1962 Post Cereal football card of former pro football end Carroll Dale, who enjoyed a long 14 year career in the NFL. He spent his first 5 years with the Los Angeles Rams before being traded to Green Bay in 1965, where he helped the Packers win 3 consecutive championships, including the first 2 Super Bowls. Dale was a 3 time Pro Bowler and is in the College Football Hall of Fame. He was a college athletic director after his playing days ended, and his former high school’s football stadium is named after him.
Archive for the ‘Classic Sports Card of the Day’ Category
Classic Sports Card of The Day
1978 Topps football card of former pro football receiver Lou Piccone, who played 9 seasons in the NFL for the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills. He was mostly a kick returner and special teams player, and earned his way to the league the hard way, making the jump from semi-pro ball. He did manage exactly 100 receptions and 6 receiving touchdowns in his career. Piccone has a street named after him in his hometown of Vineland, New Jersey.
Classic Sports Card of The Day
2006 Bowman football card of former pro wide receiver Lee Evans, who played 12 seasons in the NFL, all but 1 with the Buffalo Bills. He ranks in the top 5 of Bills’ franchise receiving records, yet never was selected to play in the Pro Bowl. His only playoff experience came in his last season with the Baltimore Ravens, and he had a key drop in a playoff game against New England. Evans has spent a lot of his retirement years coaching and mentoring his sons in various sports.
Classic Sports Card of The Day
1989 Topps football card of former pro wide receiver Chris Burkett, who played 9 years in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets. He totaled 292 receptions and 19 touchdowns in his career. Burkett is currently the Executive Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mississippi, and also is the founder and CEO of chrisburkettsports.
Classic Sports Card of The Day
1955 Topps All American football card of former college and pro halfback Tom Harmon, who played 2 seasons in the NFL for the Los Angeles Rams. After a stellar college career, he was the first overall pick of the NFL draft by the Chicago Bears, but never played for them. He entered the military and became a World War II hero, as a pilot in the Army Air Corps. After his short Rams’ career, he dabbled in acting and had a long career as a sports broadcaster. Harmon died of a heart attack at the age of 70 in 1990. His son Mark is a well known Hollywood actor.
Classic Sports Card of The Day
1982 Topps football card of former pro safety Bill Simpson, who split a 9 year career between the Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills. He was named to the NFL All Rookie team in 1974, and had 43 career interceptions, including 9 in the playoffs. Simpson’s son Brett was the US Open of Surfing champion in 2009 and 2010.
Classic Sports Card of The Day
1971 Topps football card of former pro offensive lineman Joe O’Donnell, who enjoyed an eight year career in the AFL and NFL with the Buffalo Bills, and also played a couple of seasons in the old WFL with Birmingham. He was named an AFL All Star in 1965 and was a key member of the Bills’ offensive line on their 1964 and 1965 championship teams. After retiring O’Donnell was involved in various business projects, coached for high school teams for many years and did radio commentary for University of Michigan games in the 1980s. He died from complications of Alzheimer’s disease in 2019.
Classic Sports Card of The Day
1984 Topps Premier Edition USFL football card of former pro quarterback Dan Manucci, who played 2 seasons in the NFL as a backup with the Buffalo Bills, and also had one year stints in the USFL and Canadian Football League. His playing career didn’t amount to much, but he has been successful in his post-playing days. He currently is co-host of a sports talk show in Phoenix, Arizona and helps run a youth quarterback camp in Arizona.
Classic Sports Card of The Day
1973 Topps football card of former pro offensive tackle Donnie Green, who helped anchor the Buffalo Bills’ offensive line for 6 seasons and played a total of 8 years in the NFL. He was a member of the famed “Electric Company” line that opened holes for O.J. Simpson in his career. Green’s life was a struggle after his playing days ended. He battled drug abuse and ended up in a homeless shelter, where he worked as a night monitor. Green passed away in 2019 at the age of 71.
Classic Sports Card of The Day
1986 Topps football card of former pro fullback Larry Kinnebrew, who enjoyed a 7 year career in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills. A bruising 258 lb. runner, he was a clutch short yardage back and finished his career with 44 touchdowns. The Georgia native had issues with the law after his playing career ended, including a rape charge that was ultimately dismissed.