The Second Overall Pick Pat Harder from Wisconsin in 1944, Pat Harder made his first appearance for the Chicago Cardinals in 1946, where he was part of their “Million Dollar Backfield” along with Paul Christman, Charley Trippi, and Marshall Goldberg.

Harder’s tenure with the Cardinals was brief but potent.  Living up to the hype, he would help the Chicago Cardinals win the 1947 NFL Championship and went on a three-year streak of First Team All-Pro Selections. 

Playing at Fullback and also acting as the Cardinal's Place Kicker, Harder would become the first player in NFL history to exceed 100 Points in three straight years (1947-49).  Harder was named the MVP by UPI in 1948, and his overall accomplishments would earn him a membership to the 1940's All-Decade Team.

Harder was traded to the Detroit Lions in 1951 and would win another title there.

For 14 Seasons, you knew exactly who would be at Left Linebacker for the St. Louis Cardinals, and that man was Larry Stallings.

An 18^th Rounder from Georgia Tech, Stallings proved to be a steal for the Cardinals, as save for his second and third year, he was healthy and dependable and recorded a lot of tackles for St. Louis.  A Pro Bowl Selection in 1970, Stallings contended for other appearances to the annual all-star affair. 

He retired after the 1976 Season, having played 181 Games for the Cards.

Sonny Randle was a “futures” Draft Pick, meaning that the Chicago Cardinals used their 19^th Round Pick in 1958 to select Wide Receiver Sonny Randle, who was still slated to play one more season with Virginia.  Randle would make the Cardinals as a rookie, but when the team relocated the next year to St. Louis, he was made a starter and would have the best season of his life.

In 1960, Randle led the NFL in Touchdowns (15) with 893 Receiving Yards.  The former Cavalier earned his only First Team All-Pro and began a three-year run of Pro Bowls, punctuated with a career-high 1,158 Yards.  Randle did not win a post-season accolade in 1963, though he was solid with 12 TDs and 1,014 Yards.  He would gain a fourth Pro Bowl in 1965 (845 Yards and 9 TDs).

Randle left for San Francisco, and compiled 60 Touchdowns and 5,438 Yards with the Cardinals.

Dale Meinert was initially drafted into the NFL by the Baltimore Colts, but he never played there, instead playing for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League, where he won two Grey Cups.  He would return to the United States in 1958, joining the Chicago Cardinals becoming a starting Guard.  As the Cardinals relocated to St. Louis in 1960, he was relocated on the gridiron, switching to Middle Linebacker.

Meinert fit better on the defensive side, winning three Pro Bowls and the team MVP in 1961.  As the Cardinals were not a league power in the 1960s, Meinert’s contributions are not as celebrated as they should be, but this man was the team's best interior lineman for years.