GLENDALE, ARIZ. – Former University of Sioux Falls Football standout Dennis Gardeck has been named a team captain for the Arizona Cardinals, which open their season on Sunday, Sept. 13 against the San Francisco 49ers.

In an announcement September 9, Arizona named Gardeck as the Special Teams captain and was one of eight named. Along with Gardeck, captains included wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, quarterback Kyle Murray and tackle D.J. Humphries on offense as well as defensive tackle Corey Peters, cornerback Patrick Petersen, and linebackers Chandler Jones and Jordan Hicks on defense.

Arizona Head Coach Kliff Kingsbury said about Gardeck: "(From) working at McDonald's to being a team captain of the Arizona Cardinals is quite a story," Kingsbury said. "It's a testament to his work ethic, his determination. Being on the scout team, when I'm calling offensive plays, I'm like, 'There's Gardeck, screwing up the play.' You want him to go hard, but he goes so hard every snap sometimes he makes it look bad. That's just his mentality when he steps on the field every day. Just thrilled to see (him be captain.)."

Originally signed by the Cardinals as a rookie free agent from USF in 2018, Gardeck, who was named Arizona Cardinal's 2019 Salute to Service Award nominee, has played 30 games in his first two NFL seasons.

"The fact that Denny was named a Captain in his third year is not a surprise to me," said USF Head Football Coach Jon Anderson. "He has been a leader in every locker room he has ever stepped into.  His work ethic is legendary and contagious. His desire and ability to help others improve is what sets him apart.  Being voted a Captain by the team is the highest honor you can receive in my opinion.  That an undrafted, free-agent has worked himself to Pro-Bowl Alternate and Team Captain is Dennis Gardeck in a nutshell.  He sets goals and then doesn't stop until he achieves them," Anderson said.

A special team's standout in his first season years, he was named a Pro Bowl alternate on teams in 2019 after recording a team-high 10 tackles and a fumble recovery. He has 18 special teams tackles, three punt deflections, a fumble recovery on a fake punt and scored a TD on a blocked punt.
 
Gardeck led all NFL rookies with 388 total snaps on special teams in 2018 as he trailed only Jets wide receiver Terrence Brooks with 395. He was one of four rookies to appear in all 16 games for Arizona in 2018 (Mason Cole, Chase Edmonds and Ezekiel Turner).
 
He finished 2018 with eight special teams tackles and scored his first career TD in the season finale at Seattle when he recovered a block punt in the end zone. It was Gardeck's first TD since his senior season at Crystal Lake (Ill.) South High School when he returned a fumble 80 yards for a TD.
 
At USF, Gardeck helped lead the Cougars to the 2017 NCAA DII playoffs. Selected a finalist for Cliff Harris Award (Small College Defensive Player of the Year), he was nominated for the Harlon Hill Trophy as DII Player of the Year in 2017. Following 2017, he was named to five All-American teams, and was first team All-NSIC as well as the NSIC Defensive Newcomer of the Year.

A four-time all-league performer, he was named to the All-Mountain East squad three times while at West Virginia State. In four years at the NCAA DII level, Gardeck finished with 345 career tackles, 57.5 tackles for loss, 32 sacks, nine forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and an interception. In his career, he had 11 games with double digit tackles.  
 
As a senior in 2017 at USF, he had a special season on one of the top defenses in NCAA DII in 2017. USF ranked second in total defense by allowing a program-DII low 244.3 yards per game, third nationally in rushing defense at 67.8 yards per game, and second in scoring defense at 12.5 points per game, allowing just 123 total points, a program DII-low at USF.

Gardeck had 14 sacks, which ranked second nationally, and helped USF record the seventh most sacks nationally with 40 and ranked eighth in first downs allowed with 158. He was fifth in NCAA DII with 1.17 sacks per game, registered a sack in the playoff game (24-20 loss to No. 5 Midwestern State) and had 13 solo sacks which also ranked second nationally. He averaged 1.8 tackles for loss per game, which ranked 13th nationally, with his 21.0 tackles for losses of 97 yards the fifth most in NCAA DII.
 
During 2017, he recorded a team-best 75 tackles, including two double digit tackle games, and nine in a NCAA DII playoff loss. He led the NSIC in sacks and TFLs while also recovering a fumble, forced two fumbles and recorded a safety to clinch the 21-14 "Key to the City" game over city rival Augustana at Bob Young Field.
 
Gardeck had a memorable first game at USF with a program-DII best five sacks in a 26-7 win over Minnesota-Duluth on the road on August 31. The five-sack performance against UMD was the single-best individual sack performance in DII that year. Six times he had seven tackles or more, while recording a tackle for loss in 10 of USF's 12 games. He had a sack in eight games with two or more sacks four times.