Arizona Cardinals Team History

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The Arizona Cardinals built strong teams during the 1920s, 1940s, and 1970s, capturing a total of two NFL titles and four division crowns during those decades.

Unfortunately the first Super Bowl was not played until 1967, which mean the Cardinals have never won the NFL Superbowl championship.

The closest Arizona has come to winning the championship in the modern era was in 2008 during Superbowl XLIII where they lost 27 - 23 to Pittsburgh.

The team's championship lineup of 1947 starred the famed Dream Backfield of quarterback Paul Christman, fullback Pat Harder, and halfbacks Elmer Angsman and Charley Trippi. During the 1970s quarterback Jim Hart commanded one of the league's most potent offenses. The Cardinals defeated the Eagles 32-25 to advance to the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history. They lost Super Bowl XLIII 27-23 to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Arizona Cardinals Chronological History

1898

The Morgan Athletic Club in Chicago begins playing regular games on the south side of the city.

1901

The team adopts the name "Cardinals" after team owner Chris O'Brien buys used uniforms that have faded to the color of cardinal red.

1920

The Chicago Cardinals become charter members of the American Professional Football League.

1925

The Cardinals capture their first NFL crown.

1929

On Thanksgiving Day, Ernie Nevers scores all of the teams 40 points for a win over the Chicago Bears.

1945

World War II conscripted so many players from the Cardinals roster that they merged with the Pittsburgh Steelers to form a team called Card-Pitt. The team lost all 10 of their games.

1946

The Cardinals have the first of three consecutive winning seasons.

1947

The Cardinals win the NFL Championship Game.

1960

The Cardinals move to St. Louis and have their best season in years. Throughout the decade, the Cardinals have five winning seasons but fail to qualify for postseason play.

1974

The Cardinals qualify for the playoffs for the first time in 26 years.

1975

The Cardinals win the Division Championship.

1982

The Cardinals qualify for the postseason but fail to qualify for the Superbowl. While the team has several winning seasons over the next 2 decades, they fail to qualify for postseason play again until 1996.

1988

After a deal to build a new stadium in St. Louis fails, the team is relocated to Arizona.

1998

the Arizona Cardinals finally ended the team's 15-year playoff drought and achieved their first postseason victory since 1947.

1999

Coming off of their playoff run in 1998, the Cardinals were expected to do bigger and better things in 1999, but a tough schedule ranked in the top 5 as well as key injuries returned the team to their losing ways, getting off to a 2-6 start. However, the Cards would make another run winning 4 straight to get back into the playoff chase, but this year it was not meant to be as Arizona lost their last 4 to finish with a disappointing 6-10 record.

2004

Tragedy struck the team on April 22, 2004 when former safety Pat Tillman, a popular player who was an All-American at Arizona State, was killed in Afghanistan while serving in the United States Army.

2006

The Cardinals open the season in their new building the University of Phoenix Stadium seats 63,500 fans (expandable to 72,800) opened on August 12, 2006 when the Cardinals defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, 21-13, in a preseason game. The Cardinals then hosted their first regular season opening day game since moving to the Phoenix area in 1988, defeating the San Francisco 49ers in a rematch of the 2005 blowout in Mexico City, 34-27, in front of a sellout crowd of 63,407. In 2008, the stadium will hosted Super Bowl XLII Where the Giants defeated the Patriots.

2008

The Cardinals selected cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie with their first pick in the 2008 NFL Draft.

2009

The Cardinals defeated the Eagles 32-25 to advance to the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history. They lost Super Bowl XLIII 27-23 to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

2012

Whisenhunt was relieved of his head coaching duties by the Cardinals after 3 straight non-playoff seasons. Rod Graves, general manager at the time, was also relieved of his duties

Arizona Cardinals Franchise Information

Franchise Granted: 1920
First Season: 1920
Morgan Athletic Club (1898)
Racine Normals (1899-1900)
Racine Cardinals (1901-1906, reformed 1913-1919)
Chicago Cardinals (1920-1943)
Card-Pitt (1944)
Chicago Cardinals (1945-1959)
St. Louis Cardinals (1960-1987)
Phoenix Cardinals (1988-1993)
Arizona Cardinals (1994-present)

The Cardinals originally played in Chicago as a charter member of the American Professional Football Association (APPA). The team moved to St. Louis in 1960 and then to Phoenix in 1988. Contrary to popular logic, the team was not named after the beautiful bird but instead because the team played in used maroon jerseys the original team (in pre-NFL years) had purchased from the University of Chicago. When an observer scoffed that the jerseys were faded red, team owner Chris Brien countered that they weren't faded red, they were cardinal red.

