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1982 Topps football card of former pro quarterback Ron Jaworski, who played 17 seasons in the NFL for 4 different teams. Nicknamed “Jaws” and “The Polish Rifle”, the Lackawanna, NY native had his most success in Philadelphia, where he spent 10 of his years and led the Eagles to their first Super Bowl appearance in 1980. He was also a Pro Bowler that year and won the Bert Bell Award as the NFL’s top player. After his playing days ended, Jaworski went into broadcasting in both radio and television for ESPN, and also is the CEO of Ron Jaworski Golf, owning 8 courses around the east coast. He was also part of an ownership group, along with musicians Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora,  for the Arena League’s Philadelphia Soul.

1961 Fleer football card of the greatest pro football player of all time, Cleveland Browns’ fullback Jim Brown. He played 9 seasons in the NFL with the Browns before abruptly retiring prior to the 1966 season to pursue an acting career. Brown’s earned honors are far too many to list them all, but he was 1957 NFL Rookie of The Year, a three-time league MVP, 9 time Pro Bowler, led the NFL in rushing in all but 1 of his 9 years, helped the Browns win the NFL title in 1964 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971. His acting career included roles in The Dirty Dozen, Rio Conchos, 100 Rifles, Ice Station Zebra, Mars Attacks and Any Given Sunday. Brown’s work in promoting Civil Rights in the 1960s is well documented, while he also initiated a progrm to teach life skills to gang members and prisoners. Brown passed away in 2023.

1965 Philadelphia football card of former pro linebacker/kicker Wayne Walker, who enjoyed a long 15 year career in the NFL, all with the Detroit Lions. He was a three-time Pro Bowler and named All Pro in 1965. As a linebacker Walker was stellar, but his placekicking left a lot to be desired. His 40.5% success rate is the lowest in NFL history. After his playing days ended he spent 20 years in broadcasting, working as a radio commentator for both San Francisco 49er games and Oakland Athletics’ contests. Walker died from complications of Parkinson’s disease in 2017.

1965 Topps football card of former pro end/kicker Tommy Brooker, who played in the old American Football League for 5 seasons with the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs franchise. He was used sparingly as an end on offense, with his best numbers there coming in his rookie season in 1962. He caught 4 passes that year, with 3 going for touchdowns. His moment of glory came in the ’62 AFL title game, when he kicked the winning field goal in double overtime to dethrone the defending champion Houston Oilers. Brooker passed away in 2019 at the age of 79.

1968 Topps football card of former pro halfback and head coach Dan Reeves, who was a fixture in the NFL from 1965 until 2003, first as a player and then as a successful head coach. He spent 8 seasons as a versatile running back for the Dallas Cowboys, then embarked on a long coaching career that saw him lead 3 different franchises as their head coach. Reeves guided 2 of them, Denver and Atlanta to Super Bowl appearances, although he never was able to win one. He did, however, win one each as a player and assistant coach in Dallas. Reeves stayed active in the game even after he was through coaching, serving as an analyst on Westwood One radio broadcasts. He passed away in 2022 from complications of dementia.

2007 Score football card of former pro tight end Vernon Davis, who played 14 seasons in the NFL, mostly with the San Francisco 49ers. He was a two-time Pro Bowler and an All Pro in 2013. After 9+ tears with the Niners he was traded to Denver and helped the Broncos win Super Bowl 50. An avid curling fan, Davis was named an honorary captain of the US Olympic Curling team for the 2010 winter Olympics. He has been involved in various business ventures since retiring as a player, including ownership in a women’s soccer team and a pro basketball team in Australia.

1968 Topps football card of former pro fullback Earl Gros, who played 9 seasons in the NFL for 4 teams. He was a member of Green Bay’s championship team in his rookie year in 1962 and played just one more year there before being traded to the Eagles, along with center Jim Ringo, for linebacker Lee Roy Caffey and a draft pick. He had his best years in Philadelphia before finishing his career with short stints in Pittsburgh and New Orleans. For a player that was a backup most of his playing days, his 38 total career touchdowns is an impressive number. Gros died in 2013 at the age of 72.

2014 Topps Chrome football card of former pro wide receiver Jordy Nelson, who enjoyed an 11 year career in the NFL, all but 1 season with the Green Bay Packers. The card signified Nelson as a 1,000 yard receiver. He was a Pro Bowler in 2014, NFL receiving touchdowns leader in 2016, and is a member of the Packers’ Hall of Fame. Nelson, who helped Green Bay win Super Bowl XLV, became a league appeals officer in 2024, hearing players’ appeals in discipline cases.

1958 Topps football card of former pro end/halfback Ray Mathews, who played 10 seasons in the NFL, all but one with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was a two-time Pro Bowler and is a member of the Steelers’ Hall of Honor. After 9 years in Pittsburgh in the 1950s, he was selected by Dallas in the 1960 expansion draft and spent his last active year with the Cowboys. Mathews dabbled in coaching after his playing days ended, in minor league ball, the Canadian Football League and the NFL. He passed away in 2015 at the age of 86.

1954 Bowman football card of former pro football end Gordy Soltau, who played 9 seasons in the NFL for the San Francisco 49ers. He played in the wild and wooly decade of the 1950s, and was a three-time Pro Bowler and named All Pro in 1952. Soltau held the 49ers’ team record for points in a single game (26) for 39 years until Jerry Rice broke it. A Navy veteran who was a “Frogman” that specialized in underwater demolition during World War II, he is also a member of the 49ers’ team Hall of Fame. Soltau passed away in 2014 at the age of 89.