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Archive for the ‘Classic Sports Card of the Day’ Category

Classic Sports Card of The Day

16 Dec

66toppsbass

1966 Topps football card of former Buffalo Bills’ split end Glenn Bass, who played eight seasons in the old American Football League, six of them with the Bills. As one of the primary targets for QB Jack Kemp, Bass helped the Bills win back-to-back AFL titles in 1964 and 1965. He played his last two seasons with Houston, helping the Oilers win an Eastern Division title in 1967. Bass held the Bills’ record for the longest touchdown pass reception, 94 yards from Kemp, for 30 years until Quinn Early caught a 95 yarder in 1996.

 

Classic Sports Card of The Day

11 Dec

61toppsdowler

1961 Topps football card of former Green Bay Packer receiver Boyd Dowler, who played 12 seasons in the NFL, 11 of them with Green Bay. He was Bart Starr’s go-to guy during the Packers’ dynasty years in the 1960s, helping them with 5 championships in a seven year span. Dowler was NFL Rookie of the Year in 1959, and was named to the All Decade team for the ’60s. In an era where “specialists” weren’t the norm, he was also his team’s punter. Dowler is currently a scout for the Atlanta Falcons.

 

Classic Sports Card of The Day

08 Dec

62fleerrabb

1962 Fleer football card of former pro quarterback Warren Rabb. It’s an “error” card in that his name is misspelled. Rabb had a brief career starting with the Detroit Lions in 1960. He moved to the American Football League the next season, quarterbacking the Buffalo Bills for 10 games over 2 seasons before turning the starting job over to Jack Kemp. He finished his playing days in the Canadian League with Montreal in 1963. Rabb led his college team, the LSU Tigers, to the national championship in 1958.

 

Classic Sports Card of The Day

05 Dec

69toppslamonica

1969 Topps football card of former pro quarterback Daryle Lamonica, who played 12 seasons in the AFL and NFL. Known as “The Mad Bomber”, he started his career in Buffalo, where he spent four years backing up Jack Kemp. He was traded to Oakland prior to the 1967 season, in one of the worst trades in Bills’ history, and wound up taking over as the Raiders’ starter. He led them to the Super Bowl in his first year there, and remained the team’s starting signal caller for eight years, winning the AFL MVP Award twice, in ’67 and 1969.

 

Classic Sports Card of The Day

02 Dec

89scoresuppreich

1989 Score Supplemental Series football card of former NFL quarterback Frank Reich. A career backup, he played for four different teams in the NFL, with his longest tenure coming in Buffalo where he backed up Hall of Famer Jim Kelly for 9 seasons. He holds the distinction of having led the greatest comeback victories in both college and pro football, with his shining moment in the NFL coming when he guided the Bills from a 35-3 third quarter deficit to an improbable 41-38 overtime win against the Houston Oilers in the playoffs. Reich is a devout Christian who gives motivational speeches and is involved in Athletes In Action. After retiring as a player, he got into coaching, and currently serves on the staff of the San Diego Chargers as quarterbacks coach.

 

Classic Sports Card of The Day

28 Nov

66philarogerbrown

1966 Philadelphia football card of former NFL defensive lineman Roger Brown, who played 10 seasons in the National Football League, and was named to the Pro Bowl six times. He played his first seven seasons with the Detroit Lions, then was traded to the Los Angeles Rams, where he joined the famed “Fearsome Foursome” defensive line, replacing Rosey Grier on that unit. Brown was the first 300 pound player in the NFL, and his combination of size and speed made him a dynamic force along the defensive line. After retiring, Brown went into the restaurant business.

 

Classic Sports Card of The Day

20 Nov

62fleermingo

1962 Fleer football card of one of the top players in the old American Football League, former Denver Bronco halfback Gene Mingo. Known for his versatility, Mingo played halfback and returned kicks, and was the first African American placekicker in pro football history.  He was an outstanding runner, and once threw two touchdown passes in one game on halfback option plays. Mingo also played for Oakland and Miami in the AFL, and kicked for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL in 1969 and 1970 before retiring.

 

Classic Sports Card of The Day

17 Nov

76toppsharrison

1976 Topps football card of former pro football defensive back Dwight “Ike” Harrison, who played 10 seasons in the NFL for 4 different teams, most notably as a cornerback for the Buffalo Bills. Harrison also played some wide receiver during his career, and was a member of the Oakland Raiders’ team that won the Super Bowl in 1980. Besides Harrison, that Raider team included 4 other former Bills – Bob Chandler, Bob Nelson, Keith Moody and Randy McClanahan.

 

Classic Sports Card of The Day

13 Nov

81toppswersching

1981 Topps football card of former NFL placekicker Ray Wersching. A native of Austria, Wersching played four seasons with the San Diego Chargers, then was lucky enough to hook up with the San Francisco 49ers during their golden years under coach Bill Walsh. He kicked for the Niners for 11 seasons, helping them win two Super Bowls. Wersching’s style of placekicking was unique, as he would run onto the field for every field goal or extra point attempt with his head down, never looking up until after he kicked the ball.

 

Classic Sports Card of The Day

10 Nov

65toppsday

1965 Topps football card of former Buffalo Bills’ lineman Tom Day, a member of the Bills’ back-to-back American Football League championship teams in the 1960s. Day played one season in the NFL with the St. Louis Cardinals, then joined the Bills in 1961, playing on the club’s dominant defense, and also putting in some time on the offensive line at guard. He was an AFL All Star in 1965. Day was traded to San Diego in 1967 for star halfback Keith Lincoln, then returned to the Bills, playing his final season in 1968.