1968 Football Cards

Baltimore Colts

2011-06-16T22:33:00.018-04:00

This is the season when the Colts ended up in Super Bowl III against the Jets and... well, you know the rest...

Johnny Unitas - After 12 seasons as the Colts' starting QB, Unitas rode the bench in 1968, as journeyman Earl Morrall started every game, including the Super Bowl. Unitas threw only 32 passes during the regular season, and his late-game entry into the Super Bowl was too-little too-late for the Colts.

Tom Matte - Tom was the Colts' #1 pick in the 1961 draft. He played his entire career (1961-72) with Baltimore, and was the team's starting halfback from 1967-69.

Tony Lorick - The Colts' 2nd-round pick in 1964, Lorick played for the Colts for 4 seasons, the last 2 as their starting fullback. He finished his career playing for the Saints in 1968 and 1969.

Willie Richardson - Willie played for the Colts for 7 seasons (1963-69), the last 3 as their starting flanker. Beginning in 1970, longtime wideouts Richardson and Jimmy Orr were replaced by Roy Jefferson and Eddie Hinton, with Richardson heading to Miami. After 1 season backing up the Dolphins' Paul Warfield and Howard Twilley, Willie returned to Baltimore to finish his career in 1971.

John Mackey - Mackey was the premier tight end in the NFL during his career. He joined the Colts in 1963 and was their starting tight end for 8 seasons. After one more season in Baltimore, he finished his career in 1972 with the Chargers. John was inducted in to the Hall of Fame in 1992.

Ordell Braase - Braase spent his entire career (1957-68) as the Colts' right defensive end.

Billy Ray Smith - Billy Ray was a starting defensive end for the Rams as a rookie in 1957. After 3 seasons with the Steelers, he came to Baltimore and was a starting defensive tackle for the next 10 seasons, retiring after 1970. His son (Billy Ray Jr.) was a linebacker for the Chargers from 1983-92.

Lenny Lyles - Lyles was the Colts' #1 pick (11th overall) in the 1958 draft. He played in the league for 12 seasons, all with the Colts, except for 1959-60 with the 49ers. He was primarily a kick returner for his first 4 seasons, then played right cornerback for his last 7 seasons.

Jerry Logan - Logan played his entire career (1963-72) with the Colts. After returning punts as a rookie, he was the team's starting strong safety for the remainder of his career.

Folks, my 4 football card blogs are going on indefinite hiatus. (I know, you thought they already were.)

I fully intended to get back into the swing of things here, with this post, and a 1971 Packers post over the weekend, but while composing this, I realized that these football blogs have become a chore, and are no longer fun. I think this may be due to 1) I don't like football as much as I do baseball, 2) there are more cards to scan and comment on at one time, and 3) many of the same players appear each year, so it's a ~~challenge~~ bother to come up with something new to say about the same players over and over. (In my baseball blogs, I've stayed away from posting the same player in multiple seasons.)

Denver Broncos

2010-12-10T22:20:00.021-05:00

Here are the 1968 Denver Broncos cards. Most NFL teams seemed to have 9 cards, while the AFL teams had 8 cards. Aside from Floyd Little, there's not much here to write home about. I had 5 of these cards back in 1968 (3 of which apparently I found necessary to redefine their positions), acquired Bob Scarpitto and Nemiah Wilson in the 1980s, and just got Floyd Little this year.

The Broncos were one of the perennially lousy AFL teams, losing at least 10 games in 6 of their first 8 seasons. They didn't have a winning record until 1973 (7-5-2).

#69 Steve Tensi - It seems that the Broncos' lack of success in their early years was due to not having a good quarterback. While other AFL teams had Len Dawson, Daryle Lamonica, Jack Kemp, Joe Namath, Bob Griese, and John Hadl, the Broncos employed the likes of Frank Tripucka, Mickey Slaughter, Jacky Lee, John McCormick, Max Choboian, Steve Tensi, Marlin Briscoe, Pete Liske, and Steve Ramsey. Not until 1972 would they have a "good" QB (Charley Johnson). Hmmm... I haven't really talked about Steve Tensi yet. 'Nuff said.

