Ron Wolfley
Encyclopedia
Ronald Paul Wolfley was an American football
fullback
who played for the St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals
from 1985 to 1991. He was selected four times to the Pro Bowl
as a special teams captain. Wolfley played collegiately
for the West Virginia Mountaineers
. He currently co-hosts an afternoon, drive time sports talk show on KTAR
in Phoenix, Arizona
with Doug Franz entitled Doug and Wolf. He is currently the Arizona Cardinals' color analyst on the radio and is teamed up with Dave Pasch
.
He is the brother of former offensive lineman Craig Wolfley
formerly of the Pittsburgh Steelers
and Minnesota Vikings
.
in 1981. His freshman year, he saw little action. He only rushed for 13 yards on the season.
As a sophomore in 1982, Wolfley shared time with starting
back Curlin Beck, while rushing for 355 yards and two touchdowns. His rushing totals were second on the team, only behind Beck's.
As a junior in 1983, Wolfley again shared starting time, only this time with Tom Gray
. Wolfley had a career-high 485 yards and 4 touchdowns though on only 122 carries.
His final season as a Mountaineer, 1984, Wolfley finally assumed the starting role alone. He recorded 475 yards and four touchdowns that season, along with a receiving touchdown.
by the St. Louis Cardinals
. During his seven seasons as a Cardinal (from which the team moved from St. Louis to Phoenix
), Wolfley totaled 252 yards and two scores. Wolfley was known for his fearless special teams play that allowed him to compete in four straight Pro Bowls from 1986 to 1989.
In 1992, Wolfley joined the Cleveland Browns
. He played two seasons for the Browns. Eventually, he returned to St. Louis for one more season. He is the only player to have played in St. Louis for both the Cardinals and the Rams.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
who played for the St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
from 1985 to 1991. He was selected four times to the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
as a special teams captain. Wolfley played collegiately
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for the West Virginia Mountaineers
West Virginia Mountaineers
The West Virginia Mountaineers are the athletic teams of West Virginia University. The school is a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Big East Conference. On July 1, 2012 the Mountaineers will switch conferences, moving from the Big East to the Big 12, becoming...
. He currently co-hosts an afternoon, drive time sports talk show on KTAR
KTAR (AM)
KTAR is the callsign for a radio station in Phoenix, Arizona. It airs programming from ESPN Radio, in addition to KTAR-acquired broadcast rights for local teams...
in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
with Doug Franz entitled Doug and Wolf. He is currently the Arizona Cardinals' color analyst on the radio and is teamed up with Dave Pasch
Dave Pasch
Dave Pasch is an American sportscaster. Pasch works for ESPN, for which he calls play-by-play of college football, college basketball, NBA, WNBA, and Arena football games. He has also been the radio voice for the Arizona Cardinals of the NFL since 2002, teaming with Ron Wolfley. In 2007, Pasch...
.
He is the brother of former offensive lineman Craig Wolfley
Craig Wolfley
Craig Wolfley is a former American football player and current sideline reporter for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Along with former teammate Tunch Ilkin, he hosts a show on ESPN Radio 970.-College career:...
formerly of the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
and Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
.
Collegiate career
Wolfley arrived at West VirginiaWest Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
in 1981. His freshman year, he saw little action. He only rushed for 13 yards on the season.
As a sophomore in 1982, Wolfley shared time with starting
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
back Curlin Beck, while rushing for 355 yards and two touchdowns. His rushing totals were second on the team, only behind Beck's.
As a junior in 1983, Wolfley again shared starting time, only this time with Tom Gray
Tom Gray
Tom Gray is a bluegrass musician widely considered one of the best bass players in the genre. He is probably best known for his bass playing with The Country Gentlemen and The Seldom Scene. In 1996, as a member of The Country Gentlemen, he was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall...
. Wolfley had a career-high 485 yards and 4 touchdowns though on only 122 carries.
His final season as a Mountaineer, 1984, Wolfley finally assumed the starting role alone. He recorded 475 yards and four touchdowns that season, along with a receiving touchdown.
Professional career
Ron Wolfley was selected in the fourth round of the 1985 NFL Draft1985 NFL Draft
The 1985 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 30 and May 1, 1985...
by the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
. During his seven seasons as a Cardinal (from which the team moved from St. Louis to Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
), Wolfley totaled 252 yards and two scores. Wolfley was known for his fearless special teams play that allowed him to compete in four straight Pro Bowls from 1986 to 1989.
In 1992, Wolfley joined the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He played two seasons for the Browns. Eventually, he returned to St. Louis for one more season. He is the only player to have played in St. Louis for both the Cardinals and the Rams.