NFL Pro Football: St. Louis Cardinals coach Jim Hanifan before game vs New York Giants. St. Louis, MO 12/09/1984 Credit: John Iacono
Former Big Red head coach Jim Hanifan and a few stars from yesteryear spoke at today’s National Football Foundation Luncheon at Lombardo’s Restaurant in St. Louis. Hanifan along with former players Johnny Roland, Tim Van Galder, Irv Goode, Eric Williams, and Bob DeMarco talked about their careers in St. Louis and the differences in today’s game and the one they played in the 1960s and 1970s.
As everyone may have guessed, Coach Hanifan was the star of the luncheon telling the packed house how he fell in love with the St. Louis community and the fans after arriving in 1973. “When I first arrived here with Coach Coryell, it took a little while to get used to the area and the people. At the conclusion of that first season, we went 4-9-1. Even with a poor record, there was something special taking place at that time. When I looked into the locker room, I could see the players getting involved in the game and getting involved in the community. And, I myself, had that same experience. Being around the people in the community and truly enjoying being in St. Louis. I used to say, ‘What in the hell do I see here that makes me feel this way?’ You know… there are no mountains, no oceans here… forget about that. So, it has to be the people. The people are what makes St. Louis so great. And that’s why I continue to live here after I retired.”
Former Big Red head coach Jim Hanifan
Former Big Red Pro Bowl center Bob DeMarco recounted playing at old Busch Stadium (Sportsman’s Park) and how fans in the temporary bleachers would offer the players some bourbon on cold Sundays in the mid-60s.
THE BIG RED ZONE 