From Sharecropper to NFL Star: Tootie Robbins’ Journey

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It didn’t take long for James Elbert “Tootie” Robbins to impress Jim Hanifan and the rest of the Big Red coaching staff during his first training camp in 1982.

The Cardinals selected the Windsor, North Carolina native in the fourth round of the NFL draft and had hoped he could provide depth on an aging offensive line. Robbins had other ideas.

“He has played like a first-rounder from Day 1,” Hanifan told the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

The 6-foot-5, 270-pound rookie impressed so much in training camp that the Cardinals shifted future Hall of Famer Dan Dierdorf to center, clearing the way for Robbins to step in as the starting right tackle.

“I knew I could play,” Robbins said. “I just never knew I could become a starter as a rookie.”

“Playing professional football is a dream come true for me. When I got drafted, I told my mom, ‘My dream is coming true.’

The Cardinals started the season with a pair of rookie offensive tackles. First-round pick Luis Sharpe was the other one.

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Former Cardinals Running Back Jerry Latin Passes at 71

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Jerry Latin, who played running back for the St. Louis Football Cardinals from 1975-1978, passed away this morning at the age of 71.

One of the greatest football players to come out of Rockford, Illinois, Latin starred at Rockford East High School and played college ball at Northern Illinois University.

After an injury-plagued senior season in DeKalb, the Cardinals selected Latin with their eleventh-round pick in the 1975 NFL Draft.

“I was the last pick by the Cardinals,” Latin said in a 2020 interview in the Rockford Register Star. “I look at a guy like Jim Germany. He was the second-round pick out of New Mexico State,” Latin said. “If I hadn’t gotten hurt, could I have been a second-round pick?”

“I just went there to see what it was all about,” he said of his first training camp. “Then I got on the field and I saw that I hit just as hard as they did. I ran just as fast. I was just as good.”

Latin backed up Pro Bowl running back Terry Metcalf during his stay in St. Louis. But he got his chance to shine in the 1975 season finale against the Detroit Lions and made the most of it.

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Willard Harrell Inducted into Missouri Sports Hall of Fame

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Former St. Louis Cardinals running back and special teams star Willard Harrell was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame on Sunday at a ceremony in Springfield, Missouri.

Harrell was one of 22 inductees that included former Kansas City Royal Matt Damon, St. Louis Cardinal Matt Adams, and Mizzou Tiger Brock Olivo.

The Stockton, CA native was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 1975 and played in the NFL for 10 years. Harrell scored a touchdown the first time he ever touched the ball when he raced 82 yards on a punt return in the Packers first exhibition game. In his second season, he led the team in rushing. After being released by Green Bay in 1978, Harrell had a tryout with the Cardinals where he eventually signed and played seven seasons.

According to the Missouri Hall of Fame enshrinement program, Harrell had one man to thank for becoming a St. Louis Cardinal.

“A few days later (after the tryout), they contacted my agent with an offer and I became a Cardinal,” Harrell said. “I found out later that Hanifan (former St. Louis head coach Jim Hanifan) was responsible for me becoming a Cardinal. He remembered me from my college days and always wanted me to play for him.”

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Why the Cardinals Traded Conrad Dobler

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On January 30, 1978, the St. Louis Cardinals traded Pro Bowl guard Conrad Dobler and wide receiver Ike Harris to the New Orleans Saints for guard Terry Stieve and defensive end Bob Pollard.

According to the January 31 edition of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Dobler’s teammates and Big Red coaches were in shock when they learned of the news.

“You’re kidding,” offensive line coach Jim Hanifan said after learning of the trade. “Well I’ll be a son-of-a-gun. All I can say is that’s show business. Conrad, well, Conrad is special to me. Conrad and I go into a deep personal thing—it breaks my heart.”

“My gut feeling is that I don’t understand,” quarterback Jim Hart said. “It doesn’t make sense.”

“They’re two of our finest players,” fullback Jim Otis said, “and you hate to see them go. I’m not too familiar with those people we’re getting, so it’s difficult for me to comment. Let’s put it this way: there are 11 people on the offense and that offense has been described as the best in football. Now, two of those people are gone and maybe there will be more.”

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Why the Cardinals Traded Ahmad Rashad

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On January 26, 1974, the St. Louis Football Cardinals traded second-year wide receiver Ahmad Rashad to the Buffalo Bills for quarterback Dennis Shaw.

The trade raised more than a few eyebrows around the league.

Cardinals WIde Receiver Ahmad Rashad in 1973

Rashad was a number one draft pick just two years prior and was named to the NFL All-Rookie team after hauling in 29 passes for 500 yards and three touchdowns.

But the Tacoma, WA native fell out of favor with coaches and management in 1973 and Rashad didn’t think it had anything to do with his play on the field.

The summer before training camp, Rashad changed his name to conform to his new Islamic faith and the former Oregon Duck All-American felt that people suddenly regarded him differently.

“I don’t know what to think,” Rashad said in an Associated Press interview in October 1973, “but I went from a starter one day to the bench the next and the whole thing coincided with my name change. The people in St. Louis booed me when I was introduced as Ahmad Rashad.”

