Posted by Bob Underwood

A few months after the 1961 signing of legendary Canadian Football League quarterback Sam “The Rifle” Etcheverry, the St. Louis Cardinals traveled north of the border to play an exhibition game with the Toronto Argonauts. Oddly enough, it wasn’t the first time the NFL and CFL hooked up. The New York Giants tangled with the Ottawa Rough Riders in 1950 and 1951. And the Chicago Cardinals beat the Argos in 1959 by a score of 55-26.

In 1960, the Cardinals relocated from Chicago and finished 6-5-1 in their inaugural season in St. Louis. The offense  featured star running back John David Crow and wide receiver Sonny Randle. However, quarterback play was inconsistent and below average. As a matter of fact, the 1960 trio of John Roach, King Hill, and first round pick George Izo would all be playing elsewhere by opening day of the 1961 season. Etcheverry, who threw for over 30,000 yards and 183 TDs with the Montreal Alouettes, was brought in to lead the team to an NFL Championship. Unfortunately, Sam injured his throwing shoulder on his first pass in training camp and struggled during his two seasons in St. Louis.

The Cardinals spent 10 days practicing 12-man football to prepare for their exhibition matchup against the Argonauts, which would be played under Canadian rules. CFL fields are 10 yards longer, 15 yards wider, and feature 25-yard end zones, with 12 starters on each side. Fortunately for the Big Red, head coach Frank “Pop” Ivy was well-versed in the Canadian game—he led the Edmonton Eskimos to three straight Grey Cup titles before taking the reins of the Chicago Cardinals in 1958. Assistant coach Ray Willsey also brought CFL experience, having played quarterback for a season in Edmonton. With a bigger, stronger roster and a staff familiar with Canadian football, the Cardinals had every advantage going in.

The game was played in front of 24,376 fans at CNE Stadium in Toronto on August 2, 1961.The Cardinal defense dominated, holding the Argonauts to an astonishing minus-22 yards on the ground. The Argos’ quarterback struggled so badly that assistant coach Nobby Wirkowski was called down from the press box to take snaps. His return to action was short-lived, however, as a crushing hit from a Big Red defender left him with a devastating knee injury that ended his day. Wirkowski, a Chicago native, would become head coach of the Argos the following season after the firing of Lou Agase.

The Cardinals got off to a quick start when Larry Wilson intercepted a John Henry Jackson pass and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown just 38 seconds into the game. It would be one of four interceptions by the Big Red defense.

After holding a slim 8-0 halftime lead, the “Grid Birds” caught fire in the third quarter. George Izo threw a 70-yard TD pass to converted cornerback Billy Stacy to make it 15-0.

Later in the third quarter, the Canadian crowd cheered as the sore-armed Etcheverry entered the game. He led the team to two quick scores without throwing a pass. Prentice Gautt, who was just acquired from Cleveland for QB John Roach, scored on a 74-yard draw play to give the Cards a 30-0 lead. Gautt would later add another score from 2 yards out. John Henry Jackson got the Argos on the board late in the game with a short TD run, but the Big Red came away with a commanding 36-7 victory.

Courtesy St. Louis Post Dispatch

The Cardinals would finish the 1961 season with a 7-7 record. Etcheverry and backup QB Ralph Guglielmi would split time at quarterback. John David Crow only played 7 games due to injuries and Pop Ivy unexpectedly resigned with two games left on the schedule. Wally Lemm would replace Ivy in 1962 and Charley Johnson would eventually take over at quarterback.

The CFL exhibitions were a huge success at the box office, but many star CFL players were injured during these games over the years. The last CFL-NFL game was played just three days after the Cards-Argos game. The Chicago Bears defeated the Montreal Alouettes 34-16 at Molson Stadium.