Paired with an innovative coach who provided a seal-tight offensive line, reliable running backs and sure-handed receivers, Jim Hart was among the NFL’s top quarterbacks in the mid-1970s and secured his place as the best who played for the St. Louis football Cardinals.
The Cardinals played 28 seasons (1960-1987) in St. Louis and Hart was a quarterback for them for 18 of those years (1966-1983).
Like the franchise, Hart had many ups and downs. When he came to the Cardinals as an undrafted prospect from Southern Illinois University, Hart competed with another underrated quarterback, Charley Johnson, for the starting job.
Hart prevailed when Johnson was traded to the Oilers after the 1969 season, but when Bob Hollway became Cardinals head coach in 1971 he soured on Hart. By 1972, Hart was a reserve behind Gary Cuozzo and Tim Van Galder.
The arrival of Don Coryell as Cardinals head coach in 1973 revived Hart’s career. Coryell recognized Hart as a special talent and named him the starter.
Coryell also supported Hart with a cast that included offensive linemen Dan Dierdorf, Conrad Dobler, Bob Young, Tom Banks and Roger Finnie; running backs Terry Metcalf and Jim Otis; and receivers Mel Gray, Jackie Smith, Earl Thomas and Ike Harris.
Hart led the Cardinals to their best St. Louis seasons. The Cardinals finished in first place in the NFC East Division in 1974 (10-4) and 1975 (11-3) and in second place in 1976 (10-4). They got to the playoffs in 1974 and 1975, years when only four teams from the NFC qualified for the postseason.
Here are 10 facts to know about Hart based on research, most especially from Pro Football Reference:
1. Leader of the pack
Hart is the Cardinals franchise leader in passing yards (34,639), completions (2,590) and touchdown passes (209). That’s no small feat. The franchise has been in the NFL since 1920. The Cardinals started in Chicago (1920-1959) and relocated to St. Louis (1960-1987) and Phoenix (1988-present). Hart highlight video
2. Best in class
In 1974, Hart led the NFL in pass attempts (388) and ranked first in the NFC in both completions (200) and touchdown passes (20). Hart was named 1974 NFC Player of the Year by United Press International.
3. Tough to beat
Hart threw more career touchdown passes (35) against the Cowboys than he did against any other foe. The Cardinals, however, had a 7-17 record versus the Cowboys in games in which Hart played.
In 1975, Hart threw seven touchdown passes in two games against the Cowboys. On Sept. 28, Hart connected on two touchdown passes to Gray and one each to Thomas and Smith, but the Cowboys beat the Cardinals, 37-31. On Dec. 7, the Cardinals defeated the Cowboys, 31-17, with Hart completing two scoring strikes to Gray and one to Metcalf. The victory gave the Cardinals control of the NFC East.
4. Playing long ball
Hart had an exceptionally strong arm and was effective at completing long passes, or bombs. Forty-one percent of his career touchdown throws (87 of 209) were of 30 yards or more.
In his 1977 book, “The Jim Hart Story,” Hart said, “The bomb is partly feel and partly luck. The feel is knowing where to throw it. You want to get it over the receiver’s outside shoulder, so the defender can’t get to it. The luck is having the right speed, the right velocity. You can’t always control that.”
5. Longest yard
Hart’s longest completion didn’t produce a touchdown.
On Dec. 10, 1972, against the Los Angeles Rams, Hart completed a 98-yard pass to Bobby Moore (later named Ahmad Rashad). The play went from the Cardinals’ 1-yard line to the Rams’ 1-yard line. It’s the NFL’s longest non-scoring play.
“If I scored, it wouldn’t have been a record,” Moore told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Hollway sent in the play _ a fly pattern _ figuring the Rams expected the run.
Moore snared Hart’s pass at the Cardinals’ 40-yard line and cut downfield. He was caught from behind by Al Clark. Video
On the next play, Donny Anderson ran for the touchdown.
6. Productive target
Gray was the receiver who caught the most touchdown passes from Hart. Gray and Hart connected for 38 touchdowns.
The most famous came on Nov. 16, 1975, against the Redskins. On fourth down, Hart completed a seven-yard scoring pass to Gray. Officials initially disagreed on whether Gray maintained possession, but the call went in the Cardinals’ favor. Some refer to it as the “Phantom Catch.” Video
St. Louis won in overtime, 20-17, and earned the label “Cardiac Cardinals.”
