2022 Panini Contenders football card of current pro football tight end Isaiah Likely, who plays for the Baltimore Ravens. This is Likely’s rookie card, as he was drafted by the Ravens in the fourth round of the 2022 draft. In the first 3 years of his young career Likely has amassed 108 receptions for 1,261 yards and 14 touchdowns as a prime pass-catching tight end for Baltimore.
1984 Topps football card of former pro running back Marcus Allen, who played 16 seasons in the NFL for the Los Angeles Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs. He was a six-time Pro Bowler, NFL Most Valuable Player in 1985, Super Bowl XVIII MVP and also won awards for Offensive Rookie of The Year in 1982 and Comeback Player of The Year in 1993. His legendary touchdown run in his Super Bowl MVP game is one of the greatest in league history. Allen was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2003.
1994 Bowman football card of former pro wide receiver Isaac Bruce, who enjoyed a storied 16 year career in the NFL, mostly with the St.Louis/Los Angeles Rams. He was a four-time Pro Bowler, led the NFL in receiving yards in 1996 and was a key member of the Rams’ club that won Super Bowl XXXIV. Bruce was the leading pass catcher on the Rams’ team known as “The Greatest Show On Turf” due to their offensive prowess. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.
1972 Topps football card of former pro linebacker Mike “Mad Dog” Curtis, who played 14 seasons in the NFL, mostly for the Baltimore Colts before finishing his career with stints in Seattle and Washington. Also known as “The Animal”, he was a four-time Pro Bowler and twice named an All Pro. Curtis was a key member of the defense for the Colts’ team that won Super Bowl V, and his late interception in the game set up the winning field goal . He gained notoriety when he absolutely crushed a fan who had run out on the field and tried to pick up the ball. Curtis died after suffering from CTE in 2020 at the age of 77.
1961 Topps football card of former defensive lineman Laverne Torczon, who played 7 seasons in the American Football League with the Buffalo Bills, New York Titans/Jets and Miami Dolphins. He was an AFL All Star in ’60 and ’61 with Buffalo. Torczon had the distinction of being a member of 2 different teams in their inaugural seasons – the Bills in ’61 and the Dolphins in their expansion year of 1966. He passed away in 2015 at the age of 79.
2012 Panini Elite football card of former pro wide receiver Stevie Johnson, who played 9 years in the NFL, mostly with the Buffalo Bills. The flamboyant former seventh round draft pick became known for his signature touchdown celebrations. A constant tormentor of All Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis in his career, Johnson is the only wideout in Bills’ team history to record 3 consecutive seasons of 1,000+ receiving yards, despite playing with mostly mediocre quarterbacks in the team’s 17 year playoff drought era.
1991 ProSet World League of American Football card of former pro quarterback and coach Kay Stephenson, who played only a couple of forgettable seasons in the NFL with the Bills and Chargers. He later coached the Bills and also has the distinction of being involved with 4 different leagues over his playing and coaching careers. Stephenson was an undrafted free agent in 1967, the first year of the combined “common” draft with both the NFL and AFL selecting together. Amazingly, that draft was 17 rounds long, a total of 445 players chosen, and still produced 2 undrafted future Hall of Famers, Jan Stenerud and Larry Little.
1995 Metal football card of former pro defensive lineman Dan “Big Daddy” Wilkinson, who played 13 seasons in the NFL for 4 different teams. What’s the significance of this player? He was the first overall pick of the 1994 draft, which was the first year that the league went to it’s current 7 rounds. Although he lasted a long while in the NFL, Wilkinson never measured up to the status of a top pick, with his career being hampered by injuries on multiple occasions. The Bengals’ choice of him especially stings when you consider that the next pick after him, by the Colts, was future Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk.
1992 Upper Deck football card of former pro offensive tackle Howard Ballard, who played 9 years in the NFL, split between the Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks. Nicknamed “House” due to his tremendous size, he was a two-time Pro Bowler while with the Bills, as one of Hall of Famer Jim Kelly’s protectors.. When his playing days ended, Ballard worked as a sheriff’s deputy in Alabama and also coached high school football in that state.
2002 Bowman football card of former pro safety Coy Wire, who played 9 seasons in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills and Atlanta Falcons. He was a star special teams player for the Bills and was a team captain and the club’s nominee for the prestigious Walter Payton Man Of The Year Award in 2005. He finished his career with the Falcons, and after retiring remained in the Atlanta area, joining CNN as a sports anchor and analyst. Wire is also a published author and is credited with helping to develop the Nintendo Wii console.