Card: 1948 Leaf Gum Co., Card #16

Team/Position: Philadelphia Eagles / Wide Receiver, Defensive End

Cost: $15.25

I had yet another chance to add a 1948 Bowman to my collection, but once again decided on the Leaf alternative.  It’s not that the ’48 Bowman set is ugly or the ’48 Leaf set is gorgeous, it’s just a preference thing.

The Leaf Gum Co., set offers a little bit of colour and a couple different variations; whereas the Bowman offering is a simple, but gorgeous, black and white photograph.  If you’re interested in checking out the Bowman, here’s the link:

Pete Pihos was the epitome of an early football player:  hard-nosed, intelligent, and more than anything he played the game the right way.  Pihos was a two-way star at Indiana before leaving to dedicate a year of his life to the U.S. Army in 1944.  Upon Pihos’ return in 1945, he helped lead Indiana to it’s first Big-10 title en route to a 9-0-1 season.  The only blemish that year was Pihos and Howard Brown’s first game after returning from WWII (a tie w/ Northwestern in the second game of the season). He led the Hoosiers in scoring in both 45 and 46 and was eventually named to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1966.

Pihos began his nine-year professional career, a career in which he’d miss only one game, with the Philadelphia Eagles.  Originally, Pihos was considered a two-way player before primarily switching to offense.  However, with Philly in dire need of a defensive end, Pete switched to the defensive side of the ball in 1952 and didn’t miss a beat as he put together an All-Pro season.

On offense, Pihos wasn’t spectacularly quick or fast, but possessed terrific hands and the physicality to repeatedly out-muscle defenders.  Pihos helped the Eagles to their first Championship Game in his rookie season, in large part due to a blocked punt that he returned for a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers.  The Eagles would go on to win three consecutive division titles and two championships after Pihos’ arrival.

Pete Pihos would make the Pro Bowl from 1950 to 1955 (inclusively) and take home six All-Pro or All-NFL awards.  He also lead the league in receiving in 1953 through 1955.

On his career, Pihos amassed over 5600 yards on 373 receptions and will forever be tied to the early Eagles with Steve Van Buren and Chuck Bednarik.

Card: 1989 Score Football, Card #72

Team/Position: Philly Eagles, Minnesota Vikings / Wide Receiver

Cost:

If Cris Carter isn’t a first-ballot Hall of Famer, I don’t know who is.  Jerry Rice is obviously going to be a first-ballot guy; but realistically, do you have to be the greatest player at your position to be deemed worthy of first-ballot status by the grumpy, old, balding men known as the HOF Selection Committee?

Cris Carter finished up his career as the second best wide-receiver ever, if you’re just going on statistics.  Before becoming a mentor to young players everywhere he went, Carter had early off-field issues.  Rather than rewarding such a turnaround, the Hall of Fame committee decided to punish Carter in 2009.

Cris Carter’s yet another Ohio State Alum, adding to the already gigantically prejudicial list of Paul Warfield, Jack Tatum, Jim Parker,  John Stallworth, and  Orlando Pace.

In his third season (1989,)  Carter caught 11 touchdown passes but in a shocking move, was cut by Buddy Ryan before the 1990 season.  Carter’s life was falling apart and behind the scene, Carter’s addiction to cocaine and booze, was well known.  Carter later credited Buddy Ryan for changing his life (I’m sure Eagles fans took solace in that as Carter went onto have a HOF-career).

Carter’s career slowly built up steam with the Vikings until it exploded with the acquisition of Warren Moon.  In 1994, Cris Carter set a then-record for receptions in a season with 122.  Carter continued to dominate until the Vikings drafted Randy Moss in 1998, at which point he entered the stratosphere.

With Moss opposite him, Carter was free to put up career-best numbers and continued to find the end-zone  at a torrid pace.

