Before recording his first professional football carry, Ollie Matson had already made a significant mark in global athletic history. As a standout consensus All-American running back at the University of San Francisco, his exceptional track speed propelled him to the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, where he earned a silver medal in the 4x100-meter relay and a bronze in the 400-meter dash. Drafted third overall in the first round of the 1952 NFL Draft by the Chicago Cardinals, the versatile athlete quickly proved to be one of the most explosive and game-changing players the league had ever seen.

Matson had an exceptional stride length that enabled him to clear angles easily in open space. Unlike typical sprinters who avoided contact, he ran with aggressive, high-knee motion, powering through arm tackles at the line of scrimmage before accelerating into top speed. His versatility was nearly unrivaled in the 1950s: he served as a main rushing threat from the backfield, an elite receiver downfield, and the most feared kickoff and punt returner in the NFL.

His debut in the NFL in 1952 was an immediate showcase of talent. Matson had a remarkable rookie year, gaining 1,326 all-purpose yards and scoring 9 touchdowns, which earned him a Pro Bowl invitation and a First-Team All-Pro spot. However, just as his career was gaining momentum, it was interrupted when he joined the military, causing him to miss the entire 1953 NFL season while serving in the U.S. Army.

Upon returning in 1954, Matson proved to be an even more formidable player. He dominated defenses across the NFL, accumulating 1,666 all-purpose yards—an average of 5.3 yards per carry—and scoring 9 touchdowns, earning his second First-Team All-Pro honor. Throughout his time in Chicago, he maintained this high level of performance, never falling below 1,200 all-purpose yards in any season with the team. In 1956, he repeated as the NFL’s top all-purpose yardage leader, totaling 1,524 yards and scoring 9 touchdowns—including a 100-yard kickoff return and a 79-yard punt return. Over six seasons with Chicago, Matson averaged more than 1,420 all-purpose yards annually, led the NFL in combined yardage twice, and was the focal point of the Cardinals’ offense.

Despite Matson’s individual brilliance—which generated six consecutive Pro Bowls (1952, 1954–1958) and five First-Team All-Pro selections in Chicago—the Cardinals struggled to build a competitive roster around him. The team managed only one winning season during his tenure. Recognizing his immense market value, Chicago engaged in a historic, blockbuster transaction prior to the 1959 season, trading the superstar to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for nine players (seven players and two draft picks). While the massive package failed to revitalize Chicago’s fortunes, Matson’s grueling workload in the desert and Midwest meant his elite vertical speed naturally began to taper off in Los Angeles, though he played eight more seasons as a respected veteran across the league.

Matson left behind a towering footprint of 8,544 all-purpose yards and 46 total touchdowns in just 74 games for the Cardinals. At the time of his ultimate retirement in 1966, his combined career running and receiving yards trailed only the legendary Jim Brown on the NFL's all-time list.

Matson, a top halfback on the NFL 1950s All-Decade Team, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1972 and joined the Cardinals’ Ring of Honor as part of the inaugural group in 2006.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has severed ties with Jann Wenner, who was the mastermind and co-founder behind the institution, and was still on the Board of Directors.  This stemmed from the backlash from comments he made in an interview with the New York Times while promoting his book, where he criticized black female artists.

The statement was very direct:

“Jann Wenner has been removed from the Board of Directors of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation."

Ouch!

In the Times interview, he was pressed on why he only profiled white male rockers, and he retorted that black and female musicians were not “as articulate” as those he wished to profile.  He doubled down on the ignorance:

"For public relations sake, maybe I should have gone and found one Black and one woman artist to include here that didn't measure up to that same historical standard, just to avert this kind of criticism.”

While Wenner apologized for those remarks, his apology was clearly not accepted by his own creation.

Modern offensive football evolved significantly with the emergence of an underrated draft pick from Northwestern State. Jackie Smith, standing 6’4" and weighing 235 pounds of muscular build, was talented both as a college receiver and a track athlete. His unique blend of height and explosive speed attracted the attention of the St. Louis Cardinals, who selected him in the tenth round of the 1963 NFL Draft. Initially projected as a flanker, Smith was soon transitioned to tight end, a shift that dramatically expanded the tactical role of the position for future generations.

