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1981 Topps football card of former NFL quarterback Steve Grogan, who played 16 seasons in the league, all with the New England Patriots. He didn’t have a stellar career, but is somewhat underappreciated for his longevity and toughness. He did lead the Pats to the playoffs 3 times, including in his second season, 1975, which was the team’s first playoff appearance since their AFL days in 1963. Grogan’s contributions grew to be more appreciated as the years went by after his playing days ended, and he was inducted into the Patriots’ Hall of Fame in 1995.

1954 Bowman football card of one of the greatest players in football history, former Cleveland Browns’ quarterback Otto Graham. He rarely gets a mention in the discussion of top QBs of all time, but Graham guided the Browns to the playoffs in every season of his 10 year career in the old All America Conference and the NFL, winning 7 championships. He also held every passing record during his time, although his records have been surpassed in the modern era. He won 5 MVP awards combined between his AAFC and NFL years, and was named to the NFL’s 75th Anniversary team. He coached at the Coast Guard Academy and briefly with the Washington Redskins after his playing days were over. Graham was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965.

2011 Topps football card of former NFL defensive back Ed Reed, who was an All Pro safety for the Baltimore Ravens for 11 seasons before finishing his career with the Houston Texans and New York Jets. A nine time Pro Bowler, he was considered a premier “ballhawk” type of safety, as his 64 career interceptions ranks him sixth on the NFL’s all-time list. Reed helped the Ravens win Super Bowl XLVII and he was named to the league’s All Decade team for the 2000s. He is currently assistant defensive backs coach with the Buffalo Bills.

1956 Topps football card of former NFL offensive tackle Roosevelt “Rosey” Brown, who played 13 seasons in the league for the New York Giants. In an era when African American players were often overlooked by pro scouts, he was drafted in the 27th round of the NFL draft in 1953 out of Morgan State, and went on to excel with the Giants, being named to the Pro Bowl nine times and helping the club win the NFL title in 1956. Brown was selected to the NFL’s All Decade team for the 1950s, to the league’s 75th Anniversary team, and was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1975. After retiring as a player, he was an early pioneer in the ranks of African American coaches as he served as assistant offensive line coach, then was promoted to O-line coach of the Giants in 1969. He also worked for many years in the team’s scouting department.

1963 Stancraft playing card, the 5 of clubs, featuring former Canton Bulldog tackle Wilbur “Fats” Henry. The Stancraft playing card set, popular today among collectors, featured then current players and all time Hall of Famers from the NFL’s early years. Henry played eight years in the pre-NFL American Professional Football Association for the Bulldogs, New York Giants and Pottsville Maroons, and later also coached both Canton and Pottsville as well as his alma mater, Washington & Jefferson College. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame with it’s inaugural class in 1963.

1949 Leaf football card of former Los Angeles Ram back Kenny Washington, who broke the NFL’s modern era color barrier when he signed with the Rams in 1946, a year earlier than Jackie Robinson began his major league baseball career. He played three seasons for the Rams, and after retiring became a Los Angeles police officer.

1970 Topps hockey card of former NHL star Red Berenson, who played for 17 years in the league for 4 different teams. He played his first 5 seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, helping them win a Stanley Cup title in 1965. His greatest success came with the expansion St. Louis Blues, as he led them to 3 consecutive Stanley Cup final appearances and once scored 6 goals in a single game. After his playing days ended, he went into coaching, with the Blues for 3 years before moving on to coach at the University of Michigan,  his alma mater, where he is currently in his 32nd year.

1998 Topps football card of former NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf, who is considered one of the biggest busts in the history of the league’s college player draft. Picked second overall by the San Diego Chargers in the 1998 draft, Leaf never measured up to the expectations of a high pick, flaming out with the Chargers after three unimpressive seasons marked by poor play and a terrible attitude. He hung around the league for a couple more years as a backup, but never amounted to much. After his playing days, his life didn’t turn out much better, as it was marred by various arrests and prison terms for incidents involving drugs and burglary.

1954 Bowman football card of former NFL defensive lineman Ernie Stautner, who played 14 seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1950s and early 1960s, before they became the proud franchise they are today. Despite being mostly a losing team in those years, the Steelers always fielded tough, hard-nosed defenses, and Stautner was a poster boy for that style of play. In 1964, he became the first Steeler player to have his jersey number (70) retired by the team, and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1969. After retiring as a player, Stautner had a long career as an assistant coach with Dallas under Tom Landry, starting in 1966, serving as the team’s defensive coordinator from 1973 until 1998. The ten-time All Pro passed away in 2006.

Courtesy of www.CheckOutMyCards.com , a 1958 Tops football card of former NFL back Howard “Hopalong” Cassady, who won the Heisman Trophy in 1955 at Ohio State, then moved on to a pro career, playing eight seasons in the NFL, mostly for the Detroit Lions. He helped the Lions win their last NFL championship in 1957. His son Craig played briefly for the New Orleans Saints in the 1970s.