He played 13 seasons (1971–1983) as an offensive tackle for the St. Louis Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL).
Dierdorf played college football for the Michigan Wolverines from 1968 to 1970 and was selected as a consensus All-America in 1970 and a first-team All-Big Ten Conference player in 1969 and 1970.
He worked for the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) from 1987 to 1999, including 12 seasons as color analyst on Monday Night Football.
In 2008, Dierdorf received the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
He grew up near the site of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and watched as a boy as the museum was under construction.
[3] A lightly recruited prospect from Canton, Ohio, Dierdorf looked into a number of Midwestern schools with hopes of landing a football scholarship but did not receive offers from Notre Dame or Michigan State.
[5] As a sophomore, Dierdorf started nine of ten games at the right offensive tackle position for the 1968 Michigan football team that compiled an 8–2 record in Bump Elliott's final season as head coach.
[11] Dierdorf sustained a knee injury on the first play of the 1968 Michigan–Ohio State game, and his ability to return to the team remained doubtful until the start of the 1969 season.
[12] In 1969, Bo Schembechler took over as Michigan's coach and led the 1969 team to a Big Ten Conference championship and a No.
[13] At six feet, four inches, and 255 pounds, he was the team's strong tackle, switching from one side of the line to the other, so that he could lead the play no matter which way it went.
For his performance in the Ohio State game, Dierdorf received the UPI's Lineman of the Week award.
[31] From 1974 to 1976, Dierdorf started every game at right tackle for the Cardinals during a three-year span in which the team compiled records of 10–4, 11–3, and 10–4 under head coach Don Coryell.
On September 9, 1979, Dierdorf sustained torn ligaments in his left knee during an extra point attempt in the second quarter of the second game of the season against the New York Giants.
"[34] Dierdorf was carried off the field on a stretcher, underwent knee surgery, and missed the remainder of the 1979 season.
"[37] In January 1984, after retiring as a player, Dierdorf was hired as an afternoon talk show host by KMOX radio in St.
[42] In April 1987, Dierdorf was hired by ABC to join Al Michaels and Frank Gifford on Monday Night Football broadcasts.
[43] During his affiliation with ABC, Dierdorf also served as a blow-by-blow boxing commentator in 1989, beginning with Meldrick Taylor's first defense of his championship, served as a correspondent for the network's coverage of the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, and called play-by-play of some College Football on ABC games in the early 1990s.
[44] After week 2 of the 2000 season, Lundquist was moved to CBS' lead college football team, and Dierdorf served as commentator for Dick Enberg from 2000 to 2005.
"[46] Dierdorf's final broadcast for CBS was an AFC divisional playoff game on January 11, 2014, between the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots.
[47] On April 17, 2014, Dierdorf was introduced as the new color analyst for Michigan Wolverines football radio broadcasts.
In 1994 and 1995, Dierdorf was a finalist for election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but he narrowly missed the required 29 votes on both occasions.
In January 1996, he received the required vote count and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.