Dan Dierdorf

Dan Dierdorf

No. 72
Offensive tackle
Personal information
Date of birth: June 29, 1949 (1949-06-29) (age 62) Canton, Ohio
Career information
College: Michigan
NFL Draft: 1971 / Round: 2 / Pick: 43
Debuted in 1971 for the St. Louis Cardinals
Last played in 1983 for the St. Louis Cardinals
Career history
St. Louis Cardinals (1971-1983)
Career highlights and awards
6× Pro Bowl selection (1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980) 5× First-team All-Pro selection (1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980) 1× Second-team All-Pro selection (1974) NFL 1970s All-Decade Team 3× NFLPA NFC OL of the Year (1976, 1977, 1978)
Stats at NFL.com
Pro Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame

Daniel Lee "Dan" Dierdorf (born June 29, 1949) is a former American football player and current television sportscaster. He played 13 NFL seasons and has worked for ABC's Monday Night Football and CBS as a color commentator since retiring from football.

Born in Canton, Ohio, Dierdorf played football at Glenwood High School in Canton (now GlenOak High School), then the University of Michigan before being drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2nd round of the 1971 NFL Draft.

College career

At Michigan, Dan was a consensus All-American in 1970 and assisted the team to a 25–6 record in his 3 years as a starter. The Wolverines were Big Ten Champions in 1969. Dierdorf made all-conference in 1969 and 1970. He was chosen for the East-West Shrine Game and Hula Bowl and for the 1971 College All-Star Game. In 2000, Dierdorf was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame. While in college, Dierdorf became a member of Kappa Sigma Fraternity.

NFL career

Dierdorf began his career as a guard and left tackle before settling in as a starter at right tackle in 1974. In 1982 he moved to center and was the starter in that season and became a back-up in his final year, 1983.

Dierdorf was named to the Pro Bowl 6 times from 1974-'78 & 1980. Dierdorf was named All-Pro for 4 consecutive seasons beginning in 1975 when the Pro Football Writers Association voted him All-Pro. From 1976-78 Dan was a consensus All-Pro and in 1980 the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) named him All-Pro. In addition, Dan was a consensus 2nd team All-Pro in 1974.

He was named NFLPA NFC Offensive Lineman of the year by his peers in 1976, 77, and 78. In 1996 he received the ultimate honor when he was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The 1975 Cardinals offensive line, consisting from right to left of Dierdorf, Conrad Dobler, Tom Banks, Bob Young, and Roger Finnie, allowed a total of only 8 sacks, a then-NFL record. Dierdorf did not give up a sack for the entire 1976 and 1977 seasons. His streak ended in the first game of the 1978 season when Chicago Bears left defensive end Tommy Hart nabbed 2 sacks against Dierdorf. Dan had not given up a sack since the 1975 NFC Divisional playoff game when Jack Youngblood sacked Jim Hart.

Post NFL Career

After his retirement, Dierdorf successfully made the transition to the broadcast booth. He called Cardinals and Missouri Tigers games on radio for KMOX in 1984 before moving to CBS television for two seasons.

In 1987, he was added to the Monday Night Football team. He was named as ABC's blow-by-blow boxing commentator in 1989, beginning with Meldrick Taylor's first defense of his championship. He also served as a Correspondent for the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. Dierdorf stayed at ABC for twelve seasons before a shake up after the 1998 season. Dierdorf quickly moved to CBS, who had just gained rights to air AFC football matchups, and was placed on the network's number 2 team with play-by-play man Verne Lundquist, replacing Randy Cross who was moved to The NFL Today. After the 1999 season Lundquist was moved to CBS' lead college football team, and Dierdorf served as commentator for Dick Enberg for the next six seasons. Since 2006 he has shared the booth with Greg Gumbel.

Dan Dierdorf was the 2008 recipient of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award. He received the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award on Friday, August 1 during the Enshrinees Dinner in Canton, at which the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2008 enshrinees – Fred Dean, Darrell Green, Art Monk, Emmitt Thomas, Andre Tippett and Gary Zimmerman – received their gold Hall of Fame jackets from each of their presenters. The Class of 2008 Enshrinement Ceremony took place the following day.

Dierdorf continues to live in St. Louis and has his own star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame. He is the co-proprietor, along with former Cardinals quarterback Jim Hart of Dierdorf and Hart's, a St. Louis steakhouse. Dan Dierdorf also is one of the investors of KTRS radio in St. Louis.

See also

• List of NFL on CBS commentator pairings
• University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor

External links

• Pro Football Hall of Fame: Member profile
• Dan Dierdorf named Rozelle Award winner Hall of Fame Announcement

Persondata
Name	Dierdorf, Dan
Alternative names
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Date of birth	June 29, 1949
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death