Big Red Draft History: 1964 NFL Draft

Posted on March 12, 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 1964 Draft, which was held on December 3, 1963 in Chicago.

1964 St. Louis Cardinals Draft Picks

*From the December 15, 1963 edition of the St. Louis Post Dispatch.*

After the 21-hour and 43-minute selection meeting ended around dawn on December 4, Cardinals team president Stormy Bidwill said, “We think it was a successful draft for us.” He should have rethought that thought. The Big Red couldn’t have gotten less production from the ’64 draft if their scouts had put on blindfolds and thrown darts at their draft board. Only three of their 20 picks made the team’s roster and 14—14!—never even played in the NFL.

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Big Red Alumni Gather for Annual Christmas Party

Posted on December 24, 2019 by Bob Underwood

Several former St. Louis Football Cardinals alumni recently gathered in Chesterfield for the annual Christmas Party. Among those in attendance were Coach Jim Hanifan, Johnny Roland, Mel Gray, Jackie Smith, Bob Rowe, Mark Arneson, Tim Kearney, Ron Yankowski, Ernie McMillan, Eddie Moss, Mike Wood, Terry Miller, Eric Williams, Keith Wortman, Willard Harrell, Jim Otis, Herschel Turner, Tim Van Galder, Jerry Holloway, former Big Red PA announcer Jim Holder, former Mizzou and Dallas Cowboys player Howard Richards, former MIzzou and Raiders player Gus Otto, and Big Red Line cheerleader Melodee Hinkle.

Johnny Roland, Jackie Smith, Ernie McMillan
Coach Hanifan and Jackie Smith
Alderman Rocky Reitmeyer and Willard Harrell
Former Big Red PA Announcer Jim Holder and Bob Underwood
Tim Van Galder, Steve Jones and Ernie McMillan
Johnny Roland, Jackie Smith, Ernie McMillan and Coach Hanifan
Jackie Smith, Terry Miller and Ron Yankowski
Mark Arneson, Tim Kearney, Ron Yankowski, Bob Rowe, Terry Miller
Johnny Roland with the Big Red Cowboy Hat
Arneson, Yankowski, and Rowe
Mark Arneson and Terry Miller
Keith Wortman and Eric Williams
Eddie Moss and Rocky Reitmeyer
Jim Otis and Terry Miller
Roland, Smith, McMillan
Jim Otis and Ernie McMillan
Mark Arneson and Tim Kearney
Yankowski and Rowe
TVG, Jackie, Terry Miller, Yankowski, Wortman
Eric Williams
Coach Hanifan, Mel Gray, Sarah Jennings, and Bob Underwood
Eric Williams and Terry Miller
Tim Van Galder, Jackie Smith, Terry Miller, Ron Yankowski, and Keith Wortman

JIM HART GOLF OUTING

Posted on April 30, 2018 by Bob Underwood

Former Big Red greats tee off for a great cause.

It was a beautiful day for golf as many former Football Cardinal greats participated in the 11th annual Jim Hart Celebrity Golf Outing at The Legends County Club in Eureka, MO. This event benefits Sunnyhill, Inc. which provides services, programs, and opportunities for children and adults with developmental disabilities.

Former Mizzou head coach Gary Pinkel served as the honorary chairman of the event and drove the ball right down the middle of the fairway on the first tee. Hart and many of his former Big Red teammates such as Mel Gray, Roger Wehrli, Tim Kearney, Tim Van Galder, Johnny Roland, and Jim Otis were in attendance.

Hart currently lives in Naples, FL and only gets back to St. Louis about once a year. We talked about his induction into the Arizona Cardinals Ring of Honor and was surprised to learn that he did not see Bill Bidwill during his visit. However, you could tell he was honored and humbled by the ceremony last December. We also talked about the late great Bill Wilkerson who was Hart’s college teammate at SIU-Carbondale in the 1960s.

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