Jim Hart

James Warren Hart, born April 29, 1944, was an American professional football player who played quarterback in the National Football League from 1966 through 1984. He spent the bulk of his career with the St. Louis Cardinals, appearing from 1966 through 1983, and finished with a single season for the Washington Redskins in 1984.

Hart spent his early childhood just outside Chicago. His father died when he was seven, and after his mother remarried, his stepfather encouraged him to play sports. He attended Niles West High School in Skokie, Illinois, where he played quarterback, lettered in basketball for three years, and played baseball.

He received a football scholarship to Southern Illinois University, playing for the Salukis from 1963 through 1965. Hart went unselected in the 1966 NFL draft, but his former coach Don Shroyer arranged a tryout with the St. Louis Cardinals. He impressed the team and was signed soon after.

Hart made his NFL debut in the final game of the 1966 season, on December 17, appearing in relief of Terry Nofsinger for the Cardinals after the team lost starter Charley Johnson to a ROTC commitment.