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Former All-Pro safety Adrian Wilson expected to retire Monday

By Charles Rahrig V

Dec 11, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; An Arizona Cardinals football helmet sits on the field prior to a game against the St. Louis Rams at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kane-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 11, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; An Arizona Cardinals football helmet sits on the field prior to a game against the St. Louis Rams at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kane-USA TODAY Sports /
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After over a decade of setting a physical tone in the desert, former Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson is expected to retire on Monday.

The Arizona Cardinals have announced a press conference Monday, to be held with former safety Adrian Wilson.

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After an illustrious career that spanned over a decade filled with trips to the Pro Bowl, a NFC Championship and an All-Pro selection, Adrian Wilson is expected to formally retire as a member of the Cardinals.

Wilson is one of the biggest and most influential players in the changing of fortunes for the Cardinals franchise in Arizona.

After the Cardinals were one of the worst teams in the league for what seemed like their entire existence in Arizona, Wilson brought a different attitude to the team, which was far different than the mentality of guys collecting paychecks that was originally in place there.

Every week, Wilson brought a hard-nosed edge as he would step into the box and lay big hits on players and setting a physical tone defensively.

Wilson was as competitive as anyone and wanted to win more than anything else on the field. While the Cardinals still struggled in his first years with the team, they added other players with the same mindset as Wilson such as Darnell Dockett and Karlos Dansby.

Together those three coined the term “Birdgang” and all of a sudden, a Cardinals franchise that was once lost in the shuffle, had an edge to them.

Wilson was a big part defensively of the Cardinals playoff runs in 2008 and 2009 and helped lead Arizona to their first ever trip to the Super Bowl.

He was eventually released as he began to lose a step and had brief stint with New England where he was injured and spent last season with the Bears.

Now, one of the best to ever put on red every Sunday, is expected to finally call it a career and what a career it was. With the contributions he made toward turning the Cardinals into a winning franchise, there is no doubt he will be placed alongside other Cardinals greats in the ring of honor at the University of Phoenix Stadium.

When the franchise needed a player to instill toughness, Wilson always answered the call.

Five Pro Bowls, an All-Pro Selection, a trip to the Super Bowl and being an influential member of the turnaround of a franchise, Wilson will surely garner some attention for a spot in Canton.

[H/T: ProFootballTalk]

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