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1972 Topps football card of former NFL quarterback Bill Nelsen, who played 10 seasons in the league for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns. He was known mostly for his toughness as he lasted as long as he did despite suffering numerous serious knee injuries. He had limited success in 5 years with a lowly Steeler club, but after being traded to the Browns he took over as the starter when injuries sidelined Frank Ryan and guided the Cleveland club to the postseason 3 times. He served as an assistant coach with various NFL clubs after retiring as a player.

1972 Topps football card of former Oakand Raider safety George Atkinson, who played ten seasons of pro football. He was an American Football League All Star in his first 2 years, 1968 and ’69, and was a solid and dependable player in the Raiders’ secondary for a decade, helping them win a Super Bowl in 1977. Atkinson currently works on Oakland game broadcasts, and his son, George Atkinson III, had a brief stint with the Raiders in 2014 as a running back.

1973 Topps football card of former NFL running back Eugene “Mercury” Morris, who played eight seasons in the league, seven of them for the Miami Dolphins. He was part of Miami’s three-headed backfield monster, along with Jim Kiick and Larry Csonka, and was the speedy outside running threat of the trio. He was a three time Pro Bowler and helped the Dolphins win a pair of Super Bowls in the 1970s. His nephew, Alfred Morris, is currently a running back for the Washington Redskins.

1961 Fleer football card of former pro football fullback Jack Spikes, who played eight solid seasons in the American Football League, mostly for the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs franchise. He helped the Texans win the AFL title in 1962, and played in the 1966 league championship, between the Chiefs and Buffalo Bills, which decided which AFL team would represent the league in the very first Super Bowl. However, at that point he was playing for the losing team in that game, the Bills.

1954 Bowman football card of former pro football defensive back Warren Lahr, who played 11 seasons for the Cleveland Browns in both the old All America Football Conference and the National Football League. He is second in Browns’ franchise history in career interceptions, was a four-time All Pro and helped the club win 4 championships. After retiring as a player, Lahr served as an analyst on Browns’ television broadcasts from 1963 until 1967, teaming with Ken Coleman. He passed away in 1969 at age 45 of a heart attack.

1989 ProSet football card of former pro football coach Chuck Knox, a long-time NFL coaching stalwart who guided the Los Angeles Rams (2 different stays), Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks. A three-time NFL Coach of The Year, he guided all 3 of those franchises to playoff status, but never had much success once in the playoffs, posting an overall 7-11 record and never reaching the Super Bowl. Still, his clubs achieved winning records 14 times in his 22 years as a head coach.

1989 Score football card of former pro football wide receiver Mark Jackson, who enjoyed a nine year career in the NFL, mostly with the Denver Broncos. Along with teammates Vance Johnson and Ricky Nattiel, Jackson was part of a Bronco receiving corps nicknamed “The Three Amigos”. He was a favorite target of Denver Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway in his career, and caught the touchdown pass in the 1986 AFC Championship game that completed “The Drive”, one of the league’s most memorable moments.

1954 Bowman football card of former pro football lineman Francis “Bucko” Kilroy, who had a long 13 year career with the Philadelphia Eagles. Kilroy was a three-time Pro Bowler and was named to the NFL’s All Decade team for the 1940s. When his playing days ended, he stayed in the game, first becoming an assistant coach with the Eagles but eventually moving into the front office as an executive for three different teams – the Redskins, Cowboys and Patriots. While in Dallas, he was responsible for making the risky pick of Roger Staubach, who was serving in the military at the time but in the long run turned out to be a forward-thinking choice that helped the Cowboys win championships. He also served as New England’s general manager from 1971 until 2007 and is credited with building the current Patriot dynasty.

1963 Fleer football card of former pro football receiver Chris Burford, who played his entire eight year career in the American Football League for the Dallas Texans, who later moved to Kansas City and became the Chiefs. Burford was an astute route runner and a favorite target of the Chiefs’ star quarterback of that era – Len Dawson. Burford was a clutch receiver who was very underrated, although he was a two-time AFL All Star, and also played on a pair of AFL title teams, in 1962 with the Texans, and again in ’66 with the Chiefs club that advanced to the very first Super Bowl against Green Bay.

1964 Topps football card, a feature of the set known as the “team picture” cards, of the Buffalo Bills. The Bills won the American Football League championship in ’64, however, this team photo is actually of the 1963 Bills, who also had a winning season but wound up tied for first place in the Eastern Division with the Boston Patriots. The teams played a playoff game to decide who would play the San Diego Chargers for the AFL title, and the Pats won 26-8. That game is still the only time the two old AFL rivals have ever met in the post-season.