St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame

The football Cardinals left St. Louis almost 40 years ago, but the memories they forged during their 28-season stay in the LOU live on in the minds and hearts of their fans.

That was evident recently when dozens of enthusiastic Big Red devotees filled a room at the Missouri Athletic Club West and listened raptly as a quartet of former Cardinals players stoked those memories with their rich stories.

Johnny Roland, Jim Otis, Eric Williams and Tom Ackerman *(Photo courtesy of Missouri Athletic Club)*

The event, “Big Red Sports Talk Happy Hour,” was presented by the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame in collaboration with the MAC. KMOX Radio personality Tom Ackerman was the moderator.

The panel consisted of Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end Jackie Smith, running back Johnny Roland, fullback Jim Otis and linebacker Eric Williams. Three other former Big Red players—defensive tackle Bob Rowe, defensive end Ron Yankowski and kicker Mike Wood—also were in attendance.

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Former Big Red running back Ottis Jerome “OJ” Anderson was inducted into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame on May 2, 2022, at the Liuna Event Center in St. Louis. OJ becomes the twenty-first member of the St. Louis Football Cardinals to be enshrined.

OJ starred at the University of Miami and was the Cards top pick in 1979. The Florida native made a big splash in his NFL debut with a 193 yard performance against the Dallas Cowboys. He would set league rookie records for rushing yards (1,605), rushing attempts (331), and the most 100 yard rushing games in a season with 9. He was named first team NFL All-Pro, consensus NFL Rookie of the Year, NFC Player of the Year, and team MVP. Anderson became the first running back to twice rush for 100 yards against the Dallas Cowboys.

OJ became the Cardinals’ all-time leading rusher in 1981 when he broke fellow St. Louis Sports Hall of Famer Jim Otis’ record of 3,863 yards.

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