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1953 Chicago Cardinals
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Record: 1-10-1, Finished 6th in NFL East Division
NFL Season Summary
Scored 190 points (15.8/g), 10th of 12 in the NFL.
Allowed 337 points (28.1/g), 10th.
Differential of -147 points (-12.2/g), 11th.
Expected W-L: 2.5-9.5.
Takeaway/Giveaway Differential -12 (-1.0/g), 11th.
Coached by Joe Stydahar (1-10-1)
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1953 Statistics / Starters & Roster / Games & Schedule / Team Draftees
Starters
Glossary · ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+), · CSV · PRE · Hide Non-primary Starters| Pos | Age | Yrs | GS | Summary of Player Stats | Drafted (tm/rnd/yr) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offensive Starters | Complete Team Stats | |||||
| QB | Jim Root | 22 | Rook | 6 | 80 for 192, 1,149 yards, 8 td, 11 int, & 26 rushes for 12 yards and 1 td | Chicago Cardinals / 23rd / 268th pick / 1953 |
| QB | Steve Romanik | 29 | 3 | 4 | 50 for 117, 641 yards, 4 td, 9 int, & 1 rush for 1 yards and 1 td | Chicago Bears / 3rd / 36th pick / 1950 |
| FB | Johnny Olszewski* | 23 | Rook | 0 | 106 rushes for 386 yards, 4 td, & 21 catches for 210 yards and 1 td | Chicago Cardinals / 1st / 4th pick / 1953 |
| LH | Charlie Trippi* | 31 | 6 | 0 | 97 rushes for 433 yards, 0 td, & 11 catches for 87 yards and 2 td | Chicago Cardinals / 1st / 1st pick / 1945 |
| RH | Don R. Paul* | 27 | 3 | 0 | 16 rushes for 114 yards, 0 td, & 16 catches for 167 yards and 2 td | Chicago Cardinals / 4th / 47th pick / 1950 |
| LE | Gern Nagler | 21 | Rook | 0 | 43 catches for 610 yards, 6 td | Cleveland Browns / 14th / 167th pick / 1953 |
| LT | Tom Higgins | 23 | Rook | 0 | 1 fumble recovered | Chicago Cardinals / 6th / 70th pick / 1953 |
| LG | Dave Suminski | 22 | Rook | 0 | Washington Redskins / 15th / 171st pick / 1953 |
|
| LG | Ed Husmann | 22 | Rook | 0 | 1 fumble recovered | Chicago Cardinals / 9th / 99th pick / 1953 |
| C | Jack Simmons | 29 | 5 | 12 | Detroit Lions / 22nd / 207th pick / 1946 |
|
| RG | Jerry Watford | 23 | Rook | 0 | 1 fumble recovered | Chicago Cardinals / 8th / 87th pick / 1953 |
| RT | Jack Jennings | 27 | 3 | 0 | 2 fumbles recovered | Chicago Cardinals / 2nd / 21st pick / 1950 |
| RE | Don Stonesifer | 26 | 2 | 0 | 56 catches for 684 yards, 2 td | Chicago Cardinals / 3rd / 30th pick / 1951 |
| Defensive Starters | ||||||
| LDE | George Schmidt | 26 | 1 | 0 | ||
| LDT | Volney Peters | 25 | 1 | 0 | Chicago Cardinals / 13th / 151st pick / 1951 |
|
| MG | Nick Chickillo | 23 | Rook | 0 | 0 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered | Chicago Cardinals / 15th / 172nd pick / 1953 |
| RDT | Don Joyce | 24 | 2 | 0 | Chicago Cardinals / 2nd / 18th pick / 1951 |
|
| RDE | Tom Bienemann | 25 | 2 | 0 | Chicago Cardinals / 11th / 127th pick / 1951 |
|
| LLB | John Panelli | 27 | 4 | 0 | 1 interception, 2 fumbles recovered | Detroit Lions / 2nd / 12th pick / 1949 |
