"Dan" Dierdorf (born June 29, 1949) is a former American football player and current television sportscaster. He played 13 NFL seasons and has worked for ABC's Monday Night Football and CBS as a color commentator since his retirement.At Michigan, Dan was a consensus All-American in 1970 and assisted the team to a 25–6 record in his 3 years as a starter. The Wolverines were Big Ten Champions in 1969. Dierdorf made all-conference in 1969 and 1970 He was chosen for the East-West Shrine Game and Hula Bowl and for the 1971 College All-Star Game. In 2000, Dierdorf was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame. Dierdorf began his career as a guard and left tackle before settling in as a starter at right tackle in 1974. In 1982 he moved to center and was the starter in that season and became a back-up in his final year, 1983.
Dierdorf was named to the Pro Bowl 6 times from 1974-'78 & 1980. Dierdorf was named All-Pro for 4 consecutive seasons beginning in 1975 when the Pro Football Writers Association voted him All-Pro. From 1976-78 Dan was a consensus All-Pro and in 1980 the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) named him All-Pro. In addition, Dan was a consensus 2nd team All-Pro in 1974.
He was named NFLPA NFC Offensive Lineman of the year by his peers in 1976, 77, and 78. In 1996 he received the ultimate honor when he was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The 1975 Cardinals offensive line, consisting of Dierdorf, Conrad Dobler, Bob Young, Tom Banks, and Roger Finnie, allowed a total of only 8 sacks, a then-NFL record. Dierdorf did not give up a sack for the entire 1976 and 1977 seasons. His streak ended in the first game of the 1978 season when Chicago Bears left defensive end Tommy Hart nabbed 2 sacks against Dierdorf. Dan had not given up a sack since the 1975 NFC Divisional playoff game when Jack Youngblood sacked Jim Hart.
[edit] Post NFL Career
After his retirement, Dierdorf successfully made the transition to the broadcast booth. He called Cardinals games on radio for KMOX in 1984 before moving to CBS television for two seasons.
In 1987, he was added to the Monday Night Football team. He was named as ABC's blow-by-blow boxing commentator in 1989, beginning with Meldrick Taylor's first defense of his championship. He also served as a Correspondent for the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. Dierdorf stayed at ABC for twelve seasons before a shake up after the 1998 season. He was immediately rehired by CBS to broadcast NFL games for the network, which had just re-acquired the rights to NFL (AFC) broadcasts, and was immediately given the color position on CBS' #2 broadcast team. The 2008 season marked Dierdorf's third as a color commentator with play-by-play announcer Greg Gumbel on CBS, after working in 1999 with Verne Lundquist and from 2000-2005 with Dick Enberg.
Dan Dierdorf was the 2008 recipient of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award. He received the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award on Friday, August 1 during the Enshrinees Dinner in Canton, at which the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2008 enshrinees – Fred Dean, Darrell Green, Art Monk, Emmitt Thomas, Andre Tippett and Gary Zimmerman – received their gold Hall of Fame jackets from each of their presenters. The Class of 2008 Enshrinement Ceremony took place the following day at 6:00 PM.
Dierdorf continues to live in St. Louis and has his own star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame. He is the co-proprietor, along with former Cardinals quarterback Jim Hart of Dierdorf and Hart's, a St. Louis steakhouse. Dan Dierdorf also is one of the investors of KTRS radio in St. Louis.
