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1986 Topps football card of former NFL placekicker Gary Anderson, a native of South Africa who played 23 seasons in the league with 5 different teams. He spent 12 of those years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and is that franchise’s all time leading scorer. He holds the distinction of having a perfect regular season, in 1998 while with the Minnesota Vikings, when he made all 35 of his field goal attempts and all 59 of his extra point attempts. Anderson was a four-time Pro Bowler and was named to the NFL’s All Decade teams for both the 1980s and ’90s.

1962 Fleer football card of former pro football linebacker Archie Matsos, whose entire seven year career was spent in the old American Football League. Matsos played for four different teams – Buffalo, Oakland, Denver and San Diego, and was an AFL All Star in his first four years. After 2 All Star seasons in Buffalo, Matsos was traded to the Raiders for 3 players, in one of the first moves made by Oakland’s new coach, Al Davis. It was the first of many shrewd personnel moves by Davis, as 2 of the 3 players sent to the Bills failed to make the team, while the third played only 3 games for the team.

1972 Topps football card of former NFL running back Ed Podolak, a versatile role player who spent his entire nine year career with the Kansas City Chiefs. He was a triple threat as a back – running, receiving out of the backfield and passing (he was a former college quarterback). He also was a demon on special teams and was the team’s top kickoff and punt returner. After retiring as a player, Podolak moved into broadcasting, working as a color analyst on NFL telecasts for NBC, then doing college games at his alma mater, the University of Iowa.

1982 Topps football card of former Buffalo Bills’ linebacker Shane Nelson, who played six seasons with the Bills, in the late 1970s and early ’80s, as part of their “Bermuda Triangle” on defense with fellow inside backer Jim Haslett and nose tackle Fred Smerlas. He was an undrafted rookie out of Baylor in 1977 and was discovered at a Dallas Cowboys’ tryout camp, where he was the only player out of 1,800 to be offered an NFL contract. He spurned Dallas’ offer, however, to sign with the Bills, where he thought his chances of sticking to the final roster were better.

1965 Philadelphia football card of former NFL quarterback Rudy Bukich, who is a little known player that enjoyed a long 14 year career that spanned 2 decades (the 1950s and ’60s). He played for 4 different NFL teams, including 2 different stints with the Chicago Bears, first in the late ’50s and then again from 1962 until 1968. That second chance in Chicago proved to be Bukich’s most successful of his years, as he was the backup QB to Bill Wade on the Bears’ 1963 championship team, tied an NFL record in 1964 by completing 13 consecutive passes, and was the second leader passer in the league in 1965.

1988 Topps football card of former Buffalo Bills linebacker Shane Conlan, who played nine seasons in the NFL, 6 with the Bills before finishing his career with the Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams. Conlan was a three-time Pro Bowler and a key defensive player on 3 Bills’ Super Bowl teams in the 1990s. He currently works in the front office of the Arena League’s Pittsburgh Power, serving as Vice President of Corporate Sponsorships.

1973 Topps football card of former NFL running back Vic Washington, who played six seasons in the league with three different teams, most notably the San Francisco 49ers. Prior to joining the Niners in 1971, he had tremendous success in the Canadian Football League, helping the Ottawa Rough Riders win back-to-back Grey Cup championships, winning the Grey Cup MVP award in 1968. Washington passed away in 2008.

1989 Topps football card of former NFL linebacker Chris Spielman, who played a total of 10 seasons in the league, mostly with the Detroit Lions. He was a four-time Pro Bowler and is still the Lions’ all time leader in career tackles. Spielman played 2 seasons in Buffalo before leaving the game to help his wife while she battled cancer. He tried to come back in 1999 with Cleveland but a neck injury forced him to retire for good. He is currently a game analyst for college football telecasts for ESPN.

1969 Topps football card of former NFL tight end Jackie Smith, who enjoyed a 16 year career with the St. Louis Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys. He played only one season for the Cowboys, and became infamous for dropping a sure touchdown pass in the Super Bowl that year. That was a real shame, since Smith’s overall career was a solid one. He was a five-time Pro Bowler and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994. He recently sang a rousing rendition of the national anthem at this year’s Hall induction ceremony.

1972 Topps football card of former NFL defensive end Claude Humphrey, who was recently inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame after a nearly 30 year wait. He enjoyed a long, thirteen year career in the league, mostly with the Atlanta Falcons. He was named NFL Defensive Rookie of The Year in 1968, and was named to the Pro Bowl six times. He finished his playing days in Philadelphia, where he helped the Eagles reach the Super Bowl in 1980.