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1973 Opeechee hockey card of former NHL goaltender Roger Crozier, who played 14 seasons in the league, mostly with the Detroit Red Wings and Buffalo Sabres. Crozier was Rookie of The Year in 1965, and the following season became the first player on the losing team to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Stanley Cup playoff MVP, as the Wings lost to Montreal in 6 games in the finals. Crozier’s time in Buffalo was in the early years when the team was an expansion franchise, and his play made them competitive virtually every game. He was the first player inducted into the Sabres’ Hall of Fame in 1980. Crozier died of cancer in 1996.

1989 Topps football card, courtesy of www.CheckOutMyCards.com , of former Buffalo Bills’ center Kent Hull, who passed away recently. Hull played 14 seasons of pro football, starting his career in the USFL with the New Jersey Generals, then spending 11 years with the Bills. He anchored the team’s offensive line through one of the most successful eras in the Bills’ history, and was a 3-time Pro Bowler. Hull’s time with the Bills began at the same time as Hall of Fame QB Jim Kelly, and in a story typical of an offensive lineman’s plight, while Kelly came to town in a limousine cheered on by throngs of people, Hull rode in behind the limo in an equipment van.

1979 Topps football card of former Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive back Herman Edwards, who had a solid 10 year career in the NFL, 9 with the Eagles, where he is best known for recovering the fumble and returning it for a touchdown on the play dubbed “The Miracle of The Meadowlands”. After his playing days ended, Edwards went into coaching and eventually became a head coach, serving in that capacity for 8 years with the New York Jets and Kansas City. He was known for being extremely outspoken in his post-game press conferences, and his quote “you play to win the game” became a famous sound bite. Edwards currently works as an NFL studio analyst for ESPN.

1982 Topps football card of former Pittsburgh Steeler linebacker Jack Lambert. A key member of the “Steel Curtain”  defense that dominated the NFL in the 1970s, Lambert played on 4 Super Bowl-winning teams in his 11 year career. He is considered one of the toughest players in league history, and among the best middle linebackers. He was a 9 time Pro Bowler and was named to the NFL’s All Decade teams for the 1970s and ’80s. Lambert was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990.

1984 Topps football card of former Buffalo Bills’ wide receiver Jerry Butler. He was drafted by the Bills in 1979 and had an immediate impact as a dynamic pass catcher with speed and grace. He was voted to the Pro Bowl in 1980 and played his entire eight year career with the Bills, but unfortunately that career was cut short by injury. Butler has served as an assistant coach with various teams since his playing days ended, and currently is the Cleveland Browns’ Director of Player Development.

1974 Topps football card of the guy now best known as Peyton and Eli’s dad, former New Orleans Saints quarterback Archie Manning. Unfortunately for him, Manning was drafted by the Saints to be the franchise “savior” but they were dreadful for the entire 10 years he played for them. In fact, his 26% winning percentage for his career is the worst in NFL history for QBs with at least 100 starts. He was poorly protected by a weak offensive line and took a major beating his entire time in the league, in a time when there weren’t any rules protecting the quarterback, and earned a reputation as a gamer among his peers. In fact, he is regarded among the players of his era as not only one of the toughest quarterbacks but one of the toughest players overall. His dismal career statistics don’t tell the story of his skill level, as he was voted to 2 Pro Bowls and was the NFC Player of The Year in 1978.

1979 Topps baseball card of former Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Mike Schmidt. Considered one of the greatest third basemen of all time, Schmidt played his entire career for the Phils, and led them to the 1980 World Series title, being named Series MVP. He was a 12-time all star, 10 time Gold glove winner for fielding and an 8-time NL home run champ. Schmidt was elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame in 1995.

1961 Fleer football card of former Chicago Bears back Willie Galimore. “Willie The Wisp” was drafted by the Bears in 1956 and was known for his tremendous speed and lateral movement – some teammates even claimed he could run as fast side-to-side down the field as most men could in a straight line. Galimore played for the Bears from 1957 until 1963, including their ’63 NFL championship team, but unfortunately, was killed in an auto accident along with teammate Bo Farrington in 1964. He was active in the Civil Rights movement at the time, taking part in demonstrations in his hometown of St. Augustine, Florida shortly before his death. Galimore’s son Ron was the first African-American U.S. gymnast.

1969 Topps football card of former NFL running back Elijah Pitts, who played 11 seasons in the league, mostly with the Green Bay Packers. Although a backup for most of his career, Pitts was a valuable member of the Packer dynasty, and even scored 2 touchdowns in the first Super Bowl. After his playing days ended, he served as an assistant coach for 3 different NFL teams, and was assistant head coach under Marv Levy in Buffalo. Pitts died of stomach cancer in 1998. His son Ron also played in the NFL and is currently a sportscaster on Fox.

1968 Topps football card of Hall of Fame running back Leroy Kelly. Kelly had the unenviable task of trying to replace the legendary Jim Brown in the Cleveland Browns’ backfield when Brown abruptly retired in 1965, but he was not intimidated, fashioning a 10 year career that, like Brown, landed him in Canton. He led the NFL in rushing in 2 of those seasons, and was a six-time Pro Bowler. His brother Pat was a long-time major league baseball player.