Tri State Sports Landmarks – A Missouri All-Pro Football Team
NFL football has been a fixture in Missouri since the Chicago Cardinals moved to St. Louis in 1960. The American Football League came to Kansas City for the 1963 season when the Dallas Texans moved. The Big Red left St. Louis following the 1987 season but the Rams moved in during 1995.
I grew up watching the St. Louis football Cardinals and Kansas City Chiefs on Sundays starting in the late 60's. Here are my picks as the best NFL players we've seen in Missouri.
NOTE: I left some players off because of their limited time in Missouri. Specifically, Aeneas Williams of the Rams and Joe Montana and Willie Roaf of the Chiefs. All three had outstanding seasons in Missouri, but they played the vast majority of their careers elsewhere.
Here's my All Missouri All Pro Team..
QUARTERBACK
Len Dawson Kansas City Chiefs
Jim Hart St Louis Cardinals
Trent Green Kansas City Chiefs.
HALFBACK
Marshall Faulk St Louis Rams
Ottis Anderson St Louis Cardinals.
Steven Jackson St Louis Rams
Priest Holmes Kansas City Chiefs
FULLBACK
Christian Okoye Kansas City Chiefs
Jim Otis St. Louis Cardinals.
TIGHT END
Tony Gonzalez Kansas City Chiefs (12 years in KC)
Jackie Smith St Louis Cardinals, (HOF) Five time All Pro (15 years in STL)
WIDE RECIEVER #1
Isaac Bruce St Louis Rams
Roy Green St. Louis Cardinals,
Pat Tilley St. Louis Cardinals.
WIDE RECIEVER #2
Tory Holt Rams,
Mel Gray St Louis Cardinals
Otis Taylor Kansas City Chiefs
Eddie Kennison Kansas City Chiefs & St. Louis Rams
LEFT TACKLE--LT Orlando Pace, St Louis Rams, Jim Tyrer Kansas City Chiefs
LEFT GUARD--Will Shields Kansas City Chiefs, Bob Young St. Louis Cardinals
CENTER--Casey Wiegmann Kansas City Chiefs, Bob DeMarco St Louis Cardinals.
RIGHT GUARD--Brian Waters Kansas City Chiefs Ed Budde Kansas City Chiefs
RIGHT TACKLE--Dan Dierdorf St Louis Cardinals (HOF) Ernie McMillian St. Louis Cardinals
KICKER--K Jan Stenerud Kansas City Chiefs(HOF) Jim Bakken St Louis Cardinals(HOF)
PUNTER--Punter Jerrell Wilson, Chiefs..
RETURN SPECIALIST-- Dante Hall Kansas City Chiefs , Terry Metcalf St Louis Cardinals,
LEFT DEFENSIVE END-- Art Still Kansas City Chiefs
DEFENSIVE TACKLE-- Curley Culp Kansas City Chiefs Dan Saleamua Kansas City Chiefs
DEFENSIVE TACKLE-- Buck Buchanan Kansas City Chiefs, Bob Rowe St. Louis Cardinals
RIGHT DEFENSIVE END-- Neil Smith Kansas City Chiefs, , Curtis Greer St Louis Cardinals
OUTSIDE LINEBACKER-- Bobby Bell Kansas City Chiefs KC (HOF) Jim Lynch Kansas City Chiefs
MIDDLE LINEBACKER-- MLB Willie Lanier Kansas City Chiefs (HOF) Dale Meinert St. Louis Cardinals
OUTSIDE LINEBACKER-- Derrick Thomas KC (HOF) Larry Stallings St Louis Cardinals
CORNERBACK-- Emmitt Thomas KC (HOF) Albert Lewis Kansas City Chiefs
STRONG SAFETY-- Jerry Stovall St Louis Cardinals
FREE SAFETY-- Larry Wilson St Louis Cardinals (HOF) Deron Cherry Kansas City Chiefs
CORNERBACK-- Roger Wehrli Cardinals (HOF) Dale Carter Kansas City Chiefs