TEMPE, Ariz. -- As Dennis Gardeck waited for the first defensive snap of his career, the Arizona Cardinals' linebacker channeled his nervous energy into Midwestern graciousness.
It was Week 5, and though Gardeck is in his third year with the Cardinals -- having earned a Pro Bowl alternate nod as a special-teams player in 2019 -- he had yet to play on defense. When he entered the game at the two-minute warning, the Illinois native looked across the line of scrimmage and introduced himself to the New York Jets' offensive players as they all waited for play to start.
"I would just say, 'Hey,' because they obviously didn't know who I was," Gardeck said. "So I just had to be like, 'Yo, I'm a special-teamer,' just to let them know. That way, when I did beat them, it's like, 'Dang, we just got beat by a special-teamer.'