1964 Topps football card of former pro quarterback Mike Taliaferro, who played 8 seasons of pro ball with 4 different teams. He played in 3 different leagues-the AFL, NFL and World Football League. He was drafted by the New York Jets in 1964 but fell out of favor there the next season when the team drafted Joe Namath. He stuck around as Namath’s backup until moving on to the Boston Patriots, where he played for 3 years and was an AFL All Star in 1969.
1961 Fleer football card of former quarterback Milt Plum, who played 13 seasons in the NFL for 4 different teams. He started his career in Cleveland in 1957 when the Browns drafted him in the second round, after choosing Jim Brown in the first round. Plum quarterbacked the Browns for 5 years, engineering an offense built around the running of Brown and Bobby Mitchell, but he still was able to make the Pro Bowl twice. He was traded to Detroit in a six-player deal in 1962 and guided the Lions’ offense for 5 years there. Plum holds a unique NFL record – the longest pass completion to himself – 20 yards.
1986 Topps football card of former wide receiver Dennis McKinnon, who enjoyed an eight year career in the NFL, all but one season with the Chicago Bears. Most of his glory with the Bears was earned as a punt returner and in postseason play. He still is second all time in career punt return yards for the Bears, and holds a team record for playoff receiving touchdowns with 4. He recently wrote a book about his time playing for the Bears titled Silky D Bares All.
1963 Topps football card of former pro football defensive back Eddie Meador, who played 12 seasons in the NFL for the Los Angeles Rams. He was a six-time Pro Bowler and was named to the NFL’s All Decade team for the 1960s. He split his career between cornerback and safety, and excelled at both spots. Ram teammate Merlin Olsen once called him “the best defensive back I have ever seen.” He still holds the Rams’ career record for interceptions with 46, for blocked kicks with 10 and for fumble recoveries with 18. He served as the Players’ Association president for 2 years prior to retiring, and is considered to be a player who has been overlooked for Hall of Fame consideration.
1977 Topps “All Pro” football card of the late Walter Payton, one of the greatest running backs in pro football history. Nicknamed “Sweetness”, he played for 13 seasons in the NFL for the Chicago Bears and is second on the list of career rushing leaders behind Emmitt Smith. Payton was a nine-time Pro Bowler and helped the Bears win the Super Bowl in 1985. He was named to the NFL’s All Decade teams for both the 1970s and 1980s. Payton was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993, and an award in his name is given to an NFL player each year for excellence on the field combined with volunteer and charity work. He passed away in 1999.
1968 Topps football card of former quarterback Len Dawson, who played 19 seasons of pro football. After a few seasons struggling as a backup in the NFL with Pittsburgh and Cleveland, he signed with the AFL’s Dallas Texans due to a relationship with a former college coach, Hank Stram. Dawson would then go on to put together a Hall of Fame career with that franchise, which moved to Kansas City and became the Chiefs. He led the club to 3 AFL championships and a Super Bowl IV upset victory over Minnesota. He was a seven-time All Star and named to the All AFL team for it’s 10 year existence, and was enshrined in Canton in 1987. Dawson became sports director of a local Kansas City television station while still playing for the Chiefs, and continued in sportscasting after his playing days ended in 1975. He worked as a game analyst for NBC’s NFL coverage for 6 years, co-hosted the HBO show Inside The NFL and served as an analyst on Chiefs’ radio broadcasts until 2017.
1964 Topps football card of former linebacker Nick Buoniconti, who had a long and successful 14 year career with the Boston Patriots and Miami Dolphins. He was a six time American Football League All Star with the Patriots and a two-time Pro Bowler with Miami after being traded there. Buoniconti was a cornerstone of the Dolphins’ “No Name” defense that won back-to-back Super Bowls in the 1970s and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001. He earned a law degree while playing for the Patriots and after retiring as a player worked as a lawyer and player agent, and also as a spokesman for the tobacco industry. He also worked in television as co-host of the HBO show Inside The NFL with Len Dawson. Buoniconti passed away this year at the age of 78, after suffering with neurological issues.
1967 Philadelphia football card of former pro football linebacker Dave Robinson, who played 12 seasons in the NFL, mostly for the Green Bay Packers. He was a three time Pro Bowler, played on 3 NFL championship teams and was named to the NFL’s All Decade Team for the 1960s. In his post-playing days, Robinson has owned a beer distributorship, worked for an artificial turf company and served on the board of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Hall in 2013.
1977 Topps football card of former pro football running back Ronnie Coleman, who played eight seasons in the NFL for the Houston Oilers. He was never a featured back but did average 4 yards per carry in his career in exactly 700 carries. Coleman was also a capable receiver out of the backfield. He played for a couple of great head coaches in Houston, Sid Gillman and Bum Phillips. After retiring as a player Coleman became an ordained minister and teacher and authored a book titled Third Down And Goal about his life on and off the field.
1954 Bowman football card of former pro football back/end Kyle Rote, who played 11 seasons in the NFL, all with the New York Giants. With the pose on this card, he almost looks like he could’ve been the model for the Giants’ logo on the bottom right of the card. Rote was a four-time Pro Bowler in his career and helped the Giants win an NFL title in 1956. He was the Giants’ team captain for 8 years, and was instrumental in organizing the players into what would become their union, the NFLPA. He also fought for equal opportunities for players and that players of all races received equal treatment at games on the road. After retiring as a player, Rote enjoyed a successful career as a sportscaster and analyst for AFL telecasts in the 1960s. More than just your regular jock, he was an author, poet, songwriter, pianist and oil painter. Rote passed away in 2002.