Codeofhammurabi
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This was written by Bernie Miklasz who presented Roger's case the the committee that votes on players eli
Hall of Fame for Wehrli? Roger that
Vikings running back Chuck Foreman is tackled by St. Louis Cardinals Mike Sensibaugh (left) and Roger Wehrli in a Nov. 6, 1977 game. Wehrli was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday.
(Jim Mone/AP)
MIAMI — After the 1964 football season, Missouri coach Dan Devine was down to his last available scholarship for the 1965 season, and carefully studying his options. Meanwhile, in a small northwest Missouri farming community, King City High School senior Roger Wehrli made plans to play basketball at Northwest Missouri State in Maryville.
But with one brief phone call from Devine, Wehrli's life's direction was rerouted and changed forever. Devine offered Wehrli that last football scholarship, and Wehrli starred for the Tigers as a defensive back and kick-return specialist. And Wehrli's brilliant football career eventually would lead to his enshrinement into two national Halls of Fame.
In 2003, Wehrli was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
And on Saturday afternoon in Miami, site of Super Bowl XLI, Wehrli was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his outstanding 14-season career (1969-1982) as a fast, fluid, instinctive cornerback for the NFL's St. Louis Cardinals.
A case of Devine intervention?
"No doubt about it," Wehrli said. "In high school, football really wasn't my favorite sport. I was more into basketball. But when Coach Devine offered the scholarship, I jumped at the opportunity to go to a big university like Missouri. And then the Cardinals drafted me in the first round in '69, I moved to St. Louis to start a pro football career, and I've been fortunate to remain in St. Louis for the rest of my life.
"It's unbelievable, the way it turned out. Looking back on it, it's truly amazing. It's a fairy tale. It really is a dream come true."
Wehrli, 59, becomes the fourth member of the St. Louis Cardinals to gain entry into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. He follows safety Larry Wilson, offensive tackle Dan Dierdorf and tight end Jackie Smith. The formal enshrinement ceremony will be held Aug. 4 in Canton.
The Cardinals moved to Arizona in 1988, but a contingent of St. Louis Cardinals will have a happy reunion at the Hall of Fame this summer. In a gesture of appreciation, Wehrli has asked Wilson to introduce him on the stage at Canton.
"Larry has always been a great friend, and he was a great teacher," Wehrli said. "When I entered the league, he taught me all about professionalism and the fight and tenacity you had to bring to the field."
Wehrli's passage into Canton was considered an upset; one national football columnist recently listed Wehrli as a 30-1 shot to gain the requisite votes from the Hall's 40-person selection committee. And the timing of Wehrli's bid was especially dramatic; he was voted in on his final year of modern-era eligibility. Had Wehrli been rejected Saturday, his candidacy would have been moved to the Senior Committee.
But this long shot came through. It figures, because Wehrli could always run fast. In praising Wehrli's ability, new Hall of Fame tight end Charlie Sanders candidly raised an interesting aspect of Wehrli's career: race. In the last few decades, the NFL cornerback position has been predominantly manned by black players, and Wehrli is white.
"To be very honest with you, when you look at the secondary, you would think that this was a guy you'd be able to take advantage of," Sanders said. "Those who played in my era will understand what I'm saying. You didn't typically see non-Afro Americans playing that position. But he represented, very well. How did he get where he is right now? Basically because he brought an attitude, along with skill, along with quickness. And I give all the credit to the Cardinals for recognizing that talent and putting him into position where he could end up in the Hall of Fame."
Wehrli was considered flawless in his technique. He never wasted steps or motion, and could read a receiver's routes with uncanny prescience. Some of the top quarterbacks of the era — including Hall of Famers Roger Staubach, Fran Tarkenton and Sonny Jurgensen — have said they avoided throwing to Wehrli's side. He was too smart to be fooled, too swift to be outrun.
"After a while," Staubach said, "you just stopped challenging him. There was no point to it. He was the best cornerback I played against. The term 'Shutdown Corner' originated with Roger Wehrli."
Wehrli made 40 interceptions, was voted into seven Pro Bowls and earned first-team All-Pro honors five times. He played on only three winning teams in St. Louis, and the selection committee tends to tilt in favor of successful teams, Super Bowl teams. But voters looked past the Cardinals' losing legacy to identify Wehrli's individual excellence.
Wehrli is vice president of FormStore, a business-forms manufacturing company based in Fenton. Wehrli and his wife, Gayle, live in St. Charles. They stayed busy on the phone well into Saturday night, fielding congratulatory messages from friends and former teammates. Callers included Wilson, Dierdorf, Smith, Jim Hart, Jim Bakken, Tim Kearney and Keith Wortman. Ex-mates were thrilled by the news of Wehrli's overdue honor.
"We were so worried that voters would forget how special he was," Dierdorf said. "Roger is one of the nicest, classiest people you'd ever hope to have for a friend. And he's such a quiet and unassuming guy, always looking out for everybody else. He never has a look-at-me moment.
"Wortman said it best. 'Sometimes, the Jimmy Stewarts really do win.' And Roger is George Bailey from 'It's a Wonderful Life.' The voters put George Bailey into the Hall of Fame. That's our Roger."
gible.