#173 Floyd Little - This is by far the worst conditioned of all my football cards. I just picked it up (in "good" status) earlier this year as a place-holder, since it was one of the last 3 cards I needed for the set. Floyd Little was one of the best running backs in the AFL. Floyd was the Broncos' #1 pick in 1967, and was their starting halfback for his entire career (1967-75). He played in 5 Pro Bowls and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010.

#17 Bo Hickey - Does Bo know football? It would appear not, since his entire career consisted of 12 games for the 1967 Broncos.

#121 Al Denson - Denson was drafted in the 6th round by both the Broncos and Eagles in 1964. He played for the Broncos from 1964 to 1970, and was their starting tight end in 1966, then started at wide receiver from 1967-70. His 11 TDs in 1967 led the AFL. Al finished his career in 1971 with the Vikings.

#95 Eric Crabtree - Eric was drafted in 1966 by the Broncos and the Colts. He played for Denver from 1966-68, the last 2 seasons as a starting wide receiver. He was one of the Cincinnati Bengals' starting receivers from 1969 to midway through the 1971 season. He finished out the 1971 season with the Patriots.

#42 Tom Beer - Beer was the Broncos' #2 pick in 1967, and started at tight end from 1967 to 1969. From 1970 to 1972 he played for the Patriots, and was their starting TE in 1971. He also played the guard position in 1970.

#199 Nemiah Wilson - Wilson played for the Broncos from 1965-67, the last 2 seasons as their starting right cornerback. He was traded to the Raiders prior to the 1968 season, and was a starting cornerback there from 1969 to 1973. He played 2 more seasons with Oakland as a backup cornerback.

#147 Bob Scarpitto - Bob began his career in 1961, playing sparingly as a Chargers' flanker. From 1962 to 1966, he was the Broncos' starting flanker. making from 21 to 35 catches in each of those seasons, and made the Pro Bowl in 1966. Mysteriously, he was limited to 1 reception in 1967. He was the Broncos' punter from 1965-67. In 1968, he was the Boston Patriots' punter.

Also see the 1971 Broncos.

This post wraps up the 10 AFL teams. Next time: Baltimore Colts
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San Diego Chargers

2010-06-28T22:46:00.016-04:00

The San Diego Chargers finished in 3rd place with an 8-5-1 record in 1967. In 1968, they improved slightly to 9-5, but still finished in 3rd place. Among all the mediocrity were 2 future Hall-of-Famers: Lance Alworth and Ron Mix.

I had Garrison, Frazier, Mix, and Redman in 1968. The others (as with all the 2nd-series cards) were acquired in the 1980s.

#63 John Hadl - Hadl was drafted by the Chargers in 1962, and became the starting QB as a rookie when Jack Kemp was 1st sidelined by an injury, then Kemp was lost to the Buffalo Bills in a botched waiver move. After losing the starting job to veteran Tobin Rote in 1963, John regained the position in 1964 and held it through the 1972 season. He later played for the Rams, Packers, and Oilers, retiring after the 1977 season. Hadl (#21) was the last QB to wear a jersey number higher than #19.

#141 Brad Hubbert - Brad played for the Chargers from 1967-70, and was their starting fullback on 1967 and 1969. He made the Pro Bowl as a rookie.

#193 Lance Alworth - Alworth was one of the all-time top receivers in the AFL. He led the league in receptions in '66, '68, and '69, in receiving yards in '65, '66, and '68, and in touchdowns in '64, '65, and '66. Although drafted by the Raiders in 1962, he began his career with the Chargers that season, and was San Diego's starting flanker from 1963-70. He also played for the Cowboys in 1971 and 1972, appearing in Super Bowl VI. A seven-time Pro Bowler, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1978.

