Logo of a college football team that plays in the Southern Conference, the Virginia Military Institute Keydets. Their program began play way back in 1873 and they’ve captured 8 conference titles, and also appeared in 24 bowl games (although they’ve won only 6). VMI alumni who have played pro football include Joe Fortunato, Bobby Thomason, Mark Stock, Sam Horner, Joe Muha and Bosh Pritchard.
1964 Philadelphia football card of former pro football defensive back Jim Steffen, who enjoyed a 7 year career in the NFL with Detroit and Washington. Known as a ferocious tackler, his time in the NFL was riddled with injuries. They included a punctured lung, broken clavicle and broken ribs. His last year with the Redskins was 1965 but he attempted a comeback in 1967 with Dallas but suffered a knee injury in training camp. The Redskins brought him back in 1968 but he broke his arm in a preseason game. Steffen died in 2015.
1982 Topps football card of former pro football running back Kenny King, who played 7 seasons in the NFL, mostly with the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders. He was a Pro Bowler in 1980 and a member of a pair of Super Bowl-winning Raider teams, in 1980 and 1984. His 80 yard touchdown in Super Bowl XV was an NFL record that stood for 17 years. In his post-playing days King has enjoyed a career working in management in logistics and warehousing with FedEx, UPS and GENCO Technologies.
1964 Philadelphia football card of former pro football fullback Bill “Boom Boom” Brown, who played for 14 seasons in the NFL, all but 1 of them for the Minnesota Vikings. He was a four-time Pro Bowler and three-time All Pro, and also a member of the Vikings’ Ring of Honor. He earned his nickname with a violent, reckless style of running. Former NFL quarterback Rich Gannon is his son-in-law. Brown died in 2018 at the age of 80.
1986 Topps football card of former pro football running back James Brooks, who enjoyed an 11 year career in the NFL, mostly with the San Diego Chargers and Cincinnati Bengals. He was a four-time Pro Bowler during his time with the Bengals. In what is an indictment of how college football works, Brooks was able to graduate from Auburn despite being illiterate. He served 3 months of a 6 month jail term in 1999 for failure to pay child support.
1966 Philadelphia football card of former pro football halfback Jim “Cannonball” Butler, who played 8 seasons in the NFL in the 1960s and early 1970s for 3 teams. His best years were the 4 he spent with the Atlanta Falcons, where he led the team in rushing each year and earned a Pro Bowl nod in 1969. He came out of retirement in 1974 and made a brief appearance in the World Football League with the Birmingham Americans. Butler passed away in 2014 from complications of dementia.
1982 Topps football card of former pro football quarterback Dan Fouts, who played his entire 15 year career for the San Diego Chargers. He was a four-time All Pro and six time Pro Bowler, and was named NFL offensive player of the year in 1982. Fouts was also named a member of the NFL’s All Decade team for the 1980s, and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1993. After retiring from the game he worked as an analyst for college and NFL games for Monday Night Football, CBS and the Westwood Radio Network. He also dabbled in acting, playing himself in the Adam Sandler movie The Waterboy.
1989 ProSet football card of former pro football wide receiver Willie “Flipper” Anderson, who played 10 seasons in the NFL for 4 different teams. He had his most success in the 7 years he spent with the Los Angeles Rams, including a record-setting game in which he recorded 336 receiving yards, a record that still stands today. He averaged over 20 yards per catch for his career. Anderson was a member of Denver’s Super Bowl winning team in 1997. His son Dres played college football at Utah and also spent time in the Canadian League.
1955 Bowman football card of former pro football end Billy Howton, who played a total of 12 seasons with 3 different teams. His greatest success came in his 7 year stint in Green Bay, where he was the top receiver on losing teams in the 1950s. When Vince Lombardi took over the Packers he traded Howton to Cleveland, and although he denied it many thought the reason for the trade was Howton’s involvement with the players’ union. He planned on retiring after the 1959 season, but the expansion Dallas Cowboys talked him out of it and the Texas native spent 4 more successful years there before retiring in 1963.
1985 Topps football card of former pro football quarterback Steve Fuller, who played 7 seasons in the NFL for 3 different teams. He was a member of the 1985 Chicago Bears’ Super Bowl team, and appeared with teammates in the “Super Bowl Shuffle” video that won a Grammy. His college jersey number (4) is retired by his alma mater, Clemson. In his retirement, Fuller has served as a head coach and offensive coordinator at the high school level.