1968 Topps football card of former NFL wide receiver Willie Richardson, who enjoyed a 9 year career in the league, most notably with the Baltimore Colts. He was twice named to the Pro Bowl and also a two-time All Pro, in 1967 and ’68, and helped the Colts win the NFL title in ’68. His younger brother Gloster Richardson also played in the league. Richardson passed away in 2016 at the age of 76.
1962 Topps football card of former NFL quarterback Fran Tarkenton, who played for an amazing 18 seasons in the league. His time was split between 2 separate stints with the Minnesota Vikings and a 5 year stay with the New York Giants. Known for his scrambling ability, he was a 9 time Pro Bowler, NFL MVP in 1975, and held multiple career passing records when he retired in 1978. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986. Tarkenton has been active since his playing days ended, writing self-help books, investing, founding a software company and appearing on several television shows, including Monday Night Football as an analyst and That’s Incredible! as a co-host.
1984 Topps football card of former pro football running back John Riggins, who enjoyed a long 15 career in the NFL with the New York Jets and Washington Redskins. Inexplicably he was only named to the Pro Bowl once in his career. He was NFL Comeback Player of The Year in 1978 and MVP of Super Bowl XVII when he led the Redskins to a win in the big game against Miami. Nicknamed “The Diesel”, Riggins was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992. He has dabbled in acting and sports commentating in his later life, including doing color analysis for Sunday Night Football radio broadcasts on Westwood One.
1962 Post Cereal football card of former pro football fullback Jim Taylor, who played 10 seasons in the NFL, 9 for the Green Bay Packers and a single season with his hometown New Orleans Saints in their inaugural year of 1967. He was a five-time Pro Bowler, member of 4 NFL title teams, NFL Most Valuable Player in 1962 and named to the NFL’s All Decade Team for the 1960s. Taylor was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1976. He was a successful businessman after his playing days ended and stayed in good physical condition, jogging 5 miles a day and competing in the Superstars event. Taylor passed away in 2018.
1981 Topps football card of former pro football wide receiver John Jefferson, who enjoyed an 8 year career in the NFL, most notably playing for the San Diego Chargers and Green Bay Packers. He was a four-time Pro Bowler and led the NFL in receiving yards and touchdowns in 1980. Jefferson was named to the Chargers’ 50th Anniversary All-Time team. He remained involved in football after retiring, serving as an assistant coach at the University of Kansas and director of player development with the Washington Redskins until 2009.
2011 Topps football card of NFL running back Mark Ingram Jr., who is currently in his tenth year in the league, playing for the Baltimore Ravens. He started his career in 2011 with the New Orleans Saints and played there until signing with the Ravens as a free agent in 2019. The former Heisman Trophy winner from Alabama has been selected to the Pro Bowl 3 times so far in his career. His father, Mark Ingram Sr., was a wide receiver in the league for 10 years.
2012 Score football card of a former pro football running back, BenJarvus Green-Ellis. Known as “The Law Firm” because of his extra-long name, Green-Ellis played 6 years in the NFL, splitting time between the New England Patriots and Cincinnati Bengals. His career was cut short by injury after the 2013 season, and he was released by the Bengals.
1963 Topps football card of former pro football wide receiver Bernie Casey, who played 8 seasons in the NFL, split between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams. He was a Pro Bowler in 1967. He enjoyed a successful acting career when his playing days were over, appearing in numerous television episodes and hit movies such as Brian’s Song, Guns of The Magnificent Seven, Sharkey’s Machine, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure and Revenge of The Nerds. An avid poet and painter, Casey died of a stroke in 2017.
1972 Topps football card of former pro football cornerback Jim Marsalis, who played 8 seasons in the AFL and NFL, almost exclusively for the Kansas City Chiefs. He was a two-time Pro Bowler, AFL Defensive Rookie of The Year in 1969, and a key member of the Chiefs’ NFL championship team that won Super Bowl IV. After retiring as a player Marsalis became a banker along with his wife, and helped coach a local high school football team.
1961 Fleer football card of former pro football halfback Willie Galimore, who played 7 seasons in the NFL for the Chicago Bears. Nicknamed “Willie the Wisp”, he was a two-time All Pro and a member of the Bears’ 1963 championship team. His career and life were tragically cut short at age 29 in 1964 when he and teammate Bo Farrington were killed in a car accident near the team’s training camp. A civil rights activist, Galimore made history when, just weeks before his death, he became the first black person to register at the previously all white Ponce de Leon Motor Lodge in his home town of St.Augustine, Florida. His son Ron was the first black U.S. Olympic gymnast.