Meet the Cardinals H ow many teams in the National Football League NFL can Cardinals can Their roots trace back to 1898 or 14 years before Arizona joined the United States say they are older than the state they play in The Arizona The Cardinals actually began in Chicago Illinois They also spent many years in St Louis Missouri Arizona is their third home Along the way the Cardinals learned what it takes to be a championship team This book tells the story of the Cardinals They have had plenty of superstars over the years They have also found talented role players who do all the little things that help a team win In the seasons when the Cardinals put it all together they have been something to behold Even in defeat Arizona still manages to be one of the NFL’s most breathtaking teams Win or lose there is rarely a dull moment when the Cardinals play The Cardinals celebrate a touchdown They can score from anywhere on the field 5
Glory Days A mericans were first introduced to football in the 1800s Back then the sport was played mostly by men in their teens and early 20s They took the field for fun and glory In the 1890s a few teams began charging fans to watch them play This was the beginning of professional football Chicago was home to one of the first pro teams The players wore red jerseys and team became known as the Cardinals the Soon there was enough interest in pro football to form an entire league In 1920 the Cardinals joined forces with 13 other clubs in the American Professional Football Association APFA Two years later it was renamed the NFL The Cardinals chief rivals were the Bears who also played in Chicago 6
The Cardinals won their first championship in 1925 Their leader was a great runner and kicker named Paddy Driscoll In the years that followed the Cardinals welcomed many more stars including Ernie Nevers and Duke Slater Nevers was the best all-around player in the NFL He once scored 40 points in a game against the Bears Slater was an excellent blocker and tackler and the top African-American player of his time After many losing seasons in the 1930s the Cardinals returned to the top of football in the years after World War II They beat the Philadelphia Eagles for the 1947 NFL championship A year later Chicago lost in a rematch with the Eagles Quarterback Paul Christman and running backs Pat Harder Elmer Angsman and Charley Trippi formed the heart of these teams They were nicknamed the Million Dollar Backfield All along the Cardinals and Bears competed for the hearts of Chicago fans In the end after nearly 40 seasons the Bears won LEFT This trading card shows Ernie Nevers during his college days ABOVE Quarterback Paul Christman wrote the book on passing 7
