Clever Recoloring on John Unitas’s 1974 Topps Card

June 15th, 2014  |  Published in Football Card Trivia, Uniforms

Ever notice that John Unitas’s 1974 Topps card pictures him still in his Colts uniform, but with the jersey numbers colored yellow to look more like a Chargers uniform? Yesterday was the first time I noticed this. Here are his 1973 and 1974 Topps cards, side by side.

Though he appeared on a card in 1974, Unitas did not play that year. He retired on July 23.
John Unitas 1973 Topps football cardJohn Unitas 1974 Topps football card

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Happy Birthday, Andy Nelson!

May 27th, 2013  |  Published in Milestone Birthdays

1959 Topps Andy Nelson rookie football cardFormer NFL defensive back Andy Nelson is celebrating his 80th birthday today. Nelson played from 1957 to 1964 for the Baltimore Colts and New York Giants. He led the NFL in interception return yards in 1958, he was named first team All-NFL in 1959, and he helped the Colts win NFL championships in 1958 and 1959.

After football, Nelson started a barbeque restaurant in Maryland that his family still runs. You can see recent photos of him on the restaurant’s web site.

Nelson is pictured here on his rookie card, a 1959 Topps. He also appeared on a 1962 Topps football card.

According to oldestlivingproplayers.com, Nelson is the 496th oldest living professional American football player.

Happy birthday, Mr. Nelson!

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Happy Birthday, Glenn Ressler, Johnny Roland, and John Wilbur!

May 21st, 2013  |  Published in Milestone Birthdays

Glenn Ressler 1974 Topps football cardA trio of players in the Vintage Football Card Gallery are celebrating milestone birthdays today: Glenn Ressler, Johnny Roland, and John Wilbur are all 70.

Glenn Ressler played guard from 1965 to 1974 for the Baltimore Colts. He was a starter in Super Bowl III, which the Colts lost to the New York Jets, and in Super Bowl V, which the Colts won against the Dallas Cowboys. Before his pro career, Ressler starred at center and middle guard at Penn State. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001. Ressler is pictured here on his 1974 Topps football card.

Johnny Roland 1967 Philadelphia rookie football cardJohnny Roland was a running back from 1966 to 1973 for the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Giants. Roland was named the UPI NFL Rookie of the Year in 1966, and he made the Pro Bowl in his first two seasons. He played college football at Missouri, and he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1998. After retiring as a player, Roland went on to a long coaching career. His rookie card, a 1967 Philadelphia, is shown here.

John Wilbur 1973 Topps rookie football cardJohn Wilbur played guard from 1966 to 1974 for the Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Rams, and Washington Redskins. He started at right guard in Super Bowl VII, which the Redskins lost to the undefeated Miami Dolphins. Wilbur is pictured here on his 1973 Topps football card.

Happy birthday, Messrs. Ressler, Roland, and Wilbur!

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More Interactive Team Cards: 1956 Topps Baltimore Colts and New York Giants

May 19th, 2013  |  Published in Interactive Team Cards, New in the Gallery

1956 Topps Baltimore Colts team football card1956 Topps New York Giants team football cardThe newest interactive team cards in the Vintage Football Card Gallery are the 1956 Topps Baltimore Colts and New York Giants team cards. Click on the images pictured here to see the interactive versions.

Both cards show the 1955 teams. Three future Hall of Fame coaches appear on the cards: Vince Lombardi and Tom Landry are pictured on the Giants card, and Don Shula is a player on the Colts card. Leroy Vaughn, the father of major league baseball’s Mo Vaughn, also appears with the Colts.

These are my sixth and seventh interactive 1956 Topps team cards; I have five more to go. Next up: the Washington Redskins.

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Happy Birthday, Mike Curtis!

March 27th, 2013  |  Published in Milestone Birthdays

Mike Curtis 1969 Glendale stamp“Mad Dog” Mike Curtis is celebrating his 70th birthday today. Curtis was a star linebacker from 1965 to 1978 for the Baltimore Colts, Seattle Seahawks, and Washington Redskins. He played in two Super Bowls with the Colts: Super Bowl III, which they lost to the New York Jets, and Super Bowl V, in which they beat the Dallas Cowboys. The Associated Press named Curtis first team All-NFL in 1968 and 1969. The Fox Sports Florida web site has a recent story about Curtis, including photos of him with some of his memorabilia.

Curtis is pictured here on his 1969 Glendale Stamp. He appeared on numerous other football cards and stamps, as well.

Happy birthday, Mr. Curtis!

