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.

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..