Dan Dierdorf
Encyclopedia
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
.
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.
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.
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
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player and current television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
sportscaster
Sportscaster
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
. He played 13 NFL seasons and has worked for ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
and CBS
NFL on CBS
The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:...
as a color commentator
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
since retiring from football.
Born in Canton, Ohio
Canton, Ohio
Canton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Dierdorf played football at Glenwood High School in Canton (now GlenOak High School
GlenOak High School
GlenOak High School is located in Plain Township, Stark County, Ohio. The school derives its name from the combination of the former Glenwood and Oakwood high schools, which were merged by the district in the fall of 1975...
), then the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
before being drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the 2nd round of the 1971 NFL Draft
1971 NFL Draft
The 1971 National Football League Draft was held on January 28–29, 1971.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
.
College career
At Michigan, Dan was a consensus All-American1970 College Football All-America Team
The 1970 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that choose College All-America teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams were Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Central Press Association, Football Writers...
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
East-West Shrine Game
The East–West Shrine Game is an annual post-season college football all-star game played each January since 1925. The game is sponsored by the fraternal group Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and the net proceeds are earmarked to some of the Shrine's charitable works, most notably the Shriners...
and Hula Bowl
Hula Bowl
The Hula Bowl was an independently administered post-season invitational college football game held each year in Hawaii from 1947 to 2008. The game was last played at Aloha Stadium in the Hālawa district of Honolulu, Hawaii. At one point the longest-running sporting event in Hawaii, it had been...
and for the 1971 College All-Star Game. In 2000, Dierdorf was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
. 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
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
6 times from 1974-'78 & 1980. Dierdorf was named All-Pro for 4 consecutive seasons beginning in 1975 when the Pro Football Writers Association
Pro Football Writers Association
Technically known as the Pro Football Writers of America, this organization purports to be "The official voice of pro football writers, promoting and fighting for access to NFL personnel to best serve the public." Goals of the organization include improving access to practices and locker rooms,...
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
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
.
The 1975 Cardinals offensive line, consisting from right to left of Dierdorf, Conrad Dobler
Conrad Dobler
Conrad Francis Dobler is a retired American football offensive lineman in the NFL.-Cardinals:Dobler was drafted in round 5 out of the University of Wyoming in the 1972 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. He played right offensive guard for the Cardinals from 1972 to 1977, next to Hall-of-Famer...
, Tom Banks
Tom Banks
Thomas Banks, Tom Banks, or Tommy Banks may refer to:*Tom Banks , player and administrator with Fitzroy Football Club*Thomas Banks , English sculptor*Tom Banks , American physicist...
, Bob Young, and Roger Finnie
Roger Finnie
Roger Lewis Finnie was an American football offensive tackle who played eleven professional seasons in the National Football League. Finnie played college football for Florida A&M University.-References:...
, 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
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
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
Jack Youngblood
Herbert Jackson "Jack" Youngblood, III is a former American college and professional football player who was a defensive end for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League for fourteen seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. He was a five-time consensus All-Pro and a seven-time Pro Bowl...
sacked Jim Hart.
Post NFL Career
After his retirement, Dierdorf successfully made the transition to the broadcast booth. He called Cardinals and Missouri TigersMissouri Tigers football
The Missouri Tigers football team represents the University of Missouri in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The team has competed in the North Division of the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996...
games on radio for KMOX in 1984
1984 NFL season
The 1984 NFL season was the 65th regular season of the National Football League. The Colts relocated from Baltimore, Maryland to Indianapolis, Indiana....
before moving to CBS
NFL on CBS
The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:...
television for two seasons.
In 1987
1987 NFL season
The 1987 NFL season was the 68th regular season of the National Football League. A 24-day players' strike reduced the 16-game season to 15. The games that were scheduled for the third week of the season were canceled, but the games for weeks 4–6 were played with replacement players...
, he was added to the Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
team. He was named as ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's blow-by-blow boxing commentator in 1989, beginning with Meldrick Taylor
Meldrick Taylor
Meldrick Taylor is a former Olympic gold medalist and world boxing champion in two weight classes.-Amateur career:...