#36 Gary Garrison - Gary looks more like a star from 77 Sunset Strip than a football player here. Drafted by the Eagles in 1965, Garrison was the Chargers' starting split end from 1966-75, and finished his career in 1977 with the Oilers.

#11 Willie Frazier - After 2 seasons (1964-65) as the Oilers' tight end, Willie started for the Chargers from 1966-70. In 1971 and 1972, he played for the Oilers and Chiefs. After missing 2 seasons, he returned in 1975 to play 5 games with the Oilers.

#89 Ron Mix - Ron played all 10 seasons for the Chargers in the AFL (1960-69). He made first-team all-pro in his first 9 seasons as the Chargers' starting right offensive tackle (right guard in 1962). After missing the 1970 season, he finished up with the Raiders in 1971. Mix was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1979.

#115 Rick Redman - Redman was drafted by both the Chargers and Eagles in 1965, but played his entire career (1965-73) with the Chargers. Early on, he was the team's starting middle linebacker, but moved outside for his final 3 seasons. He was also the team's punter for his first 3 seasons.

#167 "Speedy" Duncan - Duncan played for the Chargers from 1964-70, and was the team's primary kick and punt returner. He was also the starting right cornerback from 1965-69. Speedy later played for the Redskins from 1971-74, primarily as a kick and punt returner.

Also see the 1971 Chargers.

Next time: Denver Broncos
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Houston Oilers

2010-05-04T22:17:00.012-04:00

The Houston Oilers were the AFL's early success story, playing in the league championship from 1960-62, and winning the first two. After 4 losing seasons, they were back in 1st place (East Division) in 1967 with a 9-4-1 record. In 1968, they slid back to 7-7.

#198 Pete Beathard - Beathard was the Chiefs (and Lions) 1st-round pick in the 1964 draft. After 7 seasons with George Blanda at QB, the Oilers acquired Pete from the Chiefs in 1967 and he got them back to a 1st place finish. His next 2 seasons weren't as successful, and he found himself moving on to the Cardinals (1970-71), Rams (1972), and back to the Chiefs (1973).

#120 Sid Blanks - Blanks was the Oilers' halfback in 1964 and 1966-68, before finishing his career with the Boston Patriots in 1969-70. He missed the 1965 season.

#146 Ode Burrell - Burrell played for the Oilers from 1965-69. He was the starting halfback in 1966 and 1967, before switching to flanker in 1968.

#16 Bobby Maples - Maples played the first 6 years of his career (1965-70) for the Houston Oilers. He was an outside linebacker in his rookie season, and the starting center for the other seasons. After one season with the Steelers (1971), he spent the remainder of his career (1972-78) as the Broncos' center.

#68 Bob Talamini - An original Oiler, Bob was Houston's starting left guard from 1960-67, before filling the same role for the Jets in 1968, his final season.

#94 Walt Suggs - Walt was the Oilers' 3rd-round pick in 1961. After not playing in 1961 and backing up in 1962, Suggs was the Oilers' starting left offensive tackle from 1963-70. He switched to center for his final season of 1971.

#172 Miller Farr - Farr was the starting strong safety for Denver and San Diego during his rookie season of 1965. After starting at left cornerback for the Chargers in 1966, Miller started at left corner for the Oilers from 1967-69, leading the AFL with 10 interceptions in 1967. From 1970-72, he was a starting cornerback for the Cardinals. He finished his career in 1973 with the Lions. His brother Mel was a running back for the Lions.

#41 Jim Norton - Jim is another original Oiler from 1960. After starting at cornerback in 1960, he was a starting safety from 1961-63 and 1965-67. He was also the Oilers' punter from 1961-68.

Also check out the 1972 Oilers.

Next time: San Diego Chargers
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Cincinnati Bengals

2010-04-21T16:47:00.026-04:00

Here are the expansion Cincinnati Bengals - the AFL's 10th and final team. The league started with 8 teams, then the Miami Dolphins were added in 1965. It appears that all these players were selected from the Chiefs, Chargers, or Broncos.

