season, where he showed enough speed to stand out. He was a part of a group of 10 rookies that made the team that year.

He was originally projected to play flanker, but was named the starter at tight end after Taz Anderson was injured. In the fifth game of the season against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he posted 212 yards and 2 touchdowns on 9 receptions, while playing a key role in a 24–23 win. He would not relinquish his starter position and would become a team co-captain.

Besides being a talented receiver, Smith displayed elite conditioning and ran with great determination, not only avoiding tacklers but also running through them. He was an excellent blocker, in an era where the tight ends were expected to block more than feature their receiving skills. He was the team starting punter from 1964 to 1966, until Chuck Latourette took over the role.

His best season came in 1967, when in 14 games he registered 56 receptions for 1,295 (third on the league), 21.5 yard-average per reception and 9 touchdowns. Smith proved his durability by playing in 121 straight games, until suffering torn ligaments in the ninth game of the 1971 season.

In 1974 and 1975, he was a part of the NFC East divisional champions. In 1975, although he played in only 9 games, he contributed to the Cardinals setting an NFL record by allowing only 8 sacks in 14 games.

Injuries that included a problem with the arch in one foot and a spinal condition (his arms would go numb after being tackled) affected him in his last two years.

In 1976, he was passed on the depth chart by J. V. Cain and was relegated to a backup role. On December 4, 1977, he announced his retirement after playing 15 seasons and 198 games. In August 1978, it was reported in the media that the Cardinals contacted Smith to return, but no contract was offered.

Smith played in five straight Pro Bowls and posted more than 40 receptions in seven seasons. He is tied for the most seasons played in a Cardinals uniform with 15 and had a string of 45 straight games with at least one reception. Despite his individual accomplishments, the franchise's success proved fleeting, as the Cardinals only made the playoffs twice in Smith's 15 seasons with them, and were eliminated both times in their first round, with Smith catching only one pass in each game.

On January 29, 1994, Smith was officially voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, as the third tight end to ever receive this honor and recognized as one of the key players that helped revolutionize the position. In 1994, he was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. In 2001, he was inducted into the St. Louis Walk of Fame. In 2009, he was inducted into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame.

In late September 1978, the Cowboys needed to add depth at tight end after Jay Saldi fractured his arm in the fourth game of the season against the St. Louis Cardinals. Head coach Tom Landry called Smith on Monday, September 25, looking to convince him to come back from retirement and sign with the defending Super Bowl champions on September 28.

He reported to the team on Thursday, September 28, and provided depth against the Washington Redskins three days later. Although he was the oldest player (38 years old) in the Dallas Cowboys roster, not many could keep up with his running ability.

During the regular season, he was used as a blocking tight end in goal-line formations and did not record a start or a reception. He received a game ball for his blocking after a win against the Philadelphia Eagles.

In the NFC divisional playoff game against the Atlanta Falcons, the Cowboys were behind 20–13 in the third quarter and their starting quarterback Roger Staubach was out of the game with a concussion. Backup quarterback Danny White found Smith in the end zone (one of his 3 receptions) to tie the game and contribute to a 27–20 comeback win.

Smith eventually made his only trip to the Super Bowl, which would end up leaving a mark on his career. With the Cowboys trailing the Pittsburgh Steelers 21–14 in the third quarter of Super Bowl XIII, Smith dropped a third-down pass in the end zone from Staubach, so instead of tying the score, the team had to settle for a field goal. Although this wasn't the only critical play or turning point of the game and Staubach has also stated at different times that it was a poorly thrown pass, because it was such an iconic play, Smith was singled out in the media for the 35–31 loss. ESPN ranked Smith's dropped pass in the end zone #24 on their list of "100 Greatest Super Bowl Moments".

Smith retired again, even though the Cowboys still wanted him back for the 1979 season. At the time, Smith's 7,918 career receiving yards were the most ever by an NFL tight end, until he was surpassed by Ozzie Newsome's 7,980 yards in 1990. His 16.5 yards per catch average is currently the highest among all tight ends in the Hall of Fame.

Smith has worked in the marketing of Hobie Cat boats, including pedal kayaks and the Mirage Pro Angler. He has performed the national anthem at different sporting events.

