Arizona Cardinals’ Dennis Gardeck is all about the dad life: ‘It’s slept on’

TEMPE — There’s just something about being a dad. Just ask Arizona Cardinals pass rusher Dennis Gardeck, who is realizing that firsthand after he and his wife, Codi, welcomed their son Cooper Anthony into the world last month.

“I feel like the biggest shock is just being a dad in general. It’s cool, it’s awesome and I feel like it’s slept on or underrated. It’s so much fun,” Gardeck said Tuesday.

“It changes everything. It changes your relationship with your partner. I feel like I look at my wife a different way. You have so much more respect for your parents. Like, ‘Holy cow, you had to do this with me and three others?’ I’m one of four. It’s crazy. It puts so many things into perspective. You don’t know until you’re there.”

Arizona Cardinals OLB Dennis Gardeck (@DGardeck) is all about the dad life.

“It’s cool, man. It’s awesome. I feel like it’s kinda slept on or underrated. It’s so much fun.” #AZCardinals #Birdgang pic.twitter.com/tXPdvtzADe

— Cardinals Corner (@AZCardsCorner) July 9, 2024

And with the new addition comes even more onus to get after it.

As Gardeck put it Tuesday, “I’m not just playing for myself anymore.”

“There’s been kind of a shift or an urgency in the approach to what I’m doing,” he added. “But on the field, it’s ball and it’s whatever those details need to be focused on is what I need to be focusing on so that I can provide for him.

“I haven’t stepped on the field yet while he’s been out. It’ll be interesting to see how training camp goes. He occupies way more space than anything else ever has in my mind.”

Dennis Gardeck reflects on being a new dad:

“I’m not just playing for myself anymore. There’s been a shift or an urgency in the approach to what I’m doing.”

The OLB added it’ll interesting to see how he feels stepping back on the field for the first time at training camp. pic.twitter.com/Yu7toIX9ok

— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) July 9, 2024

Nick Rallis’ fatherly advice

Gardeck isn’t the only Cardinal whose family welcomed a baby into the world recently. He’s not even the most recent.

No, that honor now belongs to defensive lineman Ben Stille after Luka Stille was born earlier this month.

So, with two Cardinals defenders embarking on fatherhood for the time, what’s defensive coordinator Nick Rallis’ best advice for the new dads on the team?

“Good luck when they get to Age 2, because that’s where I’m at right now. He’s out of his mind. Complete lunatic. It was a lot easier when he was like one and he didn’t try to fight you if he was hungry or tired.

“So, enjoy these first two years, because your life will be hell after that.”

What's Arizona Cardinals DC Nick Rallis' advice to the new fathers on the team?

"Good luck when they get to Age 2, because that's where I'm at right now. … Enjoy these first two years, because your life will be hell after that." 🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/hPNroyH0HX

— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) July 11, 2024

Well put, Rallis.

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