Why the Cardinals Traded Ahmad Rashad

Posted on January 26, 2025 by Bob Underwood

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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Big Red Draft History: 1972 NFL Draft

Posted on March 30, 2023 by Dennis Dillon

As we move closer to the 2023 NFL Draft (April 27-29), The Big Red Zone is looking back on each of the 28 St. Louis Cardinals drafts (1960-87). This installment focuses on the 1972 Draft, which was held February 1-2, 1972 in New York.

After the 1972 NFL Draft, his first and only draft as the head coach of the Cardinals, Bob Hollway gave his definition of what constituted a good draft.

“You should get two starters out of the draft each year and five players from that draft should make your team,” Hollway, who wasn’t hired by the Cardinals until two weeks after the previous year’s draft, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

By Hollway’s standard, the Big Red had a good draft in 1972. Four of the players they selected started as rookies: wide receiver Ahmad Rashad (13 games), linebacker Mark Arneson (10), guard Conrad Dobler (nine), and defensive end Martin Imhof (eight). Five others made the ’72 roster, but they didn’t stick around long.

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The Top 100 St. Louis Football Cardinals (70-61)

Posted on August 18, 2019 by Bob Underwood

With the NFL celebrating its centennial season in 2019, the league will soon be announcing its top 100 players of all-time. I thought it would be fun to look back and rank the Big Red’s top 100 players who played in St. Louis.

The Cardinals moved from Chicago after the 1959 season and played 28 years in St. Louis before Bill Bidwill moved to the desert in 1988. Several great players played under the arch during this period including four Hall of Famers.

These rankings are only based on the player’s time spent in St. Louis. Consideration was given to the player’s statistics, All-Pro/Pro Bowl selections, team leadership, and impact in the community. It is next to impossible to compare eras, so many of these picks were very difficult.

The Top 100 St. Louis Football Cardinals of All-Time: 70-61

70. Ahmad Rashad (WR)

Bobby Moore aka Ahmad Rashad played 2 seasons in St. Louis.

The Big Red drafted Oregon star Bobby Moore with their top pick in the 1972 draft (4th overall). Moore played only two seasons in St. Louis catching 59 passes for 909 yards and 6 TDs. He was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team in ’72 and set an league record for the longest non-scoring pass reception with a 98 yarder against the Rams. Moore changed his name to Ahmad Rashad in 1973 after adopting the Orthodox Muslim Religion. The name change didn’t go over well with some fans and even coaches. Rashad was traded to the Buffalo Bills in 1974 for backup QB Dennis Shaw. He later went on to star for the Minnesota Vikings.

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