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1978 Cowboys: Super Bowl XII Winners
By trading for Seattle's first round pick, the Cowboys added the final piece to their Super Bowl puzzle. Tony Dorsett easily took the 1977 Rookie of the Year honors as the Cowboys cruised to their second Championship on a finesse offense and the leagues best defense. Roger Staubach lead an offense that boasted a wealth of riches in Dorsett, All-Pros Drew Pearson and Billy Joe Dupree, plus important role players such as Preston Pearson, Pat Donovan, Golden Richards, and Robert Newhouse. On defense, they were even better with the most devastating pass rushers in Harvey Martin (Defensive Player Of the...
Hall Of Fame Hopeful: Ken Riley
At Florida A&M, Ken Riley was a quarterback who was not just a gifted athlete, but an exceptional student, earning his team’s scholastic award and a Rhodes Scholar Candidacy. After being drafted in 1969 by the one-year old Cincinnati Bengals, coach Paul Brown had Riley switch to cornerback during his first training camp. Riley became a fixture as the starting cornerback for the next 15 years. He had a busy rookie year starting at right cornerback, returning kickoffs and even caught two passes on offense. Nicknamed “the rattler,” Riley quickly became one of the best corners in the NFL but...
The Playoff Bowl: A Post Season Exhibition
If coming in second place makes you the first place loser, what moniker would be given to the team that finishes in third? Well, for ten seasons of NFL football from 1960 to 1969, that moniker was called “the winner of the Playoff Bowl.” Officially named the Bert Bell Benefit Bowl after a league commissioner who suffered a fatal heart attack in 1959, the Playoff Bowl was played the week after the NFL Championship game (except for the 1969 game, which took place the day before) at the Orange Bowl in Miami. The participants were the second-place teams of the NFL’s Eastern...
1968 Packers: Lombardi's Last Hurrah
The Super Bowl victory agains the Raiders in January 1968 marked Vince Lombardi's final game coaching the Packers. Though he maintain his General Manager role in 1968, he wouldn't coach again until the 1969 season with the Redskins when he took the head coach and GM role. But that only lasted one season as anaplastic carcinoma became terminal and he died a year later. Packer fans hold that final Lombardi year close to their hearts. The 1968 Topps design gave the 1967 Super Bowl participants their own horizontal design with illustrated artwork as the background. 1968 was the first year that the...
Anthony Davis: The Star No One Wanted
Anthony Davis is remembered for his spectacular college football career at USC and for an unfulfilled pro career that spanned four separate leagues. He led the USC Trojans in rushing, scoring, and kick returns for three straight seasons (1972-1974) but he is most remembered for scoring 11 touchdowns in 3 games vs. Notre Dame. He finished off his final season with an outstanding performance vs. Notre Dame where the Trojans were down 24–0 and Davis scored four touchdowns to win 55–24. Unfortunately for him, the Heisman Trophy ballots were due prior to the victory over Notre Dame and he consequently...
1965 Cowboys Become Tallboys
A great football card design from the sixties is the 1965 Tallboy design made only for AFL players. In this RetroCards set, the NFL is represented by the Dallas Cowboys in the sharp set which has been newly updated to 20 cards!The term "tallboys" refers to the size of this design, which was the standard sportscard width at 2.5 inches, but they are 4.75 inches tall, making this a formidable design that gives collectors a good look at their favorite players. This set includes: Frank Clarke, Mike Gaechter, Tommy McDonald, Cornell Green, Pete Gent, George Andrie, Bob Hayes, Chuck Howley, Lee...
The Lost Namath Cards
A recent post showed another batch of Joe Namath cards in different designs during his early playing days. This is a reminder post of the "lost Joe Namath cards" RetroCards created covering the 1974-1978 years.
Cowboys Of '81: Danny Takes Over
The Danny White era had officially begun in 1980 after the somewhat unexpected retirement of Roger Staubach after the 1979 season. With a balanced roster of talent, seasoned veterans, and young and rising stars, the Cowboys had every reason to feel they were a Super Bowl contender. White led a potent offense, directing the Cowboys to a 12–4 record, good for second place in the Eastern Division. Although they were number one in the NFL on offense and number 13 on defense, the Cowboys could not overcome the superior defense of the Philadelphia Eagles, losing 20–7 on the road...
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