There is no quarterback card for this team, probably because the Bengals didn't select any in the expansion draft. The team used 3 starting QBs in 1968, primarily John Stofa, who played for the Dolphins in 1966-67, and 1969-70.

The Bengals finished 3-11 in their inaugural season, last place in the West Division. They beat the Bills, Broncos, and Dolphins, and scored more points than the Buffalo Bills, who finished 1-12-1, last in the East Division.

#43 Chris Burford - Burford played 8 seasons (1960-67) as the split end for the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs, and had 4 receptions in Super Bowl I. He retired after the 1967 season, rather than play for the Bengals.

#148 Andre White - The Redskins' 19th-round pick in 1966, White's playing career consisted of 14 games for the Broncos in 1967, and 8 games in 1968 (3 with the Bengals and 5 with the Chargers). He was a tight end.

#200 Ernie Wright - Ernie was the Chargers' starting left offensive tackle from 1960 to 1967, then was the Bengals' starting left tackle form 1968 to 1971. He finished his career back in San Diego in 1972.

#70 - Dick Van Raaphorst - Dick's career consisted of 1964 with the Cowboys, and 1966-1967 with the Chargers. He was also on San Diego's taxi squad in 1965. He did not play for the Bengals.

#96 Sherrill Headrick - Headrick was the Chiefs' starting middle linebacker from 1960 to 1967. (After losing Headrick in the expansion draft, the Chiefs moved 1967 rookie right linebacker Willie Lanier to the middle, and you know the rest.) Headrick only played one season with the Bengals, since 1969 2nd-round pick Bill Bergey took over the position as a rookie.

#18 Frank Buncom - Drafted by the Chargers in 1962, Frank was a backup for 2 seasons before starting at middle linebacker in 1964. He was then the starting right linebacker for the Chargers from 1965-67, and for the Bengals in 1968, his only season in Cincinnati.

#122 Bobby Hunt - Bobby was drafted by the Chiefs (Dallas Texans) in 1962, and was their starting strong safety for 6 seasons. In 1966, he led the AFL with 10 interceptions, and also played in Super Bowl I. He finished his career as the Bengals' strong safety in 1968 and 1969.

#174 Lonnie Wright - Lonnie played safety for the Broncos in 1966 and 1967, but did not play for the Bengals.

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The Bengals limped along to a 3-11 record in their inaugural season, with several journeymen (including John Stofa and Sam Wyche) starting at quarterback. In the 1969 draft, the Bengals selected QB Greg Cook with the 5th overall pick. Cook was a local favorite from the University of Cincinnati. As a senior in 1968, he led the nation in total offense with 3,210 yards, and was 2nd in passing. As a rookie with the Bengals in 1969, he was the AFL's leading passer, while only playing 11 of the 14 games.

Sadly, he suffered a torn rotator cuff in game 3 which was mis-diagnosed. After missing 3 games, he returned to finish the season. After the season, it was discovered that continuing to play did permanent damage to his arm, including torn biceps, which brought an abrupt end to a promising career. It would not be until the arrival of Ken Anderson in 1972 that the Bengals' QB situation would settle down.

Also check out the 1972 Bengals.

Next time: Houston Oilers
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Buffalo Bills

2010-03-08T21:11:00.011-05:00

Here are the 1968 Buffalo Bills. Eight cards, yet only one defensive player is featured. The Bills are just coming off a 4-10 season in 1967, finishing 3rd in the East Division. In 1968, they would sink to 1-12-1 (beating only the Jets) which guaranteed them the status of "Worst team in football". The prize would be #1 draft pick O. J. Simpson.