Carter finished up his career with the Dolphins in 2002.  When all was said and done, only Jerry Rice had better numbers than Carter’s 1,101 receptions and 130 touchdowns.  Marvin Harrison has since surpassed Carter for receptions, but his recent nightclub incident will probably reduce him to a second-ballot HOF inductee as well.  Ugh.

Carter’s the only player to ever post two seasons with 120+ receptions and hopefully he’ll find a way to sneak into the HOF in 2010, a year in which Jerry Rice and Tim Brown both become eligible.

If you were third-and-goal from anywhere on the field, Cris Carter is the wide-receiver you’d look to.  In that regard, even Jerry Rice couldn’t compare to Cris Carter’s hands and body control.

Two final things in closing:

1. It’s awful that so many of the greatest rookie cards of all time were over-produced to the point that they’re worthless.
2. Cris Carter definitely looks stoned as hell on the rear of his 1989 Score Card.

Card: 1977 Topps Football Card #177

Team/Position: Seattle Seahawks / Wide Receiver

Cost: $3.75

Largent finished up his career at Tulsa as an All-American, yet slipped into the fourth round of the NFL Draft.  The Houston Oilers originally planned on cutting the great white hope, until the expansion Seahawks traded an 8th round pick for his rights.

Until a certain greatest wide-receiver of all-time and Dancing With The Stars Season Two runner-up came along, Steve Largent was arguably the best wide-receiver to have ever played the game.

When Largent retired from the Seahawks, he held every imaginable receiving record:  13,089 receiving yards, 819 career receptions, and 100 touchdown catches.

Largent didn’t display break-away speed, but caught everything that was thrown in his direction.  Throw in very crisp routes, and what seems like a veteran savvy from his first snap and you’ve a Hall of Famer: A 5’11″, 185lb, Hall of Famer.

Largent made seven Pro Bowls during his fourteen year career and was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1980′s.  Along with the ABSOLUTELY FREAKIN DESPICABLE Jim Zorn, Largent became the face of the Seattle Seahawks.  Steve Largent became the first Seattle Seahawk inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995.

After his football career, Steve Largent entered the realm of politics. Largent served 4 terms as a member of congress for Oklahoma’s first district.  Largent never received less than 60% of the vote, but he was running in Tulsa, and he was a Republican.

I’m not particularly a fan of Largent as a politician, but he was one hell of a football player.  One of Largent’s most memorable political moments screamed, “I’m a effin’ idiot!”

Because two gay men are bound to rape little girls that they adopt, Largent proposed the following bill,

“On July 29, by a vote of 213 to 215, the House, under heavy pressure from homosexual groups, rejected an amendment to the District of Columbia Appropriations Act (HR 2587) sponsored by Rep. Steve Largent (R.-Olda) that would have stopped the District of Columbia from using federal dollars to promote adoptions by couples not related by blood or marriage.”  ( Article Link )

Lovely.

Card: 1956 Topps Football #60

Team/Position: Baltimore Colts / Halfback

Cost: $9.00

Lenny Moore was drafted by the Baltimore Colts in the first round (ninth overall) of the 1956 draft out of Penn State.  Lenny ended up being one of the few players to get his rookie card in his draft year.  The ’56 set holds some great Hall Of Famers on Topps cardboard for the very first time.  Lenny Moore, Joe Schmidt, Bill George, Stan Jones and Roosevelt Brown all have their Rookie Cards in the ’56 set.

I absolutely love the looks of these cards and I’m contemplating throwing together a low-grade set.  I got Lenny Moore and Joe Perry from the 1955 Bowman set, all for 9 bucks.  I’m going to considering Perry a Bonus! Bonus! card and just say that Lenny cost 9 bucks.  You can find Lenny Moore cards for under 5 bucks though, if you look hard enough.

Moore was a huge part of Baltimore’s offense, but his cards cost about 1/50th of the price as Unitas’.  Moore was another Flanker / Halfback combo-player that contributed whenever he touched the ball.