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The Story And Significance Of Don Maynard - First Receiver To Reach 10,000 Yards Receiving

Donald Rogers Maynard was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver known for playing for the New York Jets in the National Football League. He also played with the New York Giants and St. Louis Cardinals; and the Shreveport Steamer of the World Football League (WFL).

Maynard was a four-time AFL All-Star and played for the Super Bowl III champions. The Jets retired Maynard's No. 13 in his honor. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and included on the AFL All-Time Team.

Nicknamed "Country", the quick and sure-handed Maynard was perhaps the most productive receiver of his day, setting career records for total receiving yards as well as yards per reception.

Maynard grew up in Texas. His father was a cotton broker, and with the family constantly moving, Maynard attended 13 schools, including five high schools. As a senior at Colorado City High School in Colorado City, Texas, he lettered in football, basketball, and track.

Maynard played collegiately for Rice University (one year), then for Texas Western College (now the University of Texas at El Paso). In three seasons (1954–56) with the Miners, he caught only 28 passes but averaged 27.6 yards per reception and recorded 10 touchdowns. As a running back, he had 843 yards rushing on 154 attempts for a 5.4 average and also returned punts and kickoffs. He amassed 2,283 all-purpose yards, while also intercepting 10 passes playing defensive back.

The New York Giants selected Maynard in the ninth round, with the 109th overall selection, of the 1957 NFL Draft. In 12 games as a rookie, he had 12 rushes for 45 yards (3.8 yards per carry), caught five passes for 84 yards (a 16.8 yard average), and played on special teams. After being released by the Giants during their 1959 training camp, he played one season in the Canadian Football League with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, catching just one pass for 10 yards. In the off-season, he worked as a plumber and a teacher.

Maynard became the first player to sign with the New York Titans in 1960 (the team was renamed the Jets in 1963). This came about because the Titans' first head coach, Sammy Baugh, had coached against Maynard in college and knew his talent. Although scorned by the New York press as an "NFL reject" in 1960, he teamed with Art Powell to form the first professional wide receiver tandem to each gain over 1,000 yards on receptions in a season, with the pair achieving this milestone again in 1962. Over the next 13 years Maynard put up receiving numbers that would earn him a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987.

Collecting 72 pass receptions in his first year as a Titan, he went on to compile four more seasons with 50 or more catches and 1,000 yards receiving, and held the professional football record for total receptions and yards receiving. A four-time AFL All-Star, he is sixth in all-time pro football touchdown receptions, and is a member of the AFL All-Time Team.

In 1965, Maynard was teamed with rookie quarterback Joe Namath. Maynard had 1,218 yards on 68 receptions and 14 touchdowns in Namath's first season (Namath had 22 touchdown passes that year). In 1967, Maynard caught 1,434 of Namath's historic 4,007 passing yards. The receiving yards were a career-high for Maynard and led the league; he also had 71 receptions, 10 touchdowns, and averaged 20.2 yards per catch. In the 1968 season opener against Kansas City, Maynard had 200+ receiving yards for the first time in his career and passed Tommy McDonald as the active leader in receiving yards, where he remained for the next six seasons until his retirement. He added a career-best 228 yards in Game 10 against the Oakland Raiders. Maynard had 57 receptions for 1,297 yards (22.8 yards per catch) and 10 of Namath's 15 touchdowns that year. In the 1968 AFL Championship Game, a 27–23 Jets victory over the Oakland Raiders, Maynard caught six passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns. His 14-yard catch in the first quarter gave the Jets the lead and his six-yard catch in the fourth quarter proved to be the game winner. The Jets won Super Bowl III, 16–7 over the NFL's Baltimore Colts, which was hailed as the first "upset" in Super Bowl history. Maynard played, but had no catches while suffering the effects of a hamstring injury in the AFL title game.