His game mechanics introduced a groundbreaking archetype to professional football. While tight ends were traditionally seen as extra offensive tackles who occasionally ran short curl routes, Smith showcased genuine, field-changing speed. He had the strength to overpower linebackers at the line of scrimmage during runs and the vertical quickness to outrun safeties down the seam. Once he caught the ball, he was a relentless runner after the catch, often dragging defenders for extra yards. To emphasize his exceptional athletic versatility, Smith also served as the team's main punter during his first three seasons (1963–1965), averaging nearly 5,000 yards with 127 punts.

His move to the professional league was immediate. In his rookie year of 1963, Smith quickly became the starting tight end and made an instant impact during a fifth-week game against Pittsburgh. In that game, he surpassed the Steelers' defense with 9 receptions, 212 yards, and 2 touchdowns, marking the rise of a matchup nightmare.

By the mid-1960s, Smith had become one of football's top pass-catchers. His remarkable streak started in 1966, marking his first of five straight Pro Bowl selections (1966–1970). The highlight of this period was his exceptional 1967 season, where he served as the ultimate vertical threat, catching 56 passes for 1,205 yards and 9 touchdowns in 14 games. His impressive 21.5 yards per reception that year was extraordinary for a tight end and earned him First-Team All-Pro honors. That season's 1,205 receiving yards shattered typical tight end benchmarks of the era and remains one of the most explosive individual seasons by a tight end in NFL history.

Throughout his career, Smith played through severe injuries and remained the core of the St. Louis offense for fifteen seasons (1963–1977). He appeared in 198 games for the team, achieving a streak of 45 consecutive games with a reception. His brief final stint with the Dallas Cowboys in 1978 included participation in Super Bowl XIII. When he retired, Smith had set records with 7,918 receiving yards and 480 receptions, the highest ever by a tight end in NFL history.

Smith was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994, becoming just the third tight end in history to enter the Hall.  Amazingly, as of this writing, he is not part of the Cardinals Ring of Honor.

The Cardinals’ history of defensive backs is legendary, and in spring 2011, they welcomed another top talent into that legacy. Patrick Peterson, an LSU graduate and winner of the Bednarik and Thorpe Awards, entered the NFL as an exceptionally athletic, high-profile prospect. Chosen fifth overall in the 2011 draft, Peterson combined impressive size, blazing speed, and smooth hips, quickly making a significant impact as a standout defender in Arizona.

What set him apart was his skill to move across the field in true man-to-man coverage, shadowing the main receiver no matter their alignment. Peterson exhibited great physical confidence, using his length to disrupt routes at the line of scrimmage and boasting elite recovery speed to close any vertical gap. Beyond his lockdown abilities, his open-field awareness and rapid, fluid movements made him a dynamic, game-changing asset in the kicking game.

His rookie 2011 season was one of the most explosive in franchise history, especially on special teams. He started all 16 games at right cornerback and dominated return coverage. Peterson tied the NFL record with 4 punt return TDs, including a stunning 99-yard game-winner in overtime against St. Louis. He led the league with 699 punt return yards, earned his first Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro honors as a return specialist, and also recorded two interceptions. His four punt return TDs in 2011 set an NFL record for rookies and made him the only rookie in league history to achieve this.

In his sophomore 2012 season, Peterson made the permanent shift to the left cornerback spot, fully taking on the responsibility of locking down the opposition's top target. He responded with 7 interceptions and 5 fumble recoveries, earning his second Pro Bowl nod. That marked the start of an incredible run of individual consistency. Over his first eight seasons in Arizona (2011–2018), Peterson was voted to eight consecutive Pro Bowls, joining an elite group of defensive players in NFL history to accomplish that feat to open a career.

During Bruce Arians' competitive era with the Cardinals, Peterson led defenses that propelled deep playoff runs. His outstanding coverage led to First-Team All-Pro selections in 2013 and 2015, playing a key role in reaching the 2015 NFC Championship. Quarterbacks often avoided targeting his side, reducing his target count and enabling the Cardinals to allocate additional safety support elsewhere.

His decade-long run in Arizona drew to a close following the 2020 campaign, after which he signed with Minnesota in free agency. Across his ten seasons in the desert, Peterson suited up for 154 games, accumulating 28 interceptions, 91 pass deflections, 499 tackles, and 4 return touchdowns.