Over the course of Moore’s career, he notched seven Pro Bowls and seven All Pro selections.  Moore was named to the all decade team of the 1950′s and took home the UPI’s Rookie of the Year Award in 1956.

Lenny Moore was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1975 after retiring from the game before the 1968 season.  Moore finished up his career with over 12K combined yards, and a then record, 18 consecutive games played with a touchdown.

Card: 1959 Topps Football Card #140

Team/Position: Halfback, Flanker / Washington Redskins, Cleveland Browns

Cost: $9.00

Bobby Mitchell was yet another incredible athlete from the prestigious Big-10 conference.  This time, rather than ranting and raving about Ohio State, we’re taking a trek westward to visit Champaign, Illinois, and their Fightin’ Illini.   Mitchell was a half-back for the Illini, but didn’t start until late in his sophomore season.  Mitchell finished up the season with a bang, but lost the majority of his junior year due to knee injuries.  His senior season was successful, but he failed to match his First Team All-American performance of just two years previous.

Mitchell’s athleticism landed him an offer from the St. Louis Cardinals to play baseball before even attending the University of Illinois.  Mitchell obviously declined and subsequently starred on the track and field team where his Olympic aspirations were born.

After the Browns drafted Mitchell in the 7th round of the 1958 Draft, Paul Brown had to contend with Mitchell’s Olympic dreams.  Brown’s offer of a $7000 salary was enough to change Mitchell’s mind and set the stage for arguably the best one-two combination that the game’s ever seen: Bobby Mitchell and Jim Brown.

Mitchell had track speed and unbelievable “make-ya-miss” potential.  Brown had the “make-yah-wish-yah-missed” skill that made him arguably the best player ever to have put on a helmet.

The combination was broken up in 1962 when the Washington Redskins underwent a drastic transformation.  The ‘Skins were under tremendous pressure to integrate the team by the local media and even congress, which lead to the eventual acquisition of Bobby Mitchell.  The ‘Skins had drafted Heisman winner, Ernie Davis, with the number one pick but traded him to the Browns for Mitchell and Leroy Jackson.

In one of the saddest stories ever told by the NFL (and eventually the silver screen,) Davis was the first African American to win the Heisman; However, Davis  succumbed to leukemia before ever playing a down of football in the National Football League.

The Redskins and Bill McPeak saw Mitchell as better suited for the outside and switched him to Flanker.  In Mitchell’s first year, he went off for — check this — 72 receptions, 1384 yards, and 11 touchdowns.

Mitchell was absolutely Dyn-o-mite.

Throughout the remainder of his career with the Redskins, Mitchell would never catch fewer than 58 passes in a year, despite being returned to his original half-back position in 1967 by new head-coach, Otto Graham.  When Mitchell retired after the 1968 season, his 14,078 combined yards was the second highest total in NFL history.

Mitchell was truly special in every aspect of the game. As a returner, Mitchell would end up returning almost 5% of kickoffs for touchdowns, which ranks fourth in NFL history.  As a runner, Mitchell was blessed with the break-away potential that few runningbacks, let alone defenders, could ever match.  As a receiver, Mitchell managed almost 8000 yards receiving despite spending a large portion of his career in the backfield.

Mitchell was inducted into the HOF in 1983 after being on the ballot for 10 years.

Seriously, 10 years.

Card: 1965 Philadelphia Football Card #41

Team/Position: Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins / Split End, Wide Receiver

Cost: $20

The 1965 Philadelphia Football Set is absolutely gorgeous and as far as I can tell, it was the first set to place the NFL Shield on the front of the card.  Upper Deck released their very own version of Philadelphia Football in 2009, which stayed fairly true to form, but was modeled after the ’64 set.

Anyways, onto yet another famous Ohio State Alum, Paul Warfield.  Warfield came out of Ohio State as a two-time Big-10 Halfback of the year, along with being a critical part of Ohio State track team.  Warfield was blazing fast and as smooth as anyone in the game. 

