Louisville football: The 50 greatest Cardinals of all time

Louisville fans have bared witness to some incredible performances in recent years, but none were more impressive on the defensive side of the ball than that of Elvis Dumervil.

In 2005 alone, Dumervil recorded 20.5 sacks, 22 tackles for loss and 10 forced fumbles. He forced more fumbles in 2005 that Louisville’s entire team forced turnovers in 2018.

Dumervil, a Miami native, finished his career with 151 tackles and 32.5 sacks, good for second in school history.

Without Dumervil, Louisville football could not have taken off as it did during Bobby Petrino’s first stint as head coach. The Cards were known for having a high-flying offense, but a defense led by “The King” of sacks helped create balance during the mid-2000s.

Dumervil also gets bonus points for recording 11 tackles, seven tackles for loss, six sacks, and two forced fumbles in Louisville’s season opener against Kentucky in 2005.

After his college career, Dumervil was a fourth-round selection for the Denver Broncos and went on to have an incredible career with the Broncos, the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers. He was a five-time Pro Bowler, the 2009 NFL sacks leader and finished his career with 365 tackles and 105 sacks.