#149 Jack Kemp - Kemp was the Lions' 17th-round pick in 1957. He didn't play for the Lions, but spent 1957 with the Steelers. (Now we can add Kemp to the list of QBs who rode the bench in Pittsburgh in the late 1950s, along with Johnny Unitas and Lenny Dawson!) After not playing in 1958-59, Kemp joined the AFL's new Los Angeles Chargers in 1960. He started 26 of 28 games for the Chargers in 1960 and 1961. After missing some games in 1962 due to injuries, he was lost to the Bills in a botched-up injury waivers move. Jack was the Bills' starting QB from 1963 to 1969, except for missing the entire 1968 season (hence the 1-12-1 record). He was a 7-time Pro-bowler, and retired after the 1969 season. He then went into politics, advancing all the way to Vice-Presidential candidate in 1996.

#19 Keith Lincoln - Lincoln played with the Chargers from 1961-66. He came to the Bills for 1967, and after 4 games in 1968, he returned to San Diego, retiring after the 1968 season. Keith played in 5 Pro Bowls.

#97 Wray Carlton - Carlton was the Philadelphia Eagles' 3rd-round pick in 1959, but didn't play for them. He played his entire career (1960-67) for the Bills, making the Pro Bowl twice.

#71 Art Powell - Art was also drafted by the Eagles in 1959 (11th round), and was their starting free safety in his rookie season. From 1960-62 he was the starting split end for the New York Titans (Jets), a position he also held with the Raiders from 1963-66. In 1962 and 1963, he led the AFL in receiving yards. He played sparingly for Buffalo (1967) and Minnesota (1968) at the end of his career.

#175 Paul Costa - At 256 pounds, it's safe to assume Costa was the tight end! In 1964, he was drafted by both the Packers and the Chiefs, but played for neither. Paul played his entire career with the Bills, first as their tight end (1965-68), then as the right tackle (1969-72).

#44 Stew Barber - Stew was drafted by the Bills and Cowboys in 1961. He was the Bills' starting right linebacker during his rookie season, then started at left offensive tackle from 1962 until his retirement after the 1969 season. He made the Pro Bowl from 1963 to 1967.

#123 Mike Mercer - Mercer's career spanned 1961 to 1970, playing for 6 teams (Vikings, Raiders, Chiefs, Bills, Packers, Chargers). He also punted while with the Vikings, Raiders, and Chargers.

#201 George Saimes - Saimes was drafted by the Chiefs and Rams in 1963, but played for the Bills from 1963 to 1969, where he was their starting free safety each season. He finished his career in Denver from 1970-72, and was the Broncos' starting free safety in 1971.

Coming March 16th: Cincinnati Bengals
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Boston Patriots

2010-02-20T22:49:00.015-05:00

Here are the 1968 Boston Patriots. These guys helped lead the Patriots to records of 3-10-1 and 4-10 in 1967 and 1968.

#176 Don Trull - Trull was a 14th-round pick for the Houston Oilers in 1963. He didn't play in 1963, and couldn't unseat the 37-to-39-year-old George Blanda from 1964 to 1966. In 1967, he split the season between Houston and Boston. That was enough to get him this football card, but in 1968 he was back with the Oilers, this time backing up the great Pete Beathard in 1968 and 1969. The decade and Trull's career ended simultaneously.
(By the way, in 1968 rookie Tom Sherman and ex-Jet backup Mike Taliaferro each started half the games at QB for the Patriots.)

#72 Jim Nance - At 245 pounds, Nance was huge for a running back in his day. He was a 1965 draft pick by the Patriots, and was their fullback for 7 seasons. He missed the 1972 season, and ended his career in 1973 with the Jets. He led the AFL in rushing in 1966 and 1967 with 1458 and 1216 yards.

#150 Art Graham - Art was the Patriots' 1st-round pick in 1963, and spent his entire career (1963-68) as their split end.

#20 Jim Whalen - This tight end was the Patriots' 3rd-round pick in 1965. After 5 seasons in Boston, he was the Broncos' starting tight end in 1970, before finishing his career in 1971 as a backup with the Eagles.

