1957 Topps football card of former pro football back Tommy Wilson, who played 8 seasons in the NFL for 3 different teams, despite not playing in college. His best years came in his time with the Los Angeles Rams from 1956 until 1961, when he was named to his one and only Pro Bowl. In his post-playing days Wilson fought for benefits for retired NFL players. His son Steve Wilson played for 10 years in the league as a defensive back. Wilson passed away in 2006.
1991 Pacific football card of former pro quarterback Brett Favre, who played in the NFL for 20 seasons for 4 different teams, most notably with the Green Bay Packers. He was a three-time Most Valuable Player in the mid-1990s, guided the Packers to 2 Super Bowls, winning # XXXI, was voted to the Pro Bowl 11 times and was a six-time first or second team All Pro. Favre was also named to the All Decade team for the ’90s and as a member of the league’s 100th Anniversary All Time team. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016. Favre’s 321 consecutive starts are an NFL record, making him the league’s all time “Iron Man”.
1977 Topps football card of former pro football fullback Sam “Bam” Cunningham, who played 10 seasons in the NFL, all for the New England Patriots. Known for his bruising running style, he was a Pro Bowler in 1978 and is a member of the Patriots’ Hall of Fame. His younger brother is Randall Cunningham, who enjoyed a long NFL career as a quarterback. Cunningham passed away in 2021 at the age of 71.
1969 Topps football card of former pro football running back Johnny Roland, who played for 8 years in the NFL, all but 1 for the St. Louis Cardinals. He was voted as Rookie of The Year in 1966 and a two-time Pro Bowler. Roland has had a long 27 year career as an assistant coach for 7 different NFL teams, and also served as an assistant at Notre Dame for a year. He was a member of the Chicago Bears’ Super Bowl-winning staff in 1985. His post-playing days also include ownership of radio stations in St. Louis and rural Alabama.
1974 Topps football card of former pro football quarterback Scott Hunter, who played for 4 different teams in an 8 year career in the NFL. He had the unenviable task of replacing the legendary Bart Starr as Green Bay’s quarterback in 1972 when Starr was hurt, and never lived up to those standards. He was a journeyman backup for most of his pro football time. After his playing days ended, Hunter has worked as an investment broker and a sportscaster for nearly 2 decades. He is also a commercial pilot with over 4,000 flying hours to his credit.
1969 Topps football card of former pro football quarterback Craig Morton, who played a long and storied 18 years in the NFL for 3 different teams. He appeared in 3 Super Bowls, in losing efforts with Dallas and Denver and also as a member of the Cowboys’ championship team in 1971. He won both the AFC Offensive Player of The Year and Comeback Player of The Year awards in 1977 with the Broncos. After retiring as a player, Morton served as head coach of the USFL’s Denver Gold.
1974 Topps football card of former pro football wide receiver Ron Jessie, who played for 3 different teams in an 11-year career in the NFL. In addition to football, he was a long jump champion in college. Jessie made the Pro Bowl in 1976 while playing for the Los Angeles Rams, and after retiring as a player served as a scout for them. He died of a heart attack at home in 2006.
2011 Topps football card of former pro football quarterback Joe Webb III, who was the greatest NFL player of all time. OK, that’s not exactly true, but he did carve out a nice 10 year career in the league as a reliable backup QB by enhancing his value to each team he played for by being a special teams contributor, kick returner and trick play specialist. Webb was the Conference USA Offensive Player of The Year in college in 2009 at Alabama-Birmingham.
1993 Topps football card of former pro football wide receiver Michael Jackson, who played 8 seasons in the NFL, 5 with the Cleveland Browns and 3 with the Baltimore Ravens after the franchise moved there. He was a college teammate of Brett Favre’s, and an immediate contributor to the Browns’ passing game when he arrived in 1991. Jackson led the NFL in receiving touchdowns in 1996. After retiring as a player, he entered politics and was elected mayor of his hometown of Tangipahoa, Louisiana, serving in that role from 2009 until 2013. Jackson died in a motorcycle accident in 2017.
1967 Topps football card of former pro football flanker Otis Taylor, who enjoyed an 11 year career in the AFL and NFL, all with the Kansas City Chiefs. He was one of the most dynamic receivers of his era, and was a two-time All Pro, two-time AFL champion, led the NFL in receiving yards in 1971, and was a key player on the Chiefs’ squad that won Super Bowl V. After retiring as a player Taylor worked as a scout for Kansas City for 11 years.