Orlando Pace: 1997 Bowman’s Best Cuts Refractor
Player: Orlando Pace
Card: 1993 Bowman’s Best Cuts Refractor #BC1
Team/Position: St. Louis Rams / Offensive Tackle
Cost: 2 Dollars
Orlando Pace’s moved onto the Chicago Bears and apparently has something left in the tank. He’s not the monster he once was, but at this point in his career even playing left tackle is astonishing.
It’s probably unfair to claim that Pace was far and away the best offensive tackle in the history of College Football, but very few linemen can be mentioned in the same breath.
When you think of the Greatest Show On Turf, Pace’s name isn’t the first to come to mind, but he was certainly instrumental.
What Made Pace Special?
We’re talking about the man who invented the pancake block (sorta). Orlando Pace dominated the tackle position with his ridiculous speed and size combination. Pace was one of the very few tackles that could nullify both the bull and the speed rush on every down, regardless of the man standing opposite him.
From 1999 until 2005, Pace notched a ticket to Hawaii for 7 straight years. Injuries definitely began slowing Orlando down in 2006 and he now finds himself in Chicago.
A Personal Note:
I’m an Ohio State fan that’ll definitely show bias when selecting certain players, but Orlando Pace isn’t one of those players. Pace was simply dominant and even if you compare players with eras in mind, I still think Pace comes out top-5 All-Time.
Why This Card?
I didn’t collect during the late 90′s, so it’s hard for me to present a definitive reason for this card. I think my favourite part’s the rear that reminds us of Ohio State’s victory over Illinois and Simeon Rice. Rice was made for the Tampa-Two and ended up having a terrific career himself, but Orlando Pace pancaked him 8 times during one college game.
As is generally the case, the SP Authentic foil version of Orlando’s rookie looks the sharpest and will set you back the most cash. The Topps Finest Atomic refractors also tend to look great, but both of these cards were over priced for what we’re trying to achieve. Bowman’s Best also looks sharp.
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