The annual NFL draft represents a renewal for the Arizona Cardinals. The April timeline brings in springtime in every NFL city. The youth selected demonstrates the ability to reintroduce efforts to make the roster a better environment with younger enthusiasm.
But the warmer days also remind us of the loved ones we have lost in our lifetime, with dedicated days such as Mother’s Day and Father’s Day being recognized in late spring and early summer.
Our heroes don’t last forever. Just as our heroes are
celebrated in life, here is a snapshot of several former Cardinals who passed from this earth in 2024.
RELATED: CARDINALS DEFENSE COLLAPSES
LB Ernie Clark
Age: 86
Passing date: September
Career: Detroit Lions 1963-1967, Cardinals (St. Louis) 1968
Clark was taken in Round 13 and had a productive career. He was a thumper who was considered a large linebacker in his day at 220 pounds. He played for 68 games in Detroit and was the franchise’s first black middle linebacker. Back then, the MLB position was only reserved for white players because of the stigma that black players weren’t intelligent enough for the smart positions of quarterback, center, and middle linebacker. He was traded to St. Louis for defensive end Joe Robb in 1968, Clark’s final NFL season.
OT Korey Cunningham
Age: 28
Passing date: April
Career: Cardinals 2018, New England Patriots 2019-2020, Buffalo Bills 1973-1975, New York Football Giants 2021-2022
The Cardinals drafted Cunningham in the seventh round of the 2018 NFL draft out of UAB. He played sparingly in his rookie campaign before suffering a foot injury, which landed him on IR. At the end of his second training camp, he was traded for a sixth-round pick to the Patriots, who had offensive tackle issues and needed more depth. He played in every game, blocking on special teams, with six offensive starts. In the following training camp, he was waived on the final cutdown. The Giants signed him to their practice squad. On April 25, 2024, emergency responders found Cunningham dead at age 28 in his Clifton, New Jersey home. No official cause of death was publicly announced.
CB Pat Fischer
Age: 84
Passing date: October
Career: Cardinals (St. Louis) 1961-1967, Washington Redskins 1968-1977
Despite being taken in the 17th round of the 1961 NFL draft, Fischer played 17 years, including seven with the Cardinals. He was named All-State in high school and had a great career at Nebraska. During his career, he had 56 interceptions and played in 213 NFL games. He was voted to three Pro Bowls and named First or Second Team All-Pro four times. He is now in the Nebraska Hall of Fame and enshrined in the Washington Commanders Ring of Fame.
QB Charley Johnson
Age: 85
Passing date: September
Career: Cardinals (St. Louis) 1961-1969, Houston Oilers 1970-1971, Denver Broncos 1972-1975
Johnson was drafted in the eighth round of the AFL draft (San Diego Chargers) and in the 10th round by the NFL. He chose St. Louis after being named the MVP of the Sun Bowl his senior year. He played sparingly in his rookie year and then won the starting job in just his second season, and played nine seasons for Big Red, going to the Pro Bowl in 1963. In 1967, the Cardinals moved on to Jim Hart, and Johnson was traded to the Oilers before the 1970 training camp. After two seasons, he moved on to the Broncos, where he rejuvenated his career, starting 41 games. When he retired with 1,737 completions, at the time, he was ranked 13th all-time. Johnson was inducted into the Broncos Ring of Honor.
OT Ernie McMillan
Age: 86
Passing date: November
Career: Cardinals (St. Louis) 1961-1974, Green Bay Packers 1975
McMillan was a 13th-round draft pick of the Cardinals and was also taken in the 29th round of the AFL college draft. He became the starter at right tackle in his second season and would go on to start 162 straight games for the Cardinals, which remains a team record for a position player. Later, he switched to left tackle when the team drafted Dan Dierdorf. He was voted to four Pro Bowls and twice named Second Team All-Pro. He started 11 games for Green Bay in his final year.
LB Leo Sanford
Age: 94
Passing date: March
Career: Cardinals (Chicago) 1951-1957, Baltimore Colts (1958)
The Cardinals drafted him in the eighth round, and he made the Pro Bowl in his final two seasons with Chicago. He played in 84 games and started 72. In 1958, he went to Baltimore and was part of the 1958 “World’s Greatest Game” championship between the Colts and the Football Giants that went into overtime.
LB Tom Seabron
Age: 67
Passing date: December
Career: San Francisco 49ers 1979-1980, Cardinals (St. Louis) 1980
Seabron had a tremendous college stint at Michigan as the 49ers selected him in the fifth round of the draft. He played in 30 games without any starts for San Fran, then signed a free agent deal with the Cardinals.
DE Ralph Thomas
Age: 94
Passing date: July
Career: Cardinals (Chicago) 1952, Washington Redskins 1955-1956
Thomas signed with the Cardinals after being undrafted and then became the starter for seven games in his rookie year. He then went into business for three years, but returned in 1955 and played two seasons with the Redskins. He has since been inducted into the University of San Francisco Athletic Hall of Fame, and also his high school Hall.
DE Marvin Upshaw
Age: 77
Passing date: June
Career: Cleveland Browns 1968-1969, Kansas City Chiefs 1970-1975, Cardinals (St. Louis) 1976
Upshaw was taken in Round 1 of the 1968 NFL draft by Cleveland head coach Blanton Collier. Five future Hall of Famers were selected in various rounds afterwards.
With the two years in Cleveland, he played in all 28 games but started just 13. He was traded to the Chiefs and had a successful career there, playing six seasons with 60 starts and netting 25 sacks, including 9.5 in 1974. He played his final year with the Cardinals where he started four games.
His brother Gene played for the Oakland Raiders and was deeply involved in the players’ union.
WR Dave Williams
Age: 78
Passing date: May
Career: Cardinals (St. Louis) 1967-1971, San Diego Chargers 1972-1973, Pittsburgh Steelers 1973, Southern California Sun (WFL) 1974-1975
Taken in the first round of the 1967 NFL draft out of Washington, where he also ran track as a hurdler. Williams played in all 14 games as a rookie, starting five, mainly as a receiver. By his second season, he was starting every game and ended up with 64 NFL starts, 53 with the Cardinals. Williams was the surest bet to help the Cardinals right away. He had ideal size. In addition to speed, he was big enough to crack back as a blocker, and he definitely could catch the ball in a crowd. Williams did clash with head coach Charley Winner, and traded him to the Chargers. He later played for the Sun of the World Football League, where he scored 20 touchdowns in one and a half seasons.