Maynard played four more seasons with the Jets after Super Bowl III including being named first-team all-Pro in 1969. But long-simmering tensions between him and Jets’ Coach Weeb Ewbank boiled over in 1973. He reported late to Jets' camp that summer and, six weeks later on September 10, Ewbank unceremoniously traded him to the St. Louis Cardinals for a future draft pick. He appeared in the Redbirds’ first two games for rookie head coach Don Coryell and caught one pass for 18 yards but didn’t play in the club’s next two contests and was released October 10. Two months later, on December 12, Maynard signed as a free agent with the playoff-bound Los Angeles Rams. The Rams were coached by Chuck Knox, who’d mentored the New York Jets' offensive line during four of Maynard's prime seasons in Gotham – 1963-'66. The Rams, however, didn't activate Maynard for their final game of that regular season nor their 27-16 divisional playoff loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Texas Stadium two days before Christmas.

His NFL playing career at an apparent end, the 39-year-old Maynard caught on with the Houston Texans / Shreveport Steamer of the embryonic World Football League the next summer. But he had just five receptions for the club, which was forced to abruptly move from Houston in September 1974 when Texans' owner R. Steven Arnold unloaded the financially floundering franchise on a group of investors from Shreveport, Louisiana. Maynard retired as an active player after that tumultuous season but was hired by the newly christened Steamer’s as their receivers' coach. Maynard remained in that role until the organization – and league – folded for good in October 1975.

As a player, Maynard did not wear a chin strap on his helmet, instead using special cheek inserts that held the helmet tightly in place.

One of only 20 players who were in the AFL for its entire 10-year existence, Maynard was also one of only seven players who played their entire AFL careers with one team. Maynard finished his career with 633 receptions for 11,834 yards and 88 touchdowns. His 18.7 yards per catch is the highest for anyone with at least 600 receptions. Maynard was the first receiver to reach 10,000 yards and retired as pro football's all-time leader in receptions and yards receiving. Charley Taylor passed him in career receptions in 1975, while Maynard's yardage mark stood until 1986, when Charlie Joiner surpassed him.

Following his NFL career, Maynard went on to participate in many charity-sponsored events. He also participated in the coin toss in Super Bowl XXXIII along with his former teammates, in honor of the 40th anniversary of the 1958 NFL Championship, which is also known as "The Greatest Game Ever Played". He was also once named the grand marshal in the annual El Paso Sun Bowl Thanksgiving Parade. He worked as a math and industrial arts teacher, sold a variety of products, and was a financial planner.

Later in his life, Maynard lived in both El Paso and in Ruidoso, New Mexico to be close to his son and daughter and two grandchildren. His son was also a coach in the Canadian Football League with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 1990.

Maynard and his wife Marilyn (Weaver), whom he met when she was a student at Texas Western, were married in December 1955 after his junior season. She predeceased him. Maynard died from complications of dementia, among other ailments, at a care facility in Ruidoso on January 10, 2022, at the age of 86.

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The Story And Significance Of Larry Wilson - Named To The NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team At Free Safety

Larry Frank Wilson was an American professional football player who was a free safety with the St. Louis Cardinals of the National Football League. An eight-time Pro Bowl selection, he played his entire 13-year career with the Cardinals and remained on the team's payroll until 2003, long after the team moved to Arizona in 1988.

Wilson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978, his first year of eligibility, was named to the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1994 and was named to the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team in 2019.

Despite his skill and adaptability, Wilson's small size (he was only six feet tall) resulted in him not being selected until the 7th round of the 1960 NFL draft by the Chicago Cardinals. The draft was held in November 1959, and the franchise moved to St. Louis before the start of the 1960 season.

Shortly before Wilson's signing, defensive coordinator Chuck Drulis crafted a play that called for the free safety to take part in a blitz. The play was code-named "Wildcat", but Drulis didn't think he had anyone with the skills and athleticism to run it until Wilson's arrival. Drulis was impressed enough with Wilson that he persuaded the Cardinals to convert him to free safety. When the Cardinals first ran the safety blitz, the pressure was severe since most teams did not (and still do not) expect a defensive back to take part in a pass rush. This single play also helped to set up today's defenses where a blitz can come from anywhere. Wilson became so identified with the play that "Wildcat" became his nickname.