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Happy Birthday, Roy Hilton!

March 23rd, 2013  |  Published in Milestone Birthdays

Roy Hilton 1969 Topps rookie football cardFormer NFL defensive end Roy Hilton is celebrating his 70th birthday today. Hilton played from 1965 to 1975 for the Baltimore Colts, New York Giants, and Atlanta Falcons. He was a member of the Colts teams that played in Super Bowls III and V. He got 1 1/2 sacks in Super Bowl V, which the Colts won 16-13 against the Dallas Cowboys.

Hilton is shown here on his rookie card, a 1969 Topps. He appeared on a few more cards, as well.

Happy birthday, Mr. Hilton!

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An Interactive 1958 Topps Baltimore Colts Team Card

March 19th, 2013  |  Published in Interactive Team Cards, Interesting eBay Auctions, New in the Gallery

National Bohemian Beer 1957 Baltimore Colts Team photoIn a recent Interesting eBay Auctions article, I pointed out a 1957 Baltimore Colts team photo, and I said that the image was reused a year later on the 1958 Topps Colts team card. This week, using the photo as a reference, I made an interactive version of that team card. On the interactive card, you can move your cursor over the players to see their names, and you can click on a player to see all of his cards in the Vintage Football Card Gallery. Give it a try!

As I was mapping the names on the photo to the image on the card, I found that a lot of the players didn’t appear on the team’s 1957 roster. I concluded that the photo must have been taken well before the 1957 regular season started. The Colts picked up several of the players in the photo in the 1957 draft, but apparently some of them did not make the team. One of the 1957 draftees who appears in the photo but not on the roster is Joe Unitas, Johnny Unitas’s cousin.

I was unable to find the first names of three of the players in the photo: Welch, Stephenson, and Pollard. The Colts didn’t draft them in 1957, and I couldn’t find matches in the online NFL player databases. My guess is that the players were walk-ons whom the Colts gave tryouts. If you happen to know any of their first names, let me know, and I’ll add them to the interactive card.

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Another Piece for My 1962 Topps Virtual Uncut Sheet

March 15th, 2013  |  Published in New in the Gallery

Miscut 1962 Topps John Unitas football cardYesterday, via an eBay purchase, I obtained another card that will help me figure out how 1962 Topps football cards were arranged on uncut sheets. The John Unitas card shown here has a sliver of Bill Forester’s card on the left. This bit of information let me add the Unitas to a piece of the uncut sheet I already had. To see where the new piece fit, scroll toward the bottom of the 1962 Topps virtual uncut sheet page of the Vintage Football Card Gallery. Another ten years, and I should have it finished!

For other virtual uncut sheets, some completed and some not, see a previous article, U is for Uncut Sheets.

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Tony Lorick, Colts and Saints Running Back

March 6th, 2013  |  Published in Player Deaths

Tony Lorick 1969 Glendale StampTony Lorick, a running back from 1964 to 1969 for the Baltimore Colts and New Orleans Saints, passed away on February 17. His obituary and a recent photo appear at grimesfuneralchapels.com. Lorick was a steady contributor with the Colts and Saints: he gained over 600 yards from scrimmage in four of his first five seasons. Before his pro career, Lorick starred at Arizona State University. He was inducted into the ASU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1983.

Lorick is shown here on his 1969 Glendale Stamp. He also appeared on several football cards and a 1969 Saints Doubloon.

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Happy Birthday, Raymond Berry!

February 27th, 2013  |  Published in Milestone Birthdays

Raymond Berry 1960 Topps football cardRaymond Berry, the Hall of Fame receiver of the Baltimore Colts, is celebrating his 80th birthday today. Berry played for the Colts from 1955 to 1967, and he was a key player on the Colts’ NFL Championship teams of 1958 and 1959. In 1960 he averaged 108 yards receiving per game, an NFL record at the time, and still the 11th-highest all-time average for a season. When he retired from playing, he held the NFL records for both career receptions and career receiving yards. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1973.

Berry went on to a long coaching career, including six seasons as the head coach of the New England Patriots. He coached the Patriots to their first Super Bowl appearance, Super Bowl XX, against the Chicago Bears. (The Bears won, 46-10.)

Raymond Berry 1964 Wheaties stampBerry is pictured here on his 1960 Topps football card and his 1964 Wheaties stamp. He appeared on many more cards, as well. (One of them, his 1967 Philadelphia card, actually pictures Bob Boyd.)

According to oldestlivingprofootball.com, Berry is the 494th oldest living pro football player.

Happy birthday, Mr. Berry!

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