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

Classic Sports Card of The Day

20 Nov

62fleermingo

1962 Fleer football card of one of the top players in the old American Football League, former Denver Bronco halfback Gene Mingo. Known for his versatility, Mingo played halfback and returned kicks, and was the first African American placekicker in pro football history.  He was an outstanding runner, and once threw two touchdown passes in one game on halfback option plays. Mingo also played for Oakland and Miami in the AFL, and kicked for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL in 1969 and 1970 before retiring.

 

Classic Sports Card of The Day

17 Nov

76toppsharrison

1976 Topps football card of former pro football defensive back Dwight “Ike” Harrison, who played 10 seasons in the NFL for 4 different teams, most notably as a cornerback for the Buffalo Bills. Harrison also played some wide receiver during his career, and was a member of the Oakland Raiders’ team that won the Super Bowl in 1980. Besides Harrison, that Raider team included 4 other former Bills – Bob Chandler, Bob Nelson, Keith Moody and Randy McClanahan.

 

Classic Sports Card of The Day

13 Nov

81toppswersching

1981 Topps football card of former NFL placekicker Ray Wersching. A native of Austria, Wersching played four seasons with the San Diego Chargers, then was lucky enough to hook up with the San Francisco 49ers during their golden years under coach Bill Walsh. He kicked for the Niners for 11 seasons, helping them win two Super Bowls. Wersching’s style of placekicking was unique, as he would run onto the field for every field goal or extra point attempt with his head down, never looking up until after he kicked the ball.

 

Classic Sports Card of The Day

10 Nov

65toppsday

1965 Topps football card of former Buffalo Bills’ lineman Tom Day, a member of the Bills’ back-to-back American Football League championship teams in the 1960s. Day played one season in the NFL with the St. Louis Cardinals, then joined the Bills in 1961, playing on the club’s dominant defense, and also putting in some time on the offensive line at guard. He was an AFL All Star in 1965. Day was traded to San Diego in 1967 for star halfback Keith Lincoln, then returned to the Bills, playing his final season in 1968.

 

Classic Sports Card of The Day

06 Nov

62topps gabriel error

1962 Topps football card of former NFL quarterback Roman Gabriel. The 1962 set included, on every card, a black-and-white “action” shot of each player. This card was Gabriel’s rookie card, and also is an “error” card. Since Gabriel hadn’t yet played in the NFL, there were no action shots of him, so the inset appears to be Giants’ QB Y.A. Tittle (with his number altered). Gabriel was one of the top signal-callers of the 1960s and early ’70s, playing 16 NFL seasons, mostly for the Los Angeles Rams. He was a four-time Pro Bowler, and was named NFL MVP in 1969. Gabriel’s post-career activities included stints in broadcasting and acting.

 

Classic Sports Card of The Day

03 Nov

60fleerevans

1960 Fleer football card of former Buffalo Bills’ halfback Willie Evans, who spent only the one season with the team, in 1960, the Bills’ inaugural one in the fledgling American Football League. Evans was a local product, attending high school in Buffalo and playing in college for the University of Buffalo, which was a strong Eastern college gridiron program at the time. He was part of the 1958 UB team that made history. The Bulls won the Lambert Trophy as the top college team in the East, winning a bid to play Florida State in the Tangerine Bowl in Orlando, Florida. The team, however, declined the invitation to play in the game after the Bowl committee informed them that Evans and Mike Wilson, both African Americans, were not welcome to play in the game. When his football career ended, Evans taught in Buffalo area schools for over 30 years, and also coached football, tennis and swimming.

 

Classic Sports Card of The Day

01 Nov

64toppsbemiller

1964 Topps football card of former Buffalo Bills’ offensive lineman Al Bemiller. Bemiller joined the team in 1961 and started on their O-line, either at center or guard ( and briefly at tackle), until 1969, never missing a game in his nine year career. He was a member of the Bills’ back-to-back American Football League championship teams of 1964 and ’65. After retiring, he was a substitute teacher in the Buffalo public school system.

 

Classic Sports Card of The Day

30 Oct

72toppsstaubach

1972 Topps football card of one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, former Dallas Cowboy Roger Staubach. After attending the Naval Academy, where he won the Heisman Trophy, Staubach completed his required service, which included a tour of duty in Vietnam. He joined Dallas in 1969, and for a short time shared the signal-calling duties with Craig Morton. He eventually won the job outright, and guided Tom Landry’s club to 5 Super Bowls, winning a pair of them. Staubach was a six-time Pro Bowler in his career, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.

 

 

Classic Sports Card of The Day

27 Oct

74toppsmckenzie

1974 Topps football guard of former pro football offensive lineman Reggie McKenzie, who played 13 seasons in the NFL, mostly with the Buffalo Bills. He was an integral part of the Bills’ offensive line that helped O.J. Simpson rush for 2,003 yards, which earned the line the nickname of “The Electric Company” since they “turned on the Juice.” McKenzie was often overshadowed by his future Hall of Fame linemate, Joe DeLemielleure, but he was named to the NFL All Pro team in 1973 and ’74. He is a member of the college football Hall of Fame, having had a successful career at Michigan.

 

Classic Sports Card of The Day

23 Oct

72toppsfuqua

1972 Topps football card of former pro football running back John “Frenchy” Fuqua, who played eight seasons in the National Football League for the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers. Fuqua was an underrated member of the Steelers’ Super Bowl teams of the early 1970s. He was known for being a flashy dresser and flamboyant personality. His backfield running mate, Franco Harris, had a fan club in Pittsburgh known as “Franco’s Italian Army”, while Fuqua’s fans were known as “Frenchy’s Foreign Legion”.