1989 Score football card of former pro football quarterback Doug Williams, who played 9 seasons in the NFL and had a short stint in the USFL. He has been inducted into the rings of honor of both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Washington Football Team. He guided the Redskins to victory in Super Bowl XXII, winning the game’s MVP Award and becoming the first African American quarterback to win a Super Bowl. After his playing days, Williams spent time as a high school and college coach, pro scout and as a front office advisor and executive. He is currently a senior advisor for the Washington franchise.
Archive for the ‘Classic Sports Card of the Day’ Category
Classic Sports Card of The Day
1974 Topps football card of former pro football quarterback Steve Spurrier, who played 10 seasons in the NFL but is much better known for his college coaching prowess, where he earned the nickname of “The Ol’ Ball Coach”. He was a highly touted Heisman Trophy winner coming out of college, but didn’t meet expectations in the pros, although he did carve out a long career as a backup QB and punter, mainly with the San Francisco 49ers. Spurrier had a short, unsuccessful run as an NFL coach in Washington, but in college he was a seven time SEC Coach of The Year and his teams won 6 SEC titles, and a national championship in 1996.
Classic Sports Card of The Day
1963 Fleer football card of former pro football end Art Powell, who had a 10 year career in the NFL and AFL for 5 different teams. His best years came in his four year stint in Oakland, where he was named an AFL All Star 4 times. He also led the AFL in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns twice each, and was a member of the AFL’s All Time team. Powell, who was a major voice in protesting segregation during his time as a player, passed away in 2015 at the age of 78.
Classic Sports Card of The Day
2018 Score football card of a current pro football wide receiver, Chris Hogan, who has carved out an 11 year pro career in the NFL so far with 6 different teams. His most success came with the New England Patriots, where he helped win a pair of Super Bowl titles. Hogan also played lacrosse in college, and also played in the Premier Lacrosse League in 2021, signing with the NFL’s New Orleans Saints, his current team, after the PLL season ended.
Classic Sports Card of The Day
1959 Topps baseball card of former major league pitcher Jim “Mudcat” Grant, who pitched for 8 different teams in a 14 year career that spanned 3 decades. His longest stint was with the Cleveland Indians, who he played with for 7 years. His most successful season came in 1965 with the Minnesota Twins, as he posted a 21-7 record with 6 shutouts in helping the Twins reach the World Series. Grant was a two-time All Star and holds the distinction of being the starting hurler in the first game of the Montreal Expos’ existence in 1969. After retiring, he served as a broadcaster for the Indians and Athletics and wrote a book honoring the “Black Aces”, who are the 15 black pitchers to have won 20 games in a season in the major leagues, a list that includes Grant himself.
Classic Sports Card of The Day
1974 Topps football card of former NFL quarterback Marty Domres, who enjoyed a 9 year career in the league for 4 different teams, mainly as a backup. An Ivy League grad who played his college ball at Columbia, the only opportunity he got to be a starter wasn’t exactly a good one, as he was called on to replace legendary John Unitas when he played for the Colts. He brought out the boo birds when he didn’t quite live up to the task. Domres works as a financial analyst for Deutsche Bank in his post-playing days.
Classic Sports Card of The Day
1962 Fleer football card of former pro football back Dick Christy, who played 5 seasons of pro ball, 3 of them for the American Football League’s New York Titans, who later became the Jets. He was an AFL All Star in 1962. Christy died in an automobile accident in 1966. His alma mater, North Carolina State, created the Dick Christy Award, given to the most valuable player in games against rival South Carolina.
Classic Sports Card of The Day
1977 Topps football card of former NFL linebacker Willie Hall, who enjoyed a six year career in the league, most notably with the Oakland Raiders. Drafted by the New Orleans Saints in 1972, he was acquired by the Raiders in 1975 and became one of many reclamation projects that Al Davis produced while running the Silver and Black. Hall was a key member of the 1976 Super Bowl champion Oakland club that finished 16-1 on the season.
Classic Sports Card of The Day
1985 Topps football card of former pro football running back Billy Sims, who played 5 years for the Detroit Lions before he was forced to retire due to a serious knee injury. He was a major star in that short career, winning Rookie of The Year honors in 1980, while also earning 3 Pro Bowl nods and a pair of All Pro designations. The 1978 Heisman Trophy winner as the top player in college fell on hard times after his playing days ended, with some bad investments forcing him into bankruptcy. Sims has recently rebounded from those troubles, and now co-owns a chain of Billy Sims Barbecue restaurant franchises in Oklahoma.
Classic Sports Card of The Day
From CheckOutMyCards.com, a 1996 ProLine football card of former NFL defensive end Phil Hansen, who played his entire 11 year career with the Buffalo Bills. He played in 3 Super Bowls with the club, and ranks 3rd behind Bruce Smith and Aaron Schobel on the franchise career sack list. Hansen ran an unsuccessful campaign in 2012 for a Minnesota state senate spot.