Irv Goode was a beast at the University of Kentucky, which led to his high selection by the St. Louis Cardinals, who nabbed him 12^th Overall in 1961.  Goode accomplished a rare feat as a rookie, earning Rookie of the Year votes (4^th), and though St. Louis was not impressive in the 1960s, the versatile lineman (he played at Left Tackle, Left Guard, and Center) won Pro Bowl honors in both 1964 and 1967.

He would later win a Super Bowl in a reserve capacity with the Miami Dolphins at SB VIII.

A First Round Pick from Mississippi, Freddie Joe Nunn seemed to bounce from Defensive End to Linebacker depending on the need in his first nine years in the NFL as a Cardinal.

A really good player but never was named a Pro Bowler or All-Pro, Nunn was at his best as a pass rusher, as shown by his 14-Sack year in 1988, the first year of the Cards' relocation to the desert.  Had Nunn received a more defined and consistent role with the Cardinals and not endured legal issues (he was arrested multiple times), his profile in Cardinal history would be more significant.  It also did not help that the St. Louis/Phoenix were hardly world-beaters when he played there.  After nine seasons, Nunn departed for the Colts, where he played three years to close out his career.

Following Nunn's departure, he had the franchise record 66.5 Sacks, a record that stood until it was broken by Chandler Jones in 2021.

The first man to win back-to-back Sun Bowl MVPs and have his number retired at New Mexico State, Charley Johnson was drafted late (10^th Round) of the 1960 Draft, seeing limited action in his rookie year, but became the Cardinals starter in his second season. 

Johnson may not have ever appeared in a playoff game, but in '63 and '64, he had nine wins each in 14-game Seasons and was one of the top QBs in the league.  A Pro Bowl selection in 1963, Johnson led the NFL in Completions (223) and Passing Yards (3,045), though he also had 24 Interceptions against 21 Touchdown Passes that year. 

Johnson remained St. Louis’s starting Quarterback until the emergence of Jim Hart in 1969, and he was traded to the Houston Oilers.  Overall, with the Cardinals, Johnson compiled a TD-INT ratio of 108-110 and 14,928 Yards.

With the Fifth Overall Pick in the 1981 Draft, the St. Louis Cardinals selected E.J. Junior, who was the second Linebacker taken behind someone you may have heard of; Lawrence Taylor.  Junior did not have Taylor’s career (who could?) but the Cardinals got a lot of good football from the eventual College Football Hall of Fame inductee.

Junior won the starting job during the season and, by the mid-80s, was one of the best interior Linebackers in the NFC.  His best season was in 1984 when he was a First Team All-Pro and began a two-year run of Pro Bowls.  From 183 to 1985, Junior had eight Interceptions and 19.0 Sacks, and though he tailed off afterward, he was still a solid NFL player.

He left the Cardinals behind in 1988, joining Miami as a Free Agent.  The Cardinals were not significant in the 1980s, but this does not detract from Junior's work in St.Louis/Phoenix.