| No. 56, 53 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Linebacker | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | (1964-06-12) June 12, 1964 (age 60) Redondo Beach, California | ||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 230 lb (104 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| College: | Notre Dame | ||||||
| Undrafted: | 1986 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
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| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||
Rick Anthony DiBernardo (born June 12, 1964) is a former American football linebacker who played for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL).[1]
DiBernardo was born on June 12, 1964, in Redondo Beach, California. He attended Edison High School, where he played football and basketball.[2] In his junior season, DiBernardo set an Edison basketball record with 17 field goals against Costa Mesa High School.[3]
As a senior, DiBernardo was named to the South team in the Orange County All-Star basketball game.[4] Edison football coach Bill Workman said DiBernardo "could start at every position on our team except quarterback and tailback and it would be very close at those positions".[2] Parade magazine named DiBernardo to their All-America team, where the magazine's editors selected the best high school football players in America to the honorary team.[5] USC, UCLA, Nebraska, Washington, and Notre Dame all tried to recruit DiBernardo to their football programs.[6] In the visit with Notre Dame, head coach Gerry Faust talked to him about the university's "unique" atmosphere, its high academic standards and the Irish tradition".[7] After he visited the university's campus, DiBernardo chose to attend Notre Dame.[8]
DiBernardo graduated with majors in marketing and psychology.[6]
DiBernardo was not selected by a team in the 1986 NFL Draft, where organizations choose athletes to play for their teams, but he later signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.[6] The Buccaneers traded him to the St. Louis Cardinals for a twelfth-round draft pick in the following year's draft.[9] With the Cardinals, DiBernardo played as a reserve linebacker and as a long snapperonspecial teams.[6] He played in all 16 games that season, as the Cardinals finished with a 4–11–1 record.[1][10] After his first season in the NFL, DiBernardo considered retiring from the game and going back to Notre Dame for a master's degree. He instead decided to attend Cardinals' training camp, where he learned that Mike Morris had been signed as the St. Louis long snapper.[6]
" [The Rams] said come over to (Ram Camp at Cal State Fullerton) tomorrow. I was just saying, 'There is a God. He is listening.' This is the best thing that's ever happened to me. Friday was the greatest day ever."
DiBernardo on signing with the Rams[11]
On July 21, 1987, DiBernardo told Cardinals coach Gene Stallings he would be retiring from football, citing concerns about his job security. He showed an interest in a marketing or administration job.[6] On August 14, while he worked for a moving company, DiBernardo received a call from a marketing agency that offered a management position; he accepted.[11] Four hours later, the Los Angeles Rams offered him a tryout. DiBernardo signed with the Rams for "about minimum wage" as a reserve linebacker and long snapper.[11] He played in three games for Los Angeles, and had two fumble recoveries.[1] The Rams released DiBernardo along with nine other players in the beginning of September.[12]
In 2008, DiBernardo worked as a mutual fund regional vice president in Orange County, CA and as a part-time college football referee.[13]