7. Welcome to the NFL
Hart played in his first regular-season Cardinals game on Dec. 17, 1966, against the Browns.
Appearing in relief of starter Terry Nofsinger, Hart completed four of 11 passes for 29 yards. The Browns won, 38-10.
Asked about Hart’s debut, Cardinals head coach Charley Winner said, “Most of those passes he completed were short and to the sidelines. You’re supposed to complete those passes.”
8. On-the-job training
The first regular-season touchdown pass thrown by Hart was 12 yards to Prentice Gautt on Sept. 17, 1967, against the Giants.
Hart, making his first start, was intercepted four times. The Giants won, 37-20.
“After that loss, I felt so poor that I didn’t want to look anybody in the eye,” Hart said.
9. On the run
Hart had 16 career rushing touchdowns. The longest was his first, a 23-yard run on Sept. 24, 1967, versus the Steelers.
“I had to run with it,” Hart said. “The play was a fake up the middle and a pitch to the fullback. (Linebacker) Andy Russell made a good move to get in the way of the pitch. I was going to throw it, but with our linemen already down the field I couldn’t. I had to run.”
Jim Bakken kicked seven field goals and St. Louis won, 28-14.
10. Picked off
In 1967, Hart was intercepted 30 times in 14 starts.
George Blanda of the 1962 Oilers holds the single-season record. He was intercepted 42 times.
Previously: Football Cardinals finally got it right with Don Coryell
RetroSimba 
One of my football heroes growing up in St. Louis. Thanks for the memories of my childhood with this. I was waiting for Bidwell to rise up from the ink and scream, “Pisarkiewicz!!!”.
Thanks for your comment. Indeed, Cardinals ownership at one time thought Steve Pisarkiewicz a better option than Jim Hart.
Loved Jim Hart, but that offensive line was one of the best in history. People think of Dan Dierdorf as this good-natured, funny old guy, but he would just murder defensive linemen back in the day.
Good point. Those blockers, led by Dan Dierdorf, didn’t just protect Jim Hart; they aggressively won control of the line of scrimmage a lot of the time.
Dobler was a barbarian, and Banks and Finnie were incredibly savvy. I mean, really, teams these days would sacrifice Tom Hanks in a volcano for on O-line that great.
Sorry, Tom. Errr, Joe.
I was looking for something else and came across this 2017 story. Very nice!
Thanks, Bob. High praise coming from the top historian of the football Cardinals.
The issue that got Bud Wilkinson fired was over whether Steve Pisarkiewicz should get a look-see in the final 3 games with the Cards clearly out of contention, to see if he had a future. Wilkinson had already concluded that he didn’t. Hart would turn 36 in the offseason, but there was no dispute at all over who was the better QB. Washington fans and team were offended when the Cards continued the Pisarkiewicz experiment in the finale at Chicago and lost 42-6, eliminating Washington on point differential. You can check with Bob Costas: he was of the opinion that starting Pisarkiewicz in weeks 14 and 15 made sense, but not with playoff implications on the line in week 16. Also note that with Hart at QB, the Cards had a 1-point loss to Dallas, a 2-point loss to Washington, 3-point losses to Pittsburgh and Philadelphia and a 7-point win over Houston, all teams that won 10 or more games. This was quite well understood at the time.
Yes, thanks, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Cardinals owner Bill Bidwill requested that Steve Pisarkiewicz start at quarterback late in the 1979 season, replacing Jim Hart. Coach Bud Wilkinson refused, and was fired, according to the Post-Dispatch.
With Larry Wilson as interim coach, Pisarkiewicz started Dec. 2 against the 49ers and the Cardinals won, 13-10. Then, Pisarkiewicz started against the Giants on Dec. 9 and the Cardinals won, 29-20. After that game, the Post-Dispatch reported, “Pisarkiewicz is ready to challenge Jim Hart for the starting quarterback job … Pisarkiewicz didn’t ask for the pressure that was thrust upon him when the team owner fired the coach because he wouldn’t start the young quarterback.”
In his final start, Dec. 16 against the Bears, the Cardinals lost, 42-6.
Jim Hanifan took over as coach in 1980 and Pisarkiewicz was released in early September.