Arizona Cardinals - Stadium

University of Phoenix Stadium

One Cardinals Drive
Glendale, Arizona 85305
Capacity: 63,500
Surface: Natural Grass
Cost: 455 Million
Type: Retractable Roof
Tenants:
Arizona Cardials
Arizona State Sun Devils

Previous Stadiums

Normal Park (1920-1921), (1926-1928)

Comiskey Park (1922-1925), (1929-1958)

Soldier Field (4 games 1959)

Metropolitan Stadium (Bloomington, MN) (2 games 1959)

Busch Stadium (1960-1965)

Busch Memorial Stadium (1966-1987)

Sun Devil Stadium (1988-2005)

University of Phoenix Stadium (2006-present)

League Championships

1925 (NFL), 1947 (NFL)

Conference Championships

2008 (NFC)

Division Championships

1947 (NFL West), 1948 (NFL West), 2008 (NFC West)

Wild Card Wins

1998 (NFC West), 2008 (NFC West), 2009 (NFC West)

Years in Playoffs

1947, 1948, 1974, 1975, 1982, 1998, 2008, 2009

Arizona Cardinals

Coaches

Bruce Arians

2013

Ken Whisenhunt

2007 - 2012

Dennis Green

2004 - 2006

Dave McGinnis

2000 - 2003

Vince Tobin

1996 - 2000

Buddy Ryan

1994 - 1995

Joe Bugel

1990 - 1993

Hank Kuhlmann

1989

Gene Stallings

1986 - 1989

Jim Hanifan

1980 - 1985

Larry Wilson

1979

Bud Wilkinson

1978 - 1979

Don Coryell

1973 - 1977

Bob Hollway

1971 - 1972

Charley Winner

1966 - 1970

Wally Lemm

1962 - 1965

Ray Willsey

1961

Ray Prochaska

1961

Chuck Drulis

1961

Frank Ivy

1958 - 1961

Ray Richards

1955 - 1957

Joe Stydahar

1953 - 1954

Joe Kuharich

1952

Curly Lambeau

1950 - 1951

Buddy Parker

1949

Phil Handler

1949

Jimmy Conzelman

1946 - 1948

Phil Handler

1944 - 1945

Walt Kiesling

1944

Phil Handler

1943

Jimmy Conzelman

1940 - 1942

Ernie Nevers

1939

Milan Creighton

1935 - 1938

Paul Schissler

1933 - 1934

Jack Chevigny

1932

Roy Andrews

1931

Ernie Nevers

1930 - 1931

Dewey Scanlon

1929

Fred Gillies

1928

Guy Chamberlin

1927

Norm Barry

1925 - 1926

Arnie Horween

1923 - 1924

Paddy Driscoll

1920 - 1922

Retired Numbers

#8 Larry Wilson #40 Pat Tillman #77 Stan Mauldin #88 J. V. Cain #99 Marshall Goldberg

Hall of Fame Members

John "Paddy" Driscoll

1925, 1926

Walter Kiesling

1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933

Guy Chamberlin

1927, 1928

Charles W. Bidwill Sr.

1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947

Jimmy Conzelman

1940, 1941, 1942, 1946, 1947, 1948

Dan Dierdorf

1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983

Paddy Driscoll

1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925

Dick "Night Train" Lane

1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959

Ollie Matson

1952, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958

Ernie Nevers

1929, 1930, 1931

Jackie Smith

1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977

Charley Trippi

1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955

Larry Wilson

1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972

Don Maynard

1973