rayonsports.com

1991 ProSet football card of former World League of American Football lineman Doug Marrone, who is also the current head coach of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills. Marrone played one season, 1991, with the WLAF’s London Monarchs as a center, after a short-lived NFL playing career with the Miami Dolphins (1987) and New Orleans Saints (1989). He then embarked on a coaching career, working in the NFL as an assistant under Herm Edwards with the New York Jets and Sean Payton with the Saints before becoming head coach at Syracuse University.

Courtesy of www.CheckOutMyCards.com , a 1953 Topps baseball card of legendary Brooklyn Dodger Jackie Robinson. On April 15th, 1947, Robinson took the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers and became the first African American player to play in the major leagues, breaking 60 years of segregation in the sport. Besides the historical significance of his entrance into major league baseball, Robinson enjoyed a very successful career. He was named Rookie of The Year in ’47, won the National League batting title and MVP Award in 1949, was a six-time All Star , and helped the Dodgers win the World Series in 1955.  Robinson was named to baseball’s All Century team for the 20th century, and was elected to the baseball Hall of Fame on the first ballot in 1962.

1966 Topps hockey card of former Toronto Maple Leafs star Dave Keon. Keon played 15 of his 22 professional seasons for the Leafs, including on 4 Stanley Cup-winning teams in the 1960s. An eight time NHL All Star, he was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs in 1967, and also won the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year in 1960. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1986.

Courtesy of www.CheckOutMyCards.com , a 1989 Score football card of one of the great Pittsburgh Steelers from the team’s 1970s Super Bowl era, running back Franco Harris. He played 13 seasons in the NFL and made the Pro Bowl 9 times, and played on all 4 of the Steelers’ Super Bowl-winning teams. Franco, who had his own cheering section – “Franco’s Italian Army” – in Pittsburgh, was involved in one of pro football’s most controversial plays of all time, the “Immaculate Reception”, when he grabbed a tipped pass and ran for an unlikely winning touchdown in a playoff game against the Oakland Raiders. Harris and former Colt player Lydell Mitchell now own SuperBakery, a company founded in 1990 to produce nutrition-oriented foods for school children.

1956 Topps football card of former Los Angeles Rams’ fullback Paul “Tank” Younger. Younger played in the NFL from 1949 until 1958, in an era when players went both ways, so he also was a standout linebacker for the Rams. He was 4-time Pro Bowler, and a member of the Rams’ “Bull Elephant” backfield along with Deacon Dan Towler and Dick Hoerner, and played on the Rams’ NFL championship team of 1951.  After retiring, Younger became the first African American front office administrator, serving as a scout and executive with the Rams until 1975. He then held the position of assistant general manager for the San Diego Chargers, from ’75 until 1987. He passed away at age 73 in 2001.

1961 Fleer football card of a quarterback who enjoyed a long, eventful career in the NFL, Earl Morrall. He played for 21 seasons with 6 different teams, as both a starter and a backup. He was named to the Pro Bowl twice, amazingly, 11 years apart, in 1957 and 1968. Morrall played on 3 Super Bowl-winning teams, and his best season may have been 1972, when he replaced injured starter Bob Griese and led the Miami Dolphins to the Super Bowl in their historic 17-0 undefeated season. After his playing days ended, he was QB coach at the University of Miami, tutoring Jim Kelly, Bernie Kosar and Vinnie Testaverde. He also was a politician, serving as mayor of Davie, Florida.

1973 Topps football card of former Buffalo Bills’ fullback Jim Braxton, who was one of the first to play the position the way today’s fullbacks do – not as much of a rushing threat but as a lead blocker for a star halfback. In Braxton’s case, that back was Hall of Famer O.J. Simpson. He played 8 seasons in the NFL, and had a well-earned reputation as a tough, physical player who was largely responsible for helping Simpson break league rushing records.  “Bubby” Braxton was an effective runner when needed, and even scored 31 career touchdowns (most modern-day fullbacks don’t get 31 career carries). He died of cancer in 1986.

1989 Score football card of former Cleveland Browns’ tight end Ozzie Newsome, who is considered one of the top players at the position of all time. He played 13 seasons with the Browns, and was a seven time Pro Bowler. He was named to the NFL All Decade team for the 1980s, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999. After his playing career ended, Newsome moved into the Browns’ front office and moved with the club to Baltimore. In 2002, he was named general manager of the Ravens (a job he still holds today), becoming the first African American to hold that position.

1965 Topps football card of former linebacker and punter Paul Maguire, who is one of only 20 players to play for the entire 10 year existence of the old American Football League. Amazingly, Maguire played in the league’s first 6 championship games, the first 3 with the Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers followed by 3 with Buffalo, and was a part of 3 consecutive title-winning teams, 1 with the Chargers before moving to Buffalo and helping the Bills win back-to-back titles. He was considered a master of the “coffin corner” kick, in which the punter angles his kick toward the sideline to pin the opponent deep in his own territory. After his playing days ended, Maguire enjoyed a long career in broadcasting as a color analyst, working games for ESPN, NBC and ABC involving teams from college football, the NFL, Canadian Football League, the USFL and the United Football League. He also hosted the Budweiser Sportsline, a local sports call-in show in Buffalo.

1988 Topps football card of former NFL quarterback Jim McMahon, who played 14 seasons in the league. Seven of those seasons, and the most successful, were played with the Chicago Bears, where he led his team to the Super Bowl title in 1985. That Bears’ team became known as the “Super Bowl Shuffle” Bears, after a rap video made by players on the club, incidentally, before they even had qualified for the title game. McMahon played at the time of the “punk” music era, and carried the “punk” personna onto the field, routinely defying dress code orders from commissioner Pete Rozelle with headbands that had “unauthorized corporate logos” on them.