Conrad Dobler: I don't care what they call him
Here’s a link to a good article about one of my former teammates, Conrad Dobler - 2015 NFL Countdown: The History of Cardinals Jersey Number 66.
Excerpt from the article: “When it came to protecting his quarterback no matter what, Conrad Dobler (1973-1977) deserves the highest acclaim allowable — 'Elite' even. And if 'no matter what' happened to be shall we say 'outside the box', then 'so be it' was Conrad's motto because nobody was getting to the quarterback on his watch.”
In the online poll asking fans who they think is the greatest Cardinal player to wear number 66. Conrad is crushing the competition.
The Cardinals offensive line allowed only 7 sacks the entire 1975 season, tying them with the 1988 Miami Dolphins for fewest sacks allowed by a team in a season.
When Conrad came to the Buffalo Bills for his last two seasons in the NFL, the O-line gave up only 20 sacks in 1980 and 16 sacks in 1981. Those are still team records for the Buffalo Bills and one of the main reasons we went to the playoffs in both of those seasons.
I played for the Buffalo Bills during Conrad’s final two years in the NFL and I will never forget watching him get his battle scarred knees ready for a game. He had true grit and he constantly challenged the O-Line to do whatever it took to make sure our Quarterback, Joe Ferguson, was not laying on his back at the end of a play.
Conrad put a world of hurt on his opponents - and yes he had a few incidents that were outside the rules - but like a lot of players during our generation, he played hurt almost all the time and sacrificed his body for his band of brothers.
There are a few Quarterbacks out there that will never forget what he did to make their lives a little safer in the pocket.
Conrad wrote a book entitled “They Call Me Dirty”
I don’t care what they call him………I call him a winner!