| RLB | Leo Sanford | 24 | 2 | 12 | 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | Chicago Cardinals / 8th / 90th pick / 1951 |
| LDH | Ray Ramsey | 32 | 6 | 0 | 10 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered | Chicago Cardinals / 10th / 82nd pick / 1947 |
| RDH | Jim Psaltis | 26 | Rook | 0 | 2 interceptions, 3 fumbles recovered | Chicago Cardinals / 2nd / 15th pick / 1953 |
| LS | Bill Svoboda* | 25 | 3 | 0 | 1 interception, 2 fumbles recovered | Chicago Cardinals / 3rd / 29th pick / 1950 |
| RS | Al Campana | 27 | 3 | 0 | ||
| Special Teams Starters | ||||||
| K | Pat Summerall | 23 | 1 | 0 | 9 of 24 field goals & 23 of 23 extra points | Detroit Lions / 4th / 45th pick / 1952 |
| P | Charlie Trippi* | 31 | 6 | 0 | 54 punts for a 42.9 average, 0 blocked | Chicago Cardinals / 1st / 1st pick / 1945 |
| PR | Charlie Trippi* | 31 | 6 | 0 | 21 punt returns for a 11.4 average and 0 td | Chicago Cardinals / 1st / 1st pick / 1945 |
| KR | Billy Cross | 24 | 2 | 0 | 12 kick returns for a 21.4 average and 0 td | Chicago Cardinals / 24th / 283rd pick / 1951 |
| Age | Pos | G | GS | Wt | Ht | College/Univ | BirthDate | Yrs | Drafted (tm/rnd/yr) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cliff Anderson | 24 | E | 1 | 0 | 215 | 6-2 | Indiana | 11/25/1929 | 1 | Chicago Cardinals / 25th / 291st pick / 1952 |
| Roy Barni | 26 | DB | 8 | 0 | 185 | 5-11 | San Francisco | 2/15/1927 | 1 | |
| Tom Bienemann | 25 | DE-E-LB | 12 | 0 | 221 | 6-3 | Drake | 1/28/1928 | 2 | Chicago Cardinals / 11th / 127th pick / 1951 |
| Al Campana | 27 | DB-HB | 8 | 0 | 180 | 5-11 | Youngstown State | 2/25/1926 | 3 | |
| Willie Carter | 22 | HB-DB | 8 | 0 | 198 | 5-11 | Tennessee State | 2/23/1931 | Rook | |
| Nick Chickillo | 23 | LB-G | 12 | 0 | 220 | 5-11 | Miami (FL) | 10/17/1930 | Rook | Chicago Cardinals / 15th / 172nd pick / 1953 |
| Billy Cross | 24 | HB | 12 | 0 | 151 | 5-6 | West Texas A&M | 5/3/1929 | 2 | Chicago Cardinals / 24th / 283rd pick / 1951 |
| Tony Curcillo | 22 | DB-HB | 12 | 0 | 200 | 6-1 | Ohio State | 5/27/1931 | Rook | Chicago Cardinals / 6th / 63rd pick / 1953 |
| Bob Dove | 32 | DE-E | 4 | 0 | 222 | 6-2 | Notre Dame | 2/21/1921 | 7 | Washington Redskins / 5th / 40th pick / 1943 |
| Bill Fischer | 26 | T-G-DT | 11 | 0 | 248 | 6-2 | Notre Dame | 3/10/1927 | 4 | Chicago Cardinals / 1st / 10th pick / 1949 |
| George Gilchrist | 25 | DT | 11 | 0 | 260 | 6-0 | Tennessee State | 1/19/1928 | Rook | |
| Jerry Groom | 24 | MG-DT-C-LB | 12 | 0 | 236 | 6-3 | Notre Dame | 8/15/1929 | 2 | Chicago Cardinals / 1st / 6th pick / 1951 |
| Tom Higgins | 23 | T-G-DT | 12 | 0 | 230 | 6-2 | North Carolina | 2/26/1930 | Rook | Chicago Cardinals / 6th / 70th pick / 1953 |
| Ed Husmann | 22 | DT-G-DE-LB | 12 | 0 | 245 | 6-2 | Nebraska | 8/6/1931 | Rook | Chicago Cardinals / 9th / 99th pick / 1953 |
| Keever Jankovich | 25 | LB-DE | 2 | 0 | 215 | 6-0 | Pacific,Utah | 1/6/1928 | 1 | Cleveland Browns / 5th / 60th pick / 1952 |
| Jack Jennings | 27 | T | 12 | 0 | 245 | 6-4 | Ohio State | 2/23/1926 | 3 | Chicago Cardinals / 2nd / 21st pick / 1950 |