's first defense of his championship. He also served as a Correspondent for the 1988 Winter Olympics
1988 Winter Olympics
The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated in and around Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 13 to 28 February 1988. The host was selected in 1981 after having beat Falun, Sweden and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy...
in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
. Dierdorf stayed at ABC for twelve seasons before a shake up after the 1998
1998 NFL season
The 1998 NFL season was the 79th regular season of the National Football League.The Tennessee Oilers moved their home games from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, still awaiting construction on a new stadium in Nashville.This was the first season that CBS...
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
Verne Lundquist
Merton Laverne "Verne" Lundquist, Jr. is an American sportscaster, currently employed by CBS Sports television.-Early life and career:Lundquist was born in Duluth, Minnesota...
, replacing Randy Cross
Randy Cross
Randall "Randy" Laureat Cross , is a football analyst and former NFL offensive lineman. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in July 2011.-High school years:...
who was moved to The NFL Today
The NFL Today
The NFL Today is an American sports series that precedes the American football program The NFL on CBS on CBS Sports. The program usually airs at noon on Sundays of the National Football League regular season...
. After the 1999 season Lundquist was moved to CBS' lead college football team, and Dierdorf served as commentator for Dick Enberg
Dick Enberg
Richard Alan "Dick" Enberg is an American sportscaster. He currently provides play-by-play for telecasts of San Diego Padres baseball on 4SD, following a long career calling various sports for such networks as NBC, CBS, and ESPN...
for the next six seasons. Since 2006 he has shared the booth with Greg Gumbel
Greg Gumbel
Greg Gumbel is an American television sportscaster. He is best known for his various assignments on the CBS network...
.
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
Fred Dean
Frederick Rudolph "Fred" Dean is a former American football player in the National Football League, and a member of the NFL Hall of Fame. His career started with the San Diego Chargers in 1975 and ended with the San Francisco 49ers after the 1985 season. Dean was born in Arcadia, the seat of...
, Darrell Green
Darrell Green
Darrell Ray Green is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League who played for the Washington Redskins from 1983 to 2002. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest cornerbacks to ever play football...
, Art Monk
Art Monk
James Arthur "Art" Monk is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins, New York Jets, and the Philadelphia Eagles...
, Emmitt Thomas
Emmitt Thomas
Emmitt Earl Thomas is currently the secondary coach of the National Football League's Kansas City Chiefs. He is a former college and professional football player who played for the American Football League's Kansas City Chiefs from 1966 to 1969, and then for the Chiefs in the NFL from 1970 to 1978...
, Andre Tippett
Andre Tippett
Andre Bernard Tippett is a former American football linebacker who played for the New England Patriots of the NFL. Currently, he is the Patriots' Executive Director of Community Affairs. He was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008.-Personal life:Tippett was born in Birmingham,...
and Gary Zimmerman
Gary Zimmerman
Gary Wayne Zimmerman is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League. Zimmerman played for the Minnesota Vikings from 1986-1992 and for the Denver Broncos from 1993-1997. He was selected to the Pro Bowl 7 times and was an All-Pro selection 8 times...
– 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
St. Louis Walk of Fame
The St. Louis Walk of Fame honors well-known people from St. Louis, Missouri, who made contributions to culture of the United States. All inductees were either born in the Greater St. Louis area or spent their formative or creative years there...
. He is the co-proprietor, along with former Cardinals quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Jim Hart
Jim Hart (football player)
James Warren Hart is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1966 through 1983 and the Washington Redskins in 1984. From 1974-1976, he guided the Cardinals to three straight 10+ win seasons along with back to back division crowns in...
of Dierdorf and Hart's, a St. Louis steakhouse. Dan Dierdorf also is one of the investors of KTRS
KTRS (AM)
KTRS, located at 550 kHz, is an AM radio station in Maryland Heights, Missouri that carries a News/Talk format and is owned by the St. Louis Cardinals and CH Radio Holdings. It broadcasts with 5,000 watts of power during the day and 5,000 watts at night. The call letters KTRS stand for K Talk...
radio in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
.
See also
- List of NFL on CBS commentator pairings
- University of Michigan Athletic Hall of HonorUniversity of Michigan Athletic Hall of HonorThe University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor, founded in 1978, recognizes University of Michigan athletes, coaches, and administrators who have made significant contributions to the university's athletic programs...
External links
- Pro Football Hall of Fame: Member profile
- Dan Dierdorf named Rozelle Award winner Hall of Fame Announcement