Card: 1973 Topps Card #115

Team/Position: Pittsburgh Steelers / Outside Linebacker

Cost: About 3 Bucks (brutally off center)

When discussing the Steel Curtain of the seventies, where the hell to start is a great question.   The entire defense consisted of talents ranging from well above average to sure-fire Hall of Famer.  Neither Jack Lambert nor Jack Ham, were built like an NFL Linebackers.  Both were undersized, yet managed to dominate their positions for a decade. 

Jack Ham arrived from Linebacker U (Penn State) in 1971 after the Steelers took him with their second round pick.  Ham would go on to take over the Left Outside Linebacker spot as a rookie and hold onto it for his entire career.

Ham was a member of each of the Steelers’ 4 Superbowl victories during the 70′s.  Throw in 8 Pro Bowl appearances, 6 First Team All Pros, and 2 Second Team All Pros, and you’ve got yourself a football player.

Ham was an absolute monster, but was he the best outside linebacker of all time?   If you polled 100 football experts, odds are that they’d be split right down the middle — 50/50 — for Jack Ham and Lawrence Taylor.

What Made Jack Ham Special?

I find myself talking about the importance of a terrific power/speed combination far too often.  Jack Ham definitely wasn’t a power/speed guy, he possessed a combination much more rare:  Jack Ham was a Read-React-Accelerate player.

Ham’s ability to instantly accelerate probably would’ve landed him in the Hall of Fame, even if he weren’t skilled at sniffing the play out.  Ham did have one hell of a nose for the football though, and it took him no time at all to shed blockers on his way to the ball carrier.

When I think about the Ham vs. Taylor argument, it’s a no-brainer for me.  Jack Ham was infinitely more versatile than Taylor, and starting him at the Outside Linebacker spot would allow you ultimate defensive flexibility.  Taylor’s pure pass-rushing skills definitely put him in the conversation, but it’s Jack Ham I’d want in pursuit or back in coverage.  I’m somewhat partial to Ham because Taylor was an absolute freak of nature, whereas Ham could’ve easily been your next-door neighbor.

1973 Topps was such an awful looking year and we’ve still got quite a few more to go from that year.  The only redeeming feature is the large photo on the front.