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1972 Topps football card of former pro football placekicker Jim O’Brien, who had a short and mostly uneventful 4 year career in the NFL with the Baltimore Colts and Detroit Lions. Playing in the tail end of an era where kickers also played other positions (the early 1970s), he was also a wide receiver. O’Brien made only 60 of 108 field goal attempts in his career, but in his rookie season of 1970, he booted a 32 yarder with 5 seconds left in Super Bowl V to give the Colts a championship victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

1969 Topps football card of former Buffalo Bills’ offensive tackle Stew Barber, who played 9 seasons for the team in their American Football League days in the 1960s. He was originally signed as a linebacker, and played there in his rookie season, recording 3 interceptions, including one he returned for a touchdown. He was moved to tackle in his next season and settled in nicely there, as he helped the team win 2 AFL championships and  was named a league All Star 5 times. He stayed with the franchise after retiring as a player, working as a scout and eventually working his way up to general manager.

2011 Score football card of recently retired NFL defensive lineman Kyle Williams, who enjoyed a 13 year career with the Buffalo Bills. Entering the league as an unheralded fifth round draft pick in 2006, the big DT carved out a solid career with the Bills, quickly earning a starting position and eventually becoming the conscience and the heart and soul of the Bills’ locker room. Williams, recently added to this year’s Pro Bowl roster, is now a six-time participant in the annual All Star game. He has been a shining light in what has been mostly a losing era in Buffalo football history.

1963 Fleer football card of former pro football flankerback Irving “Bo” Roberson, who was a star receiver in the old American Football League in the early 1960s. After winning a silver medal at the 1960 Olympics in the long jump, he joined the San Diego Chargers for a year before moving on to the Oakland Raiders, where he had his most success, from 1962 until 1964. He was traded in-season in 1965 to Buffalo after injuries decimated the Bills’ receiving corps, and became a major contributor to the team winning the AFL championship that year. Roberson had a successful life after football, earning a Ph.D. and working as a psychologist with the Los Angeles Unified School District. He is the only person with an Ivy League degree (Cornell), a Ph.D., an Olympic medal and a career in pro football.

1960 Fleer football card of former pro football quarterback Tommy O’Connell, who had a brief pro career with 3 different teams. He played one season for the Chicago Bears in 1953, returned to join the Cleveland Browns for the 1956 and ’57 seasons, retired to become head coach at Drake University in ’59, then was lured back to play for the Buffalo Bills in the old AFL in 1960 and ’61. His best season was in ’57 when he replaced Otto Graham in Cleveland, led the Browns to the Eastern Division title and was named to the Pro Bowl. O’Connell, who died in 2014, was the father of former hockey player and general manager Mike O’Connell.

This is a 2000 Bowman football card, the “rookie” card, of current New England Patriot quarterback Tom Brady, who is arguably the most successful signal caller in NFL history. Of course, the means by which he and his team have achieved that success over the last almost 2 decades will always be under a cloud of suspicion. Nevertheless, Brady has had a long, storied career that is still ongoing. He is a five-time Super Bowl champion, four-time Super Bowl MVP, three-time NFL MVP and a 14 time Pro Bowler. He’s been a durable player over his 19 year career, missing only the entire 2008 season due to an Achilles injury.

1998 Bowman Chrome football card of former NFL running back Fred Taylor, who enjoyed a 13 year career in the league, mostly with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He remains one of the franchise’s most iconic players, and is a member of the 10,000+ rushing yards club among NFL all-time backs, despite being plagued by injuries throughout his career. Taylor’s most successful season was in 2007, when he was named to the Pro Bowl. His son Kelvin is currently a member of the new Alliance of American Football’s Orlando Apollos.

1958 Topps football card of former pro football fullback and kicker Paige Cothren, who had a short three year playing career in the NFL with the Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles. Used almost exclusively as a kicker, his career was pretty non-descript, but his life afterwards wasn’t. He joined the U.S. Army after retiring and reached the rank of captain, and was an accomplished author and pastor, and opened a pair of counseling centers for alcoholics and drug addicts. When the New Orleans Saints joined the NFL as an expansion team, their coach, former Ram teammate Tom Fears, signed Cothren as the franchise’s first player, even though he had been retired for over 6 years. Unfortunately, he didn’t make the team’s final cut as a kicker, but he continued to flourish in life outside of football.

1986 Topps football card of former Cincinnati Bengals’ wide receiver Cris Collinsworth, who played eight seasons in the NFL and was a three time Pro Bowler. He played on a pair of Bengal Super Bowl teams that both lost in the big game. Collinsworth has enjoyed a very successful career in broadcasting since retiring as a player, winning 15 sports Emmy Awards while working in various capacities for multiple networks. He is currently the analyst for NBC’s Sunday Night Football telecasts, working alongside Al Michaels.

1955 Topps All American football card of former pro football halfback Ken Strong, who was a player known for his extreme versatility while playing in the early years of the National Football League for the New York Giants. He played offense, defense and was a placekicker for the team, and helped them win the NFL title in 1934. Strong was a four-time All Pro, was named to the NFL’s All Decade team for the 1930s, and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967. After retiring as a player, he worked as a liquor salesman and served as the Giants’ kicking coach in the early 1960s.