#98 Gino Cappelletti - Ahh, the good olde days, when kickers actually did something else to earn their pay between kicks. As a rookie in 1960, Gino was the Patriots' kicker and starting right cornerback, snaring 4 interceptions. From 1961 to 1967, he kicked and was a starting split end or flanker, averaging 40 catches per season. After 1967, he began phasing out his receiving duties, having 13 receptions in 1968 and 1 in 1969. He retired after the 1970 season.

#124 Nick Buoniconti - Nick was drafted by the Patriots in 1962, and immediately became their starting middle linebacker. After 7 seasons in Boston, he escaped to bigger and better things in 1969 with the Miami Dolphins. He was the Dolphins' starting middle linebacker for 6 seasons, appearing in 3 Super Bowls. Buoniconti missed the 1975 season, and finished his career in 1976 with the Dolphins as a backup. An 8-time Pro Bowler, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001.

#45 Leroy Mitchell - Mitchell was the Patriots' 11th-round pick in 1967. For 2 seasons, he started every game at left cornerback. After missing the 1969 season, he played for the Houston Oilers in 1970. He was the Denver Broncos' starting left cornerback for his last 3 seasons (1971-73).

#202 John Charles - Charles was the Patriots' 1st-round pick in 1967. As a rookie he was the starting right cornerback, before moving to strong safety for 1968 and 1969. John played for the Vikings in 1970, before moving to the Houston Oilers for his final 4 seasons.

Coming March 2nd: Buffalo Bills
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Miami Dolphins

2010-02-06T13:01:00.029-05:00

Here are the 1968 Miami Dolphins. Aside from Bob Griese, they are not a very impressive bunch. By the time coach Don Shula whipped this team into Super Bowl shape three years later, only Griese and Howard Twilley would remain from this group.

Odd that there's no running backs included, but all 3 starting receivers are here. These were Griese's targets in the early years, before veteran ends Paul Warfield and Marv Fleming were brought in. Also no linemen cards, but 2 defensive backs?

Back in the day, I only had Jack Clancy and Dick Westmoreland.

#196 Bob Griese - Griese was the Dolphins' #1 pick (4th overall) in the 1967 draft. He played his entire career (1967-80) with Miami, and was the starter in all but his final season. Bob played in 3 straight Super Bowls (1971-73), winning the last 2. Although the Dolphins went 17-0 in the 1972 season, Griese only started 5 of those regular season games, due to injuries. Backup QB Earl Morrall (who also played in Super Bowl III with the Colts) started 9 games in 1972. Griese was an 8-time Pro Bowler, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1990. (This is one of the two 1968 cards I don't have. The picture is not sharp because it's a cropped image of a card mounted in plexiglass.)

#14 Jack Clancy - Jack was the Dolphins' flanker in his rookie season of 1967 and in 1969. He missed the 1968 season altogether. In 1970, Paul Warfield joined the team, so the Dolphins lowered the boom on Clancy. He finished his career in 1970 with the Packers.

#39 Howard Twilley - Although this card indicates Twilley was a split end, the Pro-Football-Reference.com website lists him as the flanker. After pairing with Jack Clancy or Karl Noonan for several seasons, Twilley had the good fortune of playing across from Paul Warfield in the early 1970s.

#144 Doug Moreau - Moreau went from spending his rookie season (1966) on the taxi squad, to the starting tight end job in 1967 and 1968. In 1969, he lost his starting job to Larry Seiple, who in turn would lose his TE job in 1970 when big Marv Fleming was brought in from Green Bay. Moreau finished his pro career in 1969 with the Dolphins.

#92 Tom Goode - Tom played 4 seasons with the Houston Oilers before coming to the Dolphins in the 1965 expansion draft. (With the Oilers, he played both center and linebacker.) He was the Dolphins' starting center for 4 seasons, before finishing up his career in 1970 with the Colts.