The Cleveland Browns drafted Warfield in the first round of the ’64 draft with the 11th overall selection.  Warfield was immediately switched into a wide-receiver, as Cleveland just happened to have a man by the name of Jim Brown in the backfield.  Along with Warfield, the Cleveland Browns took a young LeRoy Kelly (Who I’ll feature later) in the 7th round of the 1964 Draft.

A silky smooth runner with blazing speed, Warfield was born to be a part of the vertical passing game.  In his first year with the Browns, Warfield caught 52 balls for 920 yards and 9 touchdowns.  The Browns eventually won the NFL Championship that year and Warfield was voted to the Pro Bowl for his part.  Warfield would go on to earn eight Pro Bowl Selections and six All Pro Selections after winning both awards in his rookie year.

In 1970, Warfield was traded to the Miami Dolphins for a draft pick in what’s still considered a rather controversial trade.  Warfield would go onto play in three Superbowls with the Miami Dolphins, winning two of them (vs. Washington and vs. Minnesota).

The Dolphins were a run oriented team during Warfield’s career, so his numbers are a testament to his athletic ability.  It seems like every year a new receiver is surpassing ten-thousand yards, yet Warfield finished his career with only 8565 yards and 85 touchdowns and is in the HOF.

It’s definitely going to be interesting to see how players like Warfield hold up against the new generation of receivers.  Warfield had the it factor that HOF voters look for, but fewer and fewer fans will remember just how terrific he was on the field.  I suppose it’s up to the NFL and the NFL FILMS department to keep everyone’s memory fresh.

As long as the 1972 Miami Dolphins remain the only undefeated team, people will remember Paul Warfield.  If you were curious how Warfield did in the lowest scoring Superbowl of all time — He caught three balls for thirty-seven yards.

Warfield went back to Cleveland to finish up his career, and continues to work for the Browns as a Scouting Consultant.

Card: 1959 Topps Football #4

Team/Position: Wide Receiver (END) / Green Bay Packers

Cost: $3.75

If there were a Hall of MAN Fame, Max McGee would be the very first inductee.

Speaking of which, who’s your very first induction class for the Man’s Hall of Fame?  Richard Roundtree as Shaft with Isaac Hayes getting a supporting nod is a good start. Shawn Kemp, The Rainman, definitely gets a first ballot induction — Hell, let’s give him one for each and every illegitimate child that he’s fathered.  JFK’s in, if even half the rumors are true, and Oliver Stone’s probably in too.  The entire Rat Pack gets an induction, but only Sinatra, Davis Jr. and Dean Martin get in on the first ballot.

Brett Favre, upon retirement, would also become eligible and definitely be a first ballot Hall of Famer.  Favre pitches Wrangler Jeans, makes fun of himself in a Sears commercial, and dealt with a Percocet addiction.  There’s also little doubt in my mind that Brett Favre rested a tall-boy of Budweiser on a sorority girls head whilst receiving a dirty gummer during his days at Southern Miss.

Danny McBride who plays Kenny Powers in East Bound and Down is well on his way to becoming a first ballot HOFer.

Back To McGee…

McGee didn’t have a HOF career, but he definitely put up some numbers:  6346 receiving YDS, 50 TD on 345 receptions.   McGee went to one Pro Bowl (1961) and was part of 3 Packers Championship Teams and 2 Super Bowl Championship teams.

McGee decided to serve his country as an Air Force pilot for two years after his 1954 rookie season.  After returning, McGee went on to a career worthy of induction into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.

The Story That Made McGee

Max McGee and Paul Hornung loved to party.  There’s rumors abroad about Max and Paul constantly sneaking out past curfew to party-it-up.

Before what’s now known as Super Bowl 1, Max McGee had succumbed to father time.  During the 1966 regular season, McGee only had 4 receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown, but his luck was about to change.