Wilson was named All-Pro six times in his career and represented the Cardinals on eight Pro Bowl teams. During 1966, he had at least one interception in seven consecutive games, en route to a 10-pick season that led his league. Fellow Idahoan Jerry Kramer, a guard for the Green Bay Packers and author of Instant Replay, called Wilson "the finest football player in the NFL." Kramer described Wilson's play during an October 30, 1967 game, "...he fired up their whole team ... his enthusiasm was infectious."

Wilson is renowned for not only playing, but intercepting a pass, with casts on both hands due to broken wrists. On the September 18, 2006 edition of SportsCenter, Mike Ditka challenged Terrell Owens' toughness by not playing for 2–4 weeks due to a broken finger. He cited Wilson's interception with casts on both hands as proof of a tougher football player. He ended his career with 52 career picks for 800 yards and five touchdowns, as well as 14 fumble recoveries for 173 yards and 2 more scores.

Wilson retired after the 1972 season. He is one of the few players to have played in the NFL for at least 10 years without having taken part in an official playoff game. The closest he came to postseason play was in 1964, when the Cardinals played in and won the Playoff Bowl, a postseason third-place game. It was one of only five winning seasons the Cardinals had during his 13-year career.

Following his retirement as a player, Wilson was named secondary coach and director of scouting. He stepped down as secondary coach after the 1973 season. In 1977, he was named general manager, a post he would hold (under various titles) for the next 17 years. He also served as interim head coach in 1979 after the dismissal of Bud Wilkinson. Wilson added the title of vice president in 1988, after the team's move to Arizona. He stepped down as GM in 1993, but remained as vice president until his retirement after the 2002 season.

Wilson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978, making him one of four Hall of Famers to have never played in the postseason. In 1999, he was ranked number 43 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players, making him the highest-ranked player to have played a majority of his career with the Cardinals. The team has also retired his uniform number 8. In 2007, NFL Network ranked him ninth on its list of the "Top 10 Draft Steals" in NFL history. Wilson was named to the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1994 and was named to the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team in 2019.

Wilson was married to Nancy Wilson for over forty years and had two children. He died on September 17, 2020 in Scottsdale, Arizona.

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History Of The Arizona Cardinals

The history of the Arizona Cardinals is extraordinary compared to most franchises in the NFL. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League as a member of the league’s National Football Conference West division. The Cardinals were founded as the Morgan Athletic Club in 1898, and are the oldest continuously run professional football team in the United States. The team was established in Chicago and was a charter member of the NFL (APFA which the league was called its first two years) in 1920. Along with the Chicago Bears, the club is one of two NFL charter member franchises still in operation since the league’s founding, the other being the Bears (back then known as the Staleys). The club  moved to St. Louis decades later in 1960 and played in that city through 1987 then moved to Phoenix. 

The franchise has won two NFL championships, both while it was in Chicago. The first occurred in 1925, but is the subject of controversy, with supporters of the Pottsville Maroons believing that Pottsville should have won the title. The title back then was earned by having the best record which the Maroons did. After they earned the title they went to play the best college team after the season which was against NFL rules so they forfeited the title to the Cardinals because they had the second best record. Their second title, and the first to be won in a championship game, came in 1947. They returned to the title game to defend in 1948, but lost in the rematch 7–0 in a snowstorm in Philadelphia.

Since winning the championship in 1947, the team suffered many losing seasons, and currently holds the league’s longest active championship drought, at 68 consecutive seasons. In 2012 the Cardinals became the first NFL franchise to lose 700 games since its inception. The Cardinals are the only NFL team who have never lost a playoff game at home, with a 5-0 record. The Cardinals have had recent success going to the NFC Championship in 2008-2009 season and in 2015-2016 season.. 

Notes:
Spelled List=Lsit
The Cardinals did not play in the 1949 Championship which I said they went to the title game to lose to the Eagles the next two years.
Sorry for the Screencast-O-Matic blocking the corner of the video but using VSDC video editor I did not have a subscription so I had to record off the screen.
This an original video done by me but the photos are not mine and neither is the music.

Bibliography:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_St._Louis_Cardinals_(NFL)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Chicago_Cardinals

http://www.footballdb.com/teams/nfl/arizona-cardinals/history