The Greatest Cardinals Quarterback Of All-Time Is...Neil Lomax?

Now that I have your attention, I intend on keeping it for another 5-10 minutes, as I refresh your memory, or introduce some of you, to Neil Lomax.

Lomax isn't a household name. He was, more or less, the equivalent to how we now see Jay Cutler, Phillip Rivers, or Aaron Rodgers.

He was a budding star who excelled in college, had a rough start to the pros, and even when he and his team faced struggles, still put up mammoth numbers and reminded us routinely why the St. Louis Cardinals (at the time) drafted him in the second round of the 1981 NFL Draft.

But first, before you can judge Lomax for his brief, eight-year career in the NFL, you need to know how good he was coming out of college. That before he went on to hold 90 NCAA records, he was a fifth-string quarterback on a partial scholarship, who went from being an emergency quarterback, to one of the best players in the college game.

That little tidbit is enough to say, "Wait, I think I remember this guy...", but if not, hold onto your hats for some more insight.

Once in a game in college, Lomax threw for seven touchdowns in one quarter. He was know in his era as one of the best quarterbacks in the college game, and was known to be a clutch performer.

However, his NFL career would turn out to be a mixed bag of highlight reel plays, mind-boggling numbers, and ultimately, disappointment.

Playing for the inconsistent and disrespected St. Louis Cardinals, Lomax was never fortunate enough to garner more than nine wins in a season, however, he did manage to lead them to one playoff appearance.

Perhaps Lomax was just another young gunslinger that couldn't get a hold on his wildly, out-of-control cannon. Perhaps he was simply never meant for greatness; just another stud college quarterback that wasn't fit for the pros, or just never a very good quarterback to begin with.

Perhaps. Or maybe he was just a living example of what happens to talent when it's surrounded by lesser talent, questionable coaching, and poor ownership.

Jay Cutler, be warned: You could be the next Lomax. Matthew Stafford, pay attention. Matt Ryan, this is a message for you, and all the other rising, young quarterbacks.

Talent does not mean greatness.

But in that same breath, greatness cannot be measure by mere wins and losses, or by one game, or by one season.

Just ask Archie Manning. Hell, go look up Lomax and ask him.

In just eight seasons, Lomax managed to throw 136 touchdown passes, while passing for 22,000+ yards. Not the numbers of a scrub, or a quarterback who couldn't find the answers.

More, just the numbers of a guy who was being drowned by a weak supporting cast in the latter part of his career, and eventually, a bad hip that would force him out of the game.

But before he was forced out of the game he loved at just 29, Lomax did some impressive things. In 1983, in just his third season, and first as a full-time starter, Lomax threw 24 touchdowns and just 11 interceptions, while leading the lowly Cardinals to a solid 7-5-1 record as a starter.

He followed that up with a fantastic 1984 campaign that sent him to his first of two Pro Bowls, in which he passed for a career high 4,614 yards, while tossing 28 touchdowns.

The Cardinals dropped to 5-11 after two solid seasons under Lomax, yet he still topped 3,200 passing yards, while throwing 18 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions.

He battled injuries for his final three seasons, but still managed to top 3,000 yards passing two more times, while passing for 24 and 20 touchdowns in his final two seasons.

Lomax finished a difficult career with a hip injury that wouldn't allow him to continue playing, after guiding a mediocre (and usually worse) Cardinals team to a respectable 47-52-2 career record.

While he didn't have a winning record, and he wasn't always the most consistent performer, Lomax put up extraordinary numbers for a young quarterback on a weak team, while never getting sacked fewer than 31 times in a season.

In fact, from his third season, up until he retired, Lomax was sacked at least 43 times each year, and was sacked 61 times in 1985.

So, what's the point? Lomax was a scrub who couldn't pick his team up and find any real success. His numbers mean nothing, and he's gone and forgotten.

But he shouldn't be. Not by Cardinals fans, and not by the NFL.

Since 1988, Lomax's last season, there have been over 20 quarterbacks to start for the Cardinals. Listed below are the quarterbacks after Lomax, their record as a starter, and their yards, touchdowns, and interceptions:

Tom Tupa (4-9) 3,075 yards, 9 TD, 22 INT

Gary Hogeboom (5-8) 2,591 yards, 14 TD, 19 INT

Timm Rosenbach (5-15) 3,676 yards, 16 TD, 24 INT

Chris Chandler (5-12) 3,592 yards, 19 TD, 19 INT

Steve Beuerlein (6-8) 3,164 yards, 18 TD, 17 INT

Dave Krieg (4-12) 3,554 yards, 16 TD, 21 INT

Boomer Esiason (3-5) 2,293 yards, 11 TD, 14 INT

Kent Graham (5-9) 3,032 yards, 16 TD, 12 INT

Jake Plummer (30-52) 17,622 yards, 90 TD, 114 INT

Josh McCown (10-12) 5,431 yards, 25 TD, 29 INT

Jeff Blake (3-10) 2,247 yards, 13 TD, 15 INT

Kurt Warner (27-30) 15,843 yards, 100 TD, 59 INT

Only quarterbacks with at least 10 starts are listed, although Boomer Esiason earns an exception for, well, being Boomer Esiason.

The point here, is that Lomax was with the Cardinals longer than Warner, had less weapons, and had a good career cut-short. He deserves this kind of recognition, albeit 20+ years too late.

No passer on this list was able to match Lomax's 4,600+ yard season, and only Kurt Warner was ever able to best his 28-touchdown season.

It wasn't until Jake Plummer that another Cardinals quarterback not named Lomax led the franchise to post-season play, as well, with Kurt Warner eventually becoming just the second do to so since Lomax.

In summary, Lomax was a good, young quarterback who guided an explosive Cardinals offense early in his career, and then was forced into retirement at a young age after taking brutal punishment for eight seasons by an unforgiving offensive line.

Cardinals fans, let him be remembered.

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