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Archive for the ‘Classic Sports Card of the Day’ Category

Classic Sports Card of The Day

13 Jan

58toppslebaron

1958 Topps football card of former NFL quarterback Eddie LeBaron, who stood tall in his life despite his small stature. He began his pro career with the Washington Redskins in 1950, but had to leave the team to serve in the Marine Corps in the Korean War, where he earned the Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. LeBaron returned to the Redskins and became their starting quarterback, earning the nickname “The Little General” because of his 5’7″ height and his military service. In 1960, LeBaron was acquired by Tom Landry to become the first quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. He remained there until retiring as a player in 1963. An elusive scrambler, he was named to the Pro Bowl four times. He worked as a CBS football telecast broadcaster after retiring, and later served as general manager and vice president of the Atlanta Falcons from 1977 until 1985.

 

Classic Sports Card of The Day

12 Jan

62fleerlowe

1962 Fleer football card of former pro football running back Paul Lowe, a standout runner with the offensive powerhouse Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers of the old American Football League. He played his entire 10 year career in the AFL, retiring the year before the league merged with the NFL. Lowe was a three-time AFL All Star and a member of the All Time All-AFL team. He is one of only 20 players who played in the AFL for its’ entire 10 year existence.

 

Classic Sports Card of The Day

09 Jan

65philadickhaley

1965 Philadelphia football card of former NFL defensive back Dick Haley, who played for 3 different teams in his six year career. His best years came in the early 1960s with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he played cornerback for some of the NFL’s losingest teams. Haley made his best contribution to the Steeler franchise in the early 1970s, when he was the team’s Director of Player Personnel. He is credited with selecting four future Hall of Famers (Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, Jack Lambert and Mike Webster) in the 1974 draft. Haley’s son Todd is currently the offensive coordinator for the Steelers.

 

Classic Sports Card of The Day

03 Jan

65toppshudson

1965 Topps football card of former pro football offensive lineman Dick Hudson, who played six seasons in the American Football League for the San Diego Chargers and Buffalo Bills. With the Bills, he was a starting tackle on the offensive line for the team that won back-to-back AFL Championships in 1964 and ’65. He was an AFL All Star in 1966 and was named to the Bills’ All Decade team for the 1960s. After his playing days ended, Hudson served as a vice principal and football coach at a high school in Tennessee.

 

Classic Sports Card of The Day

31 Dec

74toppsjoed

1974 Topps football card of former NFL offensive guard Joe DeLamielleure, a thirteen year veteran of the league who played for both the Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns. He was a six-time Pro Bowl selection and was named to the NFL’s All Decade team for the 1970s. In Buffalo, “Joe D.” was the anchor of the offensive line nicknamed “The Electric Company”, because they turned on The Juice (O.J. Simpson). He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2003.

 

Classic Sports Card of The Day

27 Dec

61fleerjimshofner

1961 Fleer football card of former NFL defensive back Jim Shofner, who played 6 seasons in the league as a starting cornerback for the Cleveland Browns. He retired as a player following the 1963 season, the same year Cleveland fired legendary coach Paul Brown. He dabbled in insurance early on in his retirement, then went into coaching, where he worked for 30 years in various capacities for his alma mater, Texas Christian, and for 7 pro football teams. Ironically, even though he played cornerback as a player, he spent most of his coaching career working on the offensive side of the ball, including his final stop, with the Buffalo Bills, where he was quarterback coach/offensive coordinator from 1992 until 1996.

 

Classic Sports Card of The Day

24 Dec

63toppscharliejohnson

1963 Topps football card of former pro football quarterback Charley Johnson, who played 15 seasons in the National Football League for 3 different teams. His longest stint came with the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1960s, where he led some winning teams, and was named to his lone Pro Bowl in 1963. Johnson had a few good years in Denver at the tail end of his career, earning a spot on the Broncos’ Ring of Fame. After retiring as a player, he worked as a professor of chemical engineering at his alma mater, New Mexico State, retiring in 2012.

 

Classic Sports Card of The Day

20 Dec

81toppsshermanwhite

1981 Topps football card of former NFL defensive lineman Sherman White, who played 12 years in the league for the Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills. He was a bit of a disappointment coming out of college after being a first round pick of the Bengals, but salvaged his career and became a steady player in his 8 seasons in Buffalo, playing on a couple of playoff teams under coach Chuck Knox in the early 1980s.

 

Classic Sports Card of The Day

17 Dec

81toppswinslow

1981 Topps football card of one of the best tight ends in NFL history, Kellen Winslow, who played 9 seasons in the league for the San Diego Chargers. He was a five-time Pro Bowler and was named to the NFL’s All Decade team for the 1980s. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1995. His son, Kellen Winslow II played in the NFL for 10 years with 5 different teams, also playing tight end.

 

Classic Sports Card of The Day

13 Dec

64toppsbillmiller

1964 Topps football card of former pro football split end Bill Miller, who played seven seasons in the old American Football League for three different teams. He started his career with the Dallas Texans and played a single year for them and then another year for the Buffalo Bills. Miller saw his greatest success in his final five seasons with the Oakland Raiders. His biggest claim to fame is scoring a pair of touchdowns, on throws from Daryle Lamonica, for the only scores the Raiders could muster in losing Super Bowl II to Green Bay.