Date: December 18, 1983

Place: Busch Memorial Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri

Temperature: 10 degrees at kickoff, with a -20 degree windchill by game’s end.

Dan Dierdorf, who played for the St. Louis Cardinals for 13 seasons (1971-1983), had announced at midseason that he would retire at the end of the 1983 campaign. The former second-round draft choice out of Michigan had planned to take a few snaps at his old right tackle position during the season finale against the Philadelphia Eagles, but the weather almost changed his mind.

The temperature at kick-off was only 10 degrees and it continued to drop throughout the afternoon. By game’s end the windchill was -20 F.

“I’ve been playing football for 23 years, and ever since I started, I’ve had a picture of my last game. But I never saw it snowing and five degrees.”

After being honored during a brief pre-game ceremony, in which former teammate Conrad Dobler and Cardinal head coach Jim Hanifan said a few words, Dierdorf bundled up in his Big Red parka and red stocking cap and stood shivering on the sidelines.

“I was so cold I could hardly move,” he said. “It’s really tough to stand around all day and then try to go into the game. I wasn’t planning on playing at all because it was so cold.”

But, with a 24-0 fourth-quarter lead, the fans behind the Big Red bench would have no part of that. They began chanting, “We want Dan! We want Dan!”

“I wasn’t expecting that at all,” said Dierdorf. “I was frozen up solid by the fourth quarter, but when I heard the crowd start chanting, I knew I was in trouble.”

With fans chanting and teammates waving him into the game, Dierdorf briefly conferred with head coach Jim Hanifan and then finally tore off his stocking hat and parka, put on his helmet, and ran onto the snow-covered Busch Stadium turf.

“An offensive lineman very seldom gets a spotlight to himself,” said Big Red guard Terry Stieve, a teammate of Dierdorf for the past six years. “As much as Dan has done for St. Louis and for the NFL, he deserved every bit of it.”

“I just wanted to be on the field with him and take a few more snaps with Big Dan. It’s only fitting that he came out and took one more bow.”

Number 72 stayed in for only two plays before taking himself out and waving his helmet to the crowd as he left the field for the last time. He was also the last player to reach the locker room after the game, as he lingered on the field to accept best wishes from coaches, teammates, opposing players, and the fans.

“It was all over in about 10 seconds,” he said. “Two plays, a slant to the other side and a sweep to my side. At least we got a first down.”

Over his career, Dierdorf established himself as the greatest offensive lineman in franchise history. He was named to the Pro Bowl for five straight years (1974-1978) and added a sixth award in 1980 after returning from a serious knee injury in 1980.

Dierdorf was also voted the top offensive lineman by his peers three years in a row (1976-1978) and selected for the NFL Team of the Decade of the 1970s. In 1996, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“I’ve always been a people person, and that’s what I’ll take with me from the game of football, all the great people I’ve met and played with over the years,” said Dierdorf. I’d be a selfish person if I said this game has been anything but great for me. I have no regrets.”