1965 Topps football card of pro football’s first soccer-style placekicker, Pete Gogolak. Born in Hungary, he came to the U.S. and developed his then unique style in college at Cornell. He was drafted by the American Football League’s Buffalo Bills, where he did the kicking for the team’s back-to-back AFL title teams in 1964 and ’65. Gogolak signed with the NFL’s New York Giants after that, sparking a bidding war for players between the 2 leagues. Gogolak spent 9 seasons with the Giants and is a member of their Ring of Honor. His younger brother Charlie was also a kicker in the league.
Archive for the ‘Classic Sports Card of the Day’ Category
Classic Sports Card of The Day
1972 Topps football card of former defensive lineman Alan Page, who played 15 seasons in the NFL, mostly as a member of the Minnesota Vikings’ vaunted Purple People Eaters defense of the late 1960s and 1970s. He was a nine time Pro Bowler, voted to the All Decade team for the ’70s and was the league MVP in 1971, a rare accomplishment for a defensive player. Considered one of the best defensive linemen to ever play the game, Page was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988. Page obtained a law degree while he was still an active player, and after retiring served as an associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court from 1993 until 2015.
Classic Sports Card of The Day
1998 Bowman football card of former pro football defensive back Charles Woodson, who played 18 seasons in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers. He was a Heisman Trophy winner in college at Michigan, a nine-time Pro Bowler, was chosen for the NFL’s All Decade team for the 2000s, and is a certain future Pro Football Hall of Famer when he becomes eligible. Woodson helped the Packers win Super Bowl XLV. He currently works as a football analyst for ESPN.
Classic Sports Card of The Day
1962 Post Cereal football card of former pro football back Joe Morrison, who played 14 seasons in the NFL, all for the New York Giants. He played halfback, flanker and split end in his career, and his versatility and longevity with the Giants earned him the nickname “Old Dependable”. After retiring as a player, Morrison was a college football head coach for 16 years with 3 different schools – Chattanooga, New Mexico and South Carolina, earning the Walter Camp Coach of The Year Award in 1984.
Classic Sports Card of The Day
1978 Topps football card of former running back Clarence Davis, an underrated player who spent 8 seasons with the Oakland Raiders. He was a clutch player who saved his biggest performances for the biggest games, including rushing for 137 yards on 16 attempts in Super Bowl XI, helping the Raiders defeat the Minnesota Vikings for the franchise’s first NFL title.
Classic Sports Card of The Day
1959 Topps football card of former pro quarterback Bobby Layne, who was one of the last players to play without a face mask. Layne’s career spanned 15 years with 4 different teams. Most of his success came in the 1950s with Detroit as he led the Lions to 3 NFL championships, prior to being traded to Pittsburgh where he finished his playing days. He was a six-time Pro Bowler, was voted to the NFL’s All Decade team for the 1950s and was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967.
Classic Sports Card of The Day
1967 Philadelphia football card of former pro football running back Timmy Brown, who played 9 seasons in the NFL, mostly with the Philadelphia Eagles. He was a three time Pro Bowler and helped the Eagles win a championship in 1960. Brown became an actor after retiring as a player, using the name Timothy Brown. He appeared in many movies and television shows, and was one of only 4 actors to appear in both the MASH movie and TV series. He is also an accomplished singer and tap dancer.
Classic Sports Card of The Day
1966 Topps football card of former AFL and NFL star Billy Cannon, who played 11 seasons of pro ball. Cannon was a prize acquisition of the fledgling AFL after he signed with the new league’s Houston Oilers out of college in 1959. He had won the 1959 Heisman Trophy as college football’s top player. Cannon helped the Oilers win the first 2 AFL championships but injuries kept him from ever really attaining star status as a running back. He reinvented his career with the Oakland Raiders after they switched his position to tight end, and played for the Raiders in the second ever Super Bowl game. After retiring, Cannon became a dentist, but became involved in a counterfeiting scheme and served a prison term of just over 2 years. To this day, he is a dentist at the Louisiana State Penitentiary.
Classic Sports Card of The Day
1981 Topps football card of former pro football quarterback Lynn Dickey, who played 15 seasons in the NFL for the Houston Oilers and Green Bay Packers. He had limited success in Houston, although he guided the Oilers to their only win in a 1-13 season in 1973. After being traded to Green Bay, he broke a leg in 1977 and missed almost 2 complete seasons. He did attain All Pro honors in 1983, and is a member of the Packers’ Hall of Fame.
Classic Sports Card of The Day
1970 Topps football card of former wide receiver Haven Moses, who enjoyed a long 14 year career in pro football with the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos. He is a member of Denver’s Ring of Honor and was a two-time Pro Bowler. Moses was a key player on the Broncos’ 1977 AFC championship team. He still holds a couple of franchise receiving records despite playing in an era that empathized the running game.