1974 Topps football card of former pro football wide receiver Ron Jessie, who played for 3 different teams in an 11-year career in the NFL. In addition to football, he was a long jump champion in college. Jessie made the Pro Bowl in 1976 while playing for the Los Angeles Rams, and after retiring as a player served as a scout for them. He died of a heart attack at home in 2006.
2011 Topps football card of former pro football quarterback Joe Webb III, who was the greatest NFL player of all time. OK, that’s not exactly true, but he did carve out a nice 10 year career in the league as a reliable backup QB by enhancing his value to each team he played for by being a special teams contributor, kick returner and trick play specialist. Webb was the Conference USA Offensive Player of The Year in college in 2009 at Alabama-Birmingham.
1993 Topps football card of former pro football wide receiver Michael Jackson, who played 8 seasons in the NFL, 5 with the Cleveland Browns and 3 with the Baltimore Ravens after the franchise moved there. He was a college teammate of Brett Favre’s, and an immediate contributor to the Browns’ passing game when he arrived in 1991. Jackson led the NFL in receiving touchdowns in 1996. After retiring as a player, he entered politics and was elected mayor of his hometown of Tangipahoa, Louisiana, serving in that role from 2009 until 2013. Jackson died in a motorcycle accident in 2017.
1967 Topps football card of former pro football flanker Otis Taylor, who enjoyed an 11 year career in the AFL and NFL, all with the Kansas City Chiefs. He was one of the most dynamic receivers of his era, and was a two-time All Pro, two-time AFL champion, led the NFL in receiving yards in 1971, and was a key player on the Chiefs’ squad that won Super Bowl V. After retiring as a player Taylor worked as a scout for Kansas City for 11 years.
1989 Score football card of former pro football quarterback Doug Williams, who played 9 seasons in the NFL and had a short stint in the USFL. He has been inducted into the rings of honor of both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Washington Football Team. He guided the Redskins to victory in Super Bowl XXII, winning the game’s MVP Award and becoming the first African American quarterback to win a Super Bowl. After his playing days, Williams spent time as a high school and college coach, pro scout and as a front office advisor and executive. He is currently a senior advisor for the Washington franchise.
1974 Topps football card of former pro football quarterback Steve Spurrier, who played 10 seasons in the NFL but is much better known for his college coaching prowess, where he earned the nickname of “The Ol’ Ball Coach”. He was a highly touted Heisman Trophy winner coming out of college, but didn’t meet expectations in the pros, although he did carve out a long career as a backup QB and punter, mainly with the San Francisco 49ers. Spurrier had a short, unsuccessful run as an NFL coach in Washington, but in college he was a seven time SEC Coach of The Year and his teams won 6 SEC titles, and a national championship in 1996.
1963 Fleer football card of former pro football end Art Powell, who had a 10 year career in the NFL and AFL for 5 different teams. His best years came in his four year stint in Oakland, where he was named an AFL All Star 4 times. He also led the AFL in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns twice each, and was a member of the AFL’s All Time team. Powell, who was a major voice in protesting segregation during his time as a player, passed away in 2015 at the age of 78.
2018 Score football card of a current pro football wide receiver, Chris Hogan, who has carved out an 11 year pro career in the NFL so far with 6 different teams. His most success came with the New England Patriots, where he helped win a pair of Super Bowl titles. Hogan also played lacrosse in college, and also played in the Premier Lacrosse League in 2021, signing with the NFL’s New Orleans Saints, his current team, after the PLL season ended.
1959 Topps baseball card of former major league pitcher Jim “Mudcat” Grant, who pitched for 8 different teams in a 14 year career that spanned 3 decades. His longest stint was with the Cleveland Indians, who he played with for 7 years. His most successful season came in 1965 with the Minnesota Twins, as he posted a 21-7 record with 6 shutouts in helping the Twins reach the World Series. Grant was a two-time All Star and holds the distinction of being the starting hurler in the first game of the Montreal Expos’ existence in 1969. After retiring, he served as a broadcaster for the Indians and Athletics and wrote a book honoring the “Black Aces”, who are the 15 black pitchers to have won 20 games in a season in the major leagues, a list that includes Grant himself.
1974 Topps football card of former NFL quarterback Marty Domres, who enjoyed a 9 year career in the league for 4 different teams, mainly as a backup. An Ivy League grad who played his college ball at Columbia, the only opportunity he got to be a starter wasn’t exactly a good one, as he was called on to replace legendary John Unitas when he played for the Colts. He brought out the boo birds when he didn’t quite live up to the task. Domres works as a financial analyst for Deutsche Bank in his post-playing days.