Hall of Fame for Wehrli? Roger that
By Bernie Miklasz
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
02/04/2007ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
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Vikings running back Chuck Foreman is tackled by St. Louis Cardinals Mike Sensibaugh (left) and Roger Wehrli in a Nov. 6, 1977 game. Wehrli was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday.
(Jim Mone/AP)
MIAMI — After the 1964 football season, Missouri coach Dan Devine was down to his last available scholarship for the 1965 season, and carefully studying his options. Meanwhile, in a small northwest Missouri farming community, King City High School senior Roger Wehrli made plans to play basketball at Northwest Missouri State in Maryville.
But with one brief phone call from Devine, Wehrli's life's direction was rerouted and changed forever. Devine offered Wehrli that last football scholarship, and Wehrli starred for the Tigers as a defensive back and kick-return specialist. And Wehrli's brilliant football career eventually would lead to his enshrinement into two national Halls of Fame.
In 2003, Wehrli was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
And on Saturday afternoon in Miami, site of Super Bowl XLI, Wehrli was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his outstanding 14-season career (1969-1982) as a fast, fluid, instinctive cornerback for the NFL's St. Louis Cardinals.
You must be registered for see images
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A case of Devine intervention?
"No doubt about it," Wehrli said. "In high school, football really wasn't my favorite sport. I was more into basketball. But when Coach Devine offered the scholarship, I jumped at the opportunity to go to a big university like Missouri. And then the Cardinals drafted me in the first round in '69, I moved to St. Louis to start a pro football career, and I've been fortunate to remain in St. Louis for the rest of my life.
"It's unbelievable, the way it turned out. Looking back on it, it's truly amazing. It's a fairy tale. It really is a dream come true."
Wehrli, 59, becomes the fourth member of the St. Louis Cardinals to gain entry into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. He follows safety Larry Wilson, offensive tackle Dan Dierdorf and tight end Jackie Smith. The formal enshrinement ceremony will be held Aug. 4 in Canton.
The Cardinals moved to Arizona in 1988, but a contingent of St. Louis Cardinals will have a happy reunion at the Hall of Fame this summer. In a gesture of appreciation, Wehrli has asked Wilson to introduce him on the stage at Canton.
"Larry has always been a great friend, and he was a great teacher," Wehrli said. "When I entered the league, he taught me all about professionalism and the fight and tenacity you had to bring to the field."
Wehrli's passage into Canton was considered an upset; one national football columnist recently listed Wehrli as a 30-1 shot to gain the requisite votes from the Hall's 40-person selection committee. And the timing of Wehrli's bid was especially dramatic; he was voted in on his final year of modern-era eligibility. Had Wehrli been rejected Saturday, his candidacy would have been moved to the Senior Committee.
But this long shot came through. It figures, because Wehrli could always run fast. In praising Wehrli's ability, new Hall of Fame tight end Charlie Sanders candidly raised an interesting aspect of Wehrli's career: race. In the last few decades, the NFL cornerback position has been predominantly manned by black players, and Wehrli is white.
"To be very honest with you, when you look at the secondary, you would think that this was a guy you'd be able to take advantage of," Sanders said. "Those who played in my era will understand what I'm saying. You didn't typically see non-Afro Americans playing that position. But he represented, very well. How did he get where he is right now? Basically because he brought an attitude, along with skill, along with quickness. And I give all the credit to the Cardinals for recognizing that talent and putting him into position where he could end up in the Hall of Fame."
Wehrli was considered flawless in his technique. He never wasted steps or motion, and could read a receiver's routes with uncanny prescience. Some of the top quarterbacks of the era — including Hall of Famers Roger Staubach, Fran Tarkenton and Sonny Jurgensen — have said they avoided throwing to Wehrli's side. He was too smart to be fooled, too swift to be outrun.
"After a while," Staubach said, "you just stopped challenging him. There was no point to it. He was the best cornerback I played against. The term 'Shutdown Corner' originated with Roger Wehrli."
Wehrli made 40 interceptions, was voted into seven Pro Bowls and earned first-team All-Pro honors five times. He played on only three winning teams in St. Louis, and the selection committee tends to tilt in favor of successful teams, Super Bowl teams. But voters looked past the Cardinals' losing legacy to identify Wehrli's individual excellence.
Wehrli is vice president of FormStore, a business-forms manufacturing company based in Fenton. Wehrli and his wife, Gayle, live in St. Charles. They stayed busy on the phone well into Saturday night, fielding congratulatory messages from friends and former teammates. Callers included Wilson, Dierdorf, Smith, Jim Hart, Jim Bakken, Tim Kearney and Keith Wortman. Ex-mates were thrilled by the news of Wehrli's overdue honor.
"We were so worried that voters would forget how special he was," Dierdorf said. "Roger is one of the nicest, classiest people you'd ever hope to have for a friend. And he's such a quiet and unassuming guy, always looking out for everybody else. He never has a look-at-me moment.
"Wortman said it best. 'Sometimes, the Jimmy Stewarts really do win.' And Roger is George Bailey from 'It's a Wonderful Life.' The voters put George Bailey into the Hall of Fame. That's our Roger."
gible.
