Dan Dierdorf

Lore & Background

Dierdorf played college football for the Michigan Wolverines from 1968 to 1970 and was a consensus All-America in 1970. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996.

In Their Own Story

The November wind off the Detroit River had a bite to it, the kind that turned the breath of 30,000 fans into a grey plume over the upper deck. Dierdorf crouched at the left tackle position, the turf cold through his cleats, and felt the familiar weight of the snap count building in his ears. The linebacker across from him was fast—everyone knew that—but Dierdorf had seen that same fast linebacker try to get around him three times this season and come up with nothing but a bruised forearm and a muttered curse.

The center snapped. Dierdorf's hands found the man's hip before the man's feet left the ground. He drove, not with a lunge, but with a slow, grinding forward pressure, both legs churning like pistons. The defender's eyes went wide. He tried to spin. Dierdorf's forearm was already there, a wall of forearm and intent, and the spin died. The running back behind him saw the lane open and took it, and the roar from the stands hit Dierdorf in the chest like a second hit.

He reset. The next play. The next. The next. That was the job. That had always been the job. And he would do it until the whistle.

Reader's Guide

Dierdorf played in the Pro Bowl six times between 1974 and 1980 and was named first-team All-Pro five times. He was selected as the NFLPA Offensive Lineman of the Year for three consecutive years (1976–1978).

Did You Know?

• Dierdorf did not allow a sack during the entire 1976 and 1977 seasons.
• He was named to the NFL 1970s All-Decade Team.
• After his playing career, he worked as a broadcaster for ABC, CBS, and Michigan Wolverines football radio.