| Don Joyce | 24 | DE-DT | 10 | 0 | 253 | 6-3 | Tulane | 10/8/1929 | 2 | Chicago Cardinals / 2nd / 18th pick / 1951 |
| Ray Nagel | 26 | QB | 4 | 2 | 177 | 5-11 | UCLA | 5/18/1927 | Rook | |
| Gern Nagler | 21 | E | 11 | 0 | 190 | 6-2 | Santa Clara | 2/23/1932 | Rook | Cleveland Browns / 14th / 167th pick / 1953 |
| Johnny Olszewski* | 23 | FB-HB | 12 | 0 | 200 | 5-11 | California | 12/21/1930 | Rook | Chicago Cardinals / 1st / 4th pick / 1953 |
| John Panelli | 27 | LB-FB | 11 | 0 | 200 | 5-11 | Notre Dame | 5/7/1926 | 4 | Detroit Lions / 2nd / 12th pick / 1949 |
| Don R. Paul* | 27 | DB-HB | 12 | 0 | 187 | 6-0 | Washington State | 7/23/1926 | 3 | Chicago Cardinals / 4th / 47th pick / 1950 |
| Volney Peters | 25 | DT-T-DE | 12 | 0 | 237 | 6-4 | USC | 1/1/1928 | 1 | Chicago Cardinals / 13th / 151st pick / 1951 |
| Gordon Polofsky | 22 | LB-G | 4 | 0 | 219 | 6-1 | Tennessee | 1/10/1931 | 1 | Los Angeles Rams / 5th / 61st pick / 1952 |
| Jim Psaltis | 26 | DB | 12 | 0 | 190 | 6-1 | San Jose State,USC | 12/14/1927 | Rook | Chicago Cardinals / 2nd / 15th pick / 1953 |
| Ray Ramsey | 32 | B | 12 | 0 | 166 | 6-2 | Bradley | 7/18/1921 | 6 | Chicago Cardinals / 10th / 82nd pick / 1947 |
| Steve Romanik | 29 | QB | 6 | 4 | 190 | 6-1 | Villanova | 5/27/1924 | 3 | Chicago Bears / 3rd / 36th pick / 1950 |
| Jim Root | 22 | QB | 11 | 6 | 185 | 6-1 | Miami (OH) | 8/17/1931 | Rook | Chicago Cardinals / 23rd / 268th pick / 1953 |
| Dan Sandifer | 26 | DB-HB | 3 | 0 | 190 | 6-1 | LSU | 3/1/1927 | 5 | Washington Redskins / 5th / 28th pick / 1948 |
| Leo Sanford | 24 | LB | 12 | 12 | 224 | 6-1 | Louisiana Tech | 10/4/1929 | 2 | Chicago Cardinals / 8th / 90th pick / 1951 |
| George Schmidt | 26 | DE-C-LB | 6 | 0 | 230 | 6-2 | Illinois Tech | 10/28/1927 | 1 | |
| Jack Simmons | 29 | C-G-T | 12 | 12 | 236 | 6-4 | Detroit Mercy,Maryland | 10/8/1924 | 5 | Detroit Lions / 22nd / 207th pick / 1946 |
| Jack Spinks | 23 | T-G-FB-DT | 3 | 0 | 236 | 6-0 | Alcorn State | 8/15/1930 | 1 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 11th / 126th pick / 1952 |
| Don Stonesifer | 26 | E | 12 | 0 | 200 | 6-0 | Northwestern | 1/29/1927 | 2 | Chicago Cardinals / 3rd / 30th pick / 1951 |
| Dave Suminski | 22 | G | 6 | 0 | 230 | 5-11 | Wisconsin | 6/18/1931 | Rook | Washington Redskins / 15th / 171st pick / 1953 |
| Pat Summerall | 23 | DE-E-K | 12 | 0 | 228 | 6-4 | Arkansas | 5/10/1930 | 1 | Detroit Lions / 4th / 45th pick / 1952 |
| Bill Svoboda* | 25 | LB-FB | 12 | 0 | 210 | 6-0 | Tulane | 7/12/1928 | 3 | Chicago Cardinals / 3rd / 29th pick / 1950 |
| Wally Triplett | 27 | HB-DB | 4 | 0 | 170 | 5-10 | Penn State | 4/18/1926 | 4 | Detroit Lions / 19th / 182nd pick / 1949 |
| Charlie Trippi* | 31 | HB-QB-DB | 12 | 0 | 186 | 6-0 | Georgia | 12/14/1922 | 6 | Chicago Cardinals / 1st / 1st pick / 1945 |
| Jerry Watford | 23 | G-E-DE | 12 | 0 | 205 | 6-3 | Alabama | 12/19/1930 | Rook | Chicago Cardinals / 8th / 87th pick / 1953 |
| S.J. Whitman | 27 | DB | 3 | 0 | 185 | 5-11 | Tulsa | 8/17/1926 | 2 | Chicago Cardinals / 22nd / 259th pick / 1951 |
| Team Total | 25.2 | 12 | 209.6 | 6-0.8 | 1.9 |