1988 Topps football card of former Buffalo Bills linebacker Shane Conlan, who played nine seasons in the NFL, 6 with the Bills before finishing his career with the Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams. Conlan was a three-time Pro Bowler and a key defensive player on 3 Bills’ Super Bowl teams in the 1990s. He currently works in the front office of the Arena League’s Pittsburgh Power, serving as Vice President of Corporate Sponsorships.
1973 Topps football card of former NFL running back Vic Washington, who played six seasons in the league with three different teams, most notably the San Francisco 49ers. Prior to joining the Niners in 1971, he had tremendous success in the Canadian Football League, helping the Ottawa Rough Riders win back-to-back Grey Cup championships, winning the Grey Cup MVP award in 1968. Washington passed away in 2008.
1989 Topps football card of former NFL linebacker Chris Spielman, who played a total of 10 seasons in the league, mostly with the Detroit Lions. He was a four-time Pro Bowler and is still the Lions’ all time leader in career tackles. Spielman played 2 seasons in Buffalo before leaving the game to help his wife while she battled cancer. He tried to come back in 1999 with Cleveland but a neck injury forced him to retire for good. He is currently a game analyst for college football telecasts for ESPN.
1969 Topps football card of former NFL tight end Jackie Smith, who enjoyed a 16 year career with the St. Louis Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys. He played only one season for the Cowboys, and became infamous for dropping a sure touchdown pass in the Super Bowl that year. That was a real shame, since Smith’s overall career was a solid one. He was a five-time Pro Bowler and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994. He recently sang a rousing rendition of the national anthem at this year’s Hall induction ceremony.
1972 Topps football card of former NFL defensive end Claude Humphrey, who was recently inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame after a nearly 30 year wait. He enjoyed a long, thirteen year career in the league, mostly with the Atlanta Falcons. He was named NFL Defensive Rookie of The Year in 1968, and was named to the Pro Bowl six times. He finished his playing days in Philadelphia, where he helped the Eagles reach the Super Bowl in 1980.
1970 Topps football card of a player who also had a memorable nickname, former Denver Bronco defensive lineman Rich “Tombstone” Jackson. He played in an era before the quarterback sack was an official statistic, and his career was shortened by injury, but former teammates and opponents remember him as one of the finest defensive linemen of his time. A product of Southern University, Jackson is a prime example of the type of player who thrived in the old American Football League, from a small black college. Those players likely wouldn’t have had opportunities to play in the NFL, which had an unspoken “quota” system for minorities. After retiring as a player, Jackson served as a school administrator in his hometown of New Orleans.
1968 Topps baseball card of former major leaguer Ted Uhlaender, who played eight seasons for Minnesota, Cleveland and Cincinnati. He was mostly a journeyman type of player who served an important role as a spare outfielder and pinch hitter. Uhlander was also a coach for the Indians under manager Charlie Manuel in 2000. He passed away of a heart attack in 2009. His daughter Katie is a member of the U.S. Winter Olympic team, competing in the Skeleton event.
1974 Topps basketball card of one of the all-time greats of pro basketball, Julius Erving. He didn’t make my list of top basketball nicknames, but he had one of the most well-known – “Doctor J”. Erving was a one-of-a-kind athlete in his era, dazzling fans with his leaping ability and off-the-charts dunks. He began his pro career in the old American Basketball Association, which started the tradition of holding a dunking contest at its’ All Star game, to feature the skils of “The Doctor” and other players in the league. He guided his ABA team, the New York Nets, to two titles. After the ABA merged with the established NBA, Erving wound up with Philadelphia and helped the 76ers win a championship in 1983.
1974 O-Pee-chee hockey card of former NHL goaltender Gary Bromley, who didn’t make my list of top hockey nicknames but deserves consideration. His nickname was “Bones” and late in his career he wore a mask with a skull face on it that made him a cult figure. Bromley was mostly a backup, but hung around for 12 seasons of pro hockey in the NHL and World Hockey Association.
1973 Topps football card of the player who was the Buffalo Bills’ first pick in the NFL’s inaugural “common” draft, defensive back John Pitts. The year was 1967, and it marked the first year that the National and American Football Leagues, which had just agreed to a merger, drafted eligible college players together from one pool. It ended the bidding war the two leagues had battled through for players in previous years. Although he is pretty much a forgotten player in Bills’ annals, Pitts played 7 of his 9 years in pro ball for the Bills, then spent a year each in Denver and Cleveland before retiring.