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Flashback: Big Red Hire Don Coryell

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On January 18, 1973, Cardinals owner Bill Bidwill surprised everyone by announcing the hiring of Don Coryell as the new head coach of the St. Louis Football Cardinals.

The Cardinals were coming off consecutive 4-9-1 seasons under Bob Hollway, who had been fired after the last regular season game. Hollway was let go, in part due to his drab play calling and his inability to choose a starting quarterback. Bidwill admitted that he hired Coryell “to put the offense back in the Cardinals.”

The 48-year old had spent the last 12 seasons directing San Diego State University to a 104-19-2 record. The Aztecs averaged 45 points per game in 1969.

“I like to throw the ball,” Coryell said after the hire. “I’ve gone from ball-control philosophy to a wide-open style. I believe in attacking the defense. I don’t believe in waiting for other people to make mistakes.”

“I believe in the passing game. I’m not a coach who builds on defense. If you’re playing a team with more talent, the only way to win is by throwing the ball well. And I desperately want to win.”

Coryell claimed to have only seen the Cardinals play a few games, but that didn’t prevent him from commenting on former number-one quarterback Jim Hart.

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Former Big Red Lineman Herschel Turner passes at 82

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The St. Louis Football Cardinals lost another teammate this morning.

Herschel Turner, who played offensive guard and tackle, passed away at the age of 82.

The Cardinals selected 6-foot-3, 230-lb lineman in the second round of the 1964 NFL Draft out of the University of Kentucky, where he was an All-American offensive guard and tackle.

As a senior, he was named first-team All-Southeastern Conference and participated in the Blue-Gray Game and the Senior Bowl. He logged the most minutes played on UK’s 1962 squad, known as The Thin Thirty. Turner was named Sports Illustrated Lineman of the Week on November 10, 1963. He is a member of the inaugural UK Hall of Fame.

Turner played two seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals and was named the club’s Rookie of the Year in 1964 after starting five games on an injury-depleted offensive line. He received accolades from head coach Wally Lemm after his first start on November 22 against the Philadelphia Eagles.

“Herschel Turner, whom we had taken off the defensive unit and just starting working at offensive tackle last week, had a grade of well over 90. He is the best of our draft choices last year. He really wants to play.”

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Big Red Flashback: Cardinals Dismiss Wally Lemm

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After a disappointing 5-9 record and citing the need for him to reside in St. Louis year-round, the Cardinals dismissed head coach Wally Lemm on January 10, 1966.

The Chicago native spent his offseason in Lake Bluff, IL, and declined to move to St. Louis until his children graduated from high school. His son Mike was in college, but his daughter Debbie was only in her junior year.

Wally Lemm coached the Cardinals from 1962-1965.

“We knew when we hired him that Wally wanted to be head coach on a six-month basis and that was fine,” club president Stormy Bidwill told the St. Louis Post Dispatch after Lemm’s dismissal. “But we felt more and more strongly that we wanted a head coach who would be with us all the time.”

“When the issue came up again, there was no compromise available, and by mutual consent, he is leaving the Cardinals.”

“We’re sorry that Wally is leaving because he did a good job with the Cardinals in the past seasons. Wally’s record speaks for itself and he had a good record.”

Lemm didn’t feel it was necessary to live in St. Louis during the offseason.

“I know the job can be done without being present in the offseason,” Lemm said. “We never went into training camp unprepared.”

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Former Cardinals Head Coach Charley Winner, dead at 99

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Charley Winner, who played college football at Washington University and was the head football coach of the St. Louis Cardinals from 1966-1970, passed away on July 18, 2023, at the age of 99.

Winner spent 37 years in the NFL as a coach or executive. However, there were no press releases about his death. Over the weekend, an anonymous user on X, formerly known as Twitter, informed me of the former Big Red coach’s passing. I found a short obituary here.

Charley Winner lived a remarkable life and his passing shouldn’t go unnoticed.

WWII Hero

Charles Height Winner was born in Somerville, NJ, and starred as a two-way player for the Somerset High School football team. Winner stood only 5-feet, 6-inches tall but had great speed. As a running back, he scored 11 touchdowns his senior year and was named first-team All-County.

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Big Red Flashback: Roger Wehrli Retires

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After an illustrious 14-year career with the St. Louis Cardinals, All-Pro cornerback Roger Wehrli announced his retirement on December 23, 1982, effective at the end of the season.

The veteran had played sparingly during the season as the Cardinals had decided to go with younger options, and Wehrli saw the writing on the wall.

“It’s a hard decision to make,” he said. “I had 14 good years with the Cardinals but this was the time to announce it. I’m still contributing, and I would like to go out as someone still contributing.”

“He epitomizes the word class,” head coach Jim Hanifan said, “not only as a player but as a man. In his 14-year career, he has to be regarded as one of the great cornerbacks in the history of the game.”

“I’d have to say he’s the best all-around athlete I’ve seen on this team since I’ve been here,” said Dan Dierdorf.

After starring at Missouri as a defensive back and one of the nation’s leading punt returners, Wehrli was the Cardinals’ first-round draft pick in 1969. He secured a starting job his rookie season and played in 130 straight games with the Big Red. Among his most notable achievements were 40 career interceptions and 22 fumble recoveries, a franchise record for non-quarterbacks.

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