The Packers advanced to the Super Bowl and Lombardi told McGee that there’s no way in hell that he’d play.  Max took that as free license to go out the night before and have a jolly good time before getting but a single hour’s worth of sleep.  Max was so certain that he wouldn’t play, he decided to leave his helmet in the Packers locker room. McGee was as hungover as one can get and then, after he’d told Dowler not to get hurt because he was in bad shape, the impossible happened;  Dowler hurt his shoulder on the second play of the game.

McGee was forced to borrow a teammates helmet before going off for 7 receptions, 138 yards, and two touchdowns en route to a Packers victory in Super Bowl 1.

Hall of Famer

Just looking at Max’s male pattern baldness at 27 tells you everything that you need to know.  McGee eventually passed away at 75 — He fell off the roof while cleaning the eavestrough with a leaf blower.

Here’s to Max McGee, a man’s man.

Max McGee’s rookie-card is readily available for under 10-bucks.

Card: 1978 Topps Football Card #320

Team/Position: Pittsburgh Steelers / Wide Reciever

Cost: Purchased In Lot (About 2 Bucks)

Johnny Lee Stallworth didn’t get a card until 1978 after the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted him in the fourth round of 1974.  By the time Topps had produced him a card, Stallworth had already been to two Super Bowls.

Steelers’ Coach, Chuck Noll, added Stallworth from Alabama A&M to an already loaded draft.  In total, the 1974 draft churned out Stallworth, Swann, Lambert and Webster — That’s FOUR Hall of Famers in one draft class, folks.

Stallworth, like many of the Steelers, produced when it mattered the most.  In the 1978 Super Bowl (XIII) against the Dallas Cowboys, Stallworth went off in the first half for two touchdowns before missing most of the second half due to cramping.

Stallworth’s 75-yard gain against Dallas only served to set the stage for Stallworth’s game winning 73-yard follow up in Super Bowl XIV the next year.  I’m sure you’ve seen it, but here’s Stallworth’s catch through the eyes of Sports Illustrated:

What Makes Stallworth Special?

The Rings.  Just about every Steeler from the Chuck Noll-era seems to have made the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  Throughout his career, Johnny Stallworth won four Super Bowls, but the other stats aren’t all that gaudy.

Personally, I tend to think that far too much emphasis is placed on Championships.  Both Lynn Swann and John Stallworth were very good receivers, but their statistics alone don’t put them into the Hall of Fame.

Stallworth finished up his career with 8723 receiving yards, 4 Pro Bowl selections, and a Come Back Player of the Year Award from 1984.

After Football…

As you can see, the back of the card says, “John is an Insurance Agent and is taking college courses in that field.”

Stallworth continued taking classes after 1978 and eventually earned a Bachelor of Sciences in Business at Alabama A & M.  In 1986, Stallworth founded MRC (Madison Research Corp.) which did engineering and information technology consulting for the government, here’s the wikipedia blurb:

In 1986, he founded Madison Research Corporation (MRC), which specialized in providing engineering and information technology services to government and commercial clients. Under Stallworth’s leadership, MRC grew to more than 650 employees and $69.5 million in revenues(FY03). MRC manages six regional offices: Huntsville, Alabama (headquarters); Warner Robins, Georgia; Orlando, Florida and Shalimar, Florida; Montgomery, Alabama; Houston, Texas; and Dayton, Ohio. In October 2006, the sale of MRC to Wireless Facilities Inc. was completed, and at that time it was announced that Stallworth would pursue other interests.

Those other interests?  Giving cash-money to Mr. Ed Rooney and becoming part-owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

John Stallworth’s success absolutely blows my mind, while simultaneously cracking me up.  After watching Stallworth on the gridiron where war analogies are often over-used, it’s quite enjoyable to think of him running an actual war-machine — presenting, and providing comprehensive information to the government on guns, and armored trucks, and stuff like that.

Panini got Stallworth to sit down last year and sign a bunch of stickers, but they also got him to sign for National Treasures.  I’m not a huge fan of these cards, but meh..