1982 Topps football card of former NFL running back Ottis Anderson, who split a 14 year career between the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Giants. He was named Rookie of The Year with the Cardinals in 1979 and was named to the Pro Bowl twice. Anderson had his greatest success with the Giants, helping them to a pair of Super Bowl titles, including Super Bowl XXV when he was named the game’s MVP. “O.J.” has kept busy in his post-playing days, as a successful entrepreneur and with involvement in many community organizations, including United Way, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
Archive for the ‘Classic Sports Card of the Day’ Category
Classic Sports Card of The Day
1954 Bowman football card of former NFL running back Wilford “Whizzer” White, who played 2 seasons in the league for the Chicago Bears until a knee injury ended his career. He is not to be confused with Byron “Whizzer” White, who also had a short stint in the NFL as a running back, and went on to become a Supreme Court Justice. Wilford White’s claim to fame may be that he was the father of former Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback Danny White.
Classic Sports Card of The Day
1983 Topps football card of former NFL quarterback Vince Ferragamo, who played nine years in the league, seven of them for the Los Angeles Rams. His shining moment came in 1979, when he led the Rams to a surprise Super Bowl appearance. The Rams lost a 31-19 decision to the Steelers, who were a dynasty at the time. Ferragamo’s best statistical season came the following year, when he tossed 30 touchdown passes. Today, he is a successful businessman in California, involved in real estate and also owning a vineyard.
Classic Sports Card of The Day
1962 Topps football card of former NFL halfback/flanker Frank Gifford, who passed away recently. He played 12 seasons for the New York Giants, and helped them win an NFL title in 1956, a year he also won the league’s Most Valuable Player Award. His playing career was good enough to get him elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977, but his career as a sports broadcaster after he retired was even better. He started with CBS, then landed the job as play-by-play announcer on Monday Night Football, where he spent 27 years. He was more than just an ex-jock football announcer, he was an Emmy Award-winning sportscaster, also working on ABC’s Wide World of Sports and the Olympics.
Classic Sports Card of The Day
2014 Bowman “Orange” football card of NFL wide receiver Golden Tate, an active five year veteran in the league who plays for the Detroit Lions. He began his career with Seattle, where he spent four seasons and helped the Seahawks win a Super Bowl. Tate moved on to the Lions last season and had an outstanding year, being named to his first Pro Bowl. Tate, who attended Notre Dame, also was drafted by baseball’s San Francisco Giants, but chose football instead.
Classic Sports Card of The Day
2015 Topps Inception football card of recently retired NFL quarterback Kyle Orton, who played 10 seasons in the league for 5 different franchises. He had stints as the starting signal caller for the Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos, then finished up his career as somewhat of a “mercenary” backup with short stays in Kansas City, Dallas and Buffalo. Orton actually stepped in as the starter with the Bills and had a decent 2014 season, then abruptly retired following the end of the year.
Classic Sports Card of The Day
1968 Topps football card of former NFL receiver Howard Twilley, who played his entire 11 year career in the league for the Miami Dolphins. He was an original member of the team, as he was chosen in the 14th round of the NFL draft by the Dolphins in their inaugural season in 1966. Twilley was the only remaining original player from that ’66 team to play for Miami’s back-to-back Super Bowl championship clubs in the early 1970s. After his playing days ended, Twilley considered a run for Congress in Oklahoma, but instead decided to back another former player – Steve Largent – for the seat.
Classic Sports Card of The Day
1983 Topps football card of former NFL defensive back Dennis Thurman, who played nine seasons in the league, mostly for Tom Landry’s Dallas Cowboys. He split his time in Dallas between playing safety and cornerback, and his best year came in 1981, when he intercepted 9 passes and made his only Pro Bowl, as a cornerback. Thurman never missed a game in his career, and went into coaching after his playing days ended. He is currently the defensive coordinator of the Buffalo Bills.
Classic Sports Card of The Day
1965 Philadelphia football card of former NFL receiver and kick return specialist Walt “The Flea” Roberts. He played the first 3 seasons of his 6 year career with the Cleveland Browns, 1964 to 1966, helping the Browns win the league championship in his rookie campaign. He was left unprotected in the 1967 expansion draft to stock the new New Orleans franchise, and was grabbed by the Saints. Roberts finished his playing days with 2 seasons in Washington. A college track star at San Jose State, he picked up his nickname for his tremendous speed and diminutive size.
Classic Sports Card of The Day
1965 Topps baseball card of one of the game’s true legends, former infielder, coach and manager Don Zimmer. Zimmer spent 65 years in the game, beginning in 1949 with the Brooklyn Dodgers until his death in 2014. He played for 5 different teams and coached or managed in 9 different organizations. Although he was mainly a utility player throughout his career, he was a part of six World Series-winning clubs in some capacity over the years.