Karlos Dansby’s eyes are on history in third stint with Cardinals
Mar 10, 2017, 9:39 PM | Updated: 9:52 pm
Arizona Cardinals inside linebacker Karlos Dansby (56) during the first half of an NFL football game against the St. Louis Rams, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2013, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
When Karlos Dansby was with the Arizona Cardinals in 2009, he watched as Adrian Wilson became the 10th player in NFL history to join the 20 sacks-20 interceptions club. Since then, he’s played for the Cincinnati Bengals (among other teams), where he said he learned about Hall of Fame coach Paul Brown’s historic influence on the game of football.
So when Dansby signed a contract this week to play for the Cardinals for the third time in his career, he said he’s ready to make some history of his own, just one interception away from joining the 40 sacks-20 interceptions club.
Dansby joining the 40-20 club would make him the fifth player to do so in NFL history.
“Words can’t even explain how that’s going to feel, once I get that one interception in this building, where it all started,” said Dansby, whom Arizona drafted in 2004. “Only four other guys have been able to (join the 40-20 club), and all those guys are (…) legends of the game. And I’ve been able to do it without one Pro Bowl. I think that’s very phenomenal and special. ”
The club’s other members are Brian Urlacher, Ray Lewis, Wilber Marshall and Seth Joyner.
Dansby seems to easily remember the numbers that have brought him close to history. He recalled getting the recent phone call that he’d be coming to the Cardinals for the third time at “around 4:02.”
When asked of being close to joining the 20-20 (or 40-20) club, he recalled another number fairly quickly, too.
“I dropped six (passes) when I was here last time,” he said. “I would have been in that (20-20) club by now.”
But of course, getting a ring is the ultimate hope for Dansby, who said he thinks the Cardinals are “very close” to winning another Super Bowl.
“It’s time for me to come back home, time for me to finish what we started,” he said.
For Dansby, a Super Bowl win this year could redeem the narrow loss the Cardinals suffered in the Super Bowl eight years ago, when Arizona had a lead with less than a minute and a half remaining.
“I want that 1:30 back,” Dansby said. “I’ve been hunting for that sucker for a long time. And we’ve got some work to do to get it back.”