#170 Frank Emanuel - Frank was the Dolphins' #2 pick in 1966, and was their starting middle linebacker for his first 3 seasons. What happened after that? Well, the Dolphins acquired Nick Buoniconti from the Patriots, and Emanuel found a job with Miami's special teams for one more season, before going to the Saints in 1970 where he ended his career.

#66 Jimmy Warren - After 2 seasons with the Chargers, Warren was the Dolphins' starting left cornerback for 4 seasons (1966-69). Beginning in 1970, he spent 6 seasons as a backup with the Oakland Raiders' ~~goon squad.~~ defensive backs.

#118 Dick Westmoreland - Like Jimmy Warren, Westmoreland started out with the San Diego Chargers. After 3 seasons with the Chargers, he became the Dolphins' starting right cornerback for 3 seasons (1966-68), before losing his job in 1969 to rookie Lloyd Mumphord. Westmoreland's last season was 1969.

Also check out the 1971 Dolphins.

Next time: Boston Patriots
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New York Jets

2010-01-20T23:20:00.012-05:00

Hey, the Jets are 1 win away from the Super Bowl. When was the last time that happened?

Here are the 1968 New York Jets... on their way to Super Bowl III. We have 3 receivers, 2 linebackers, and no linemen. (Back in the day, I only had the Joe Namath and Cornell Gordon cards.)

#65 Joe Namath - Joe promised a victory in Super Bowl III - and delivered. He was the AFL rookie of the year in 1965, and played high school football in western Pennsylvania (as did Johnny Unitas, Joe Montana, and Tony Dorsett).

#117 Matt Snell - This fullback was the Jets' #1 pick in 1964. He played his entire career (1964-72) with the Jets.

#169 Don Maynard - Don was drafted by the New York Giants in 1957. After playing 1 season (1958) with the Giants, he joined the new AFL New York Titans (Jets) in 1960 and was their star receiver through the 1972 season. He also played briefly with the Cardinals in 1973.

#13 George Sauer - The Jets' split end had a short (1965-70) but productive career as Namath's favorite target. He retired after the 1970 season, because of the violent nature of the game.

#143 Pete Lammons - Pete played tight end for 6 years (1966-71) with the Jets before finishing up with the Packers in 1972.

#195 Al Atkinson - Al was the Jets' middle linebacker from 1965 to 1974. He played for the same suburban-Philadelphia high school as John Cappelletti, then went to nearby Villanova.

#38 Ralph Baker - Ralph played his entire career (1964-74) as the Jets' left linebacker.

#91 Cornell Gordon - A rookie in 1965, this cornerback played 5 seasons with the Jets, and 3 with the Broncos.

Next time: Miami Dolphins
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Oakland Raiders

2010-01-07T23:05:00.013-05:00

Here are the 1968 Oakland Raiders - the defending AFL champions.

The Raiders and the NFL champion Packers have a different card style than all the other teams. (Compare to the Chiefs' cards posted earlier.) There are only 8 cards for the Raiders this year. I got the Daryle Lamonica, George Blanda, and Fred Biletnikoff cards (all in the 2nd series) a few years ago. All the other cards are from the first series, which I've had since 1968.

#194 Daryle Lamonica - Lamonica spent his first 4 seasons (1963-66) backing up Jack Kemp in Buffalo. He also punted in his rookie season. He was traded to Oakland and was their starting quarterback from 1967-72, leading the AFL with 3302 passing yards in 1969. His last 2 seasons (1973-74) were spent backing up Ken Stabler.

#90 Clem Daniels - This halfback was the AFL's MVP in 1963, leading the league in rushing with 1099 yards. After a rookie season with the Dallas Texans in 1960, he spent the next 7 seasons as the Raiders' halfback, and wrapped up his career in 1968 with the 49ers.

#64 Hewritt Dixon - Dixon played his first 3 seasons (1963-65) with the Broncos, including 2 seasons as a tight end. He was Oakland's fullback from 1966-1970.

#168 Fred Biletnikoff - Fred spent his entire career (1965-78) as a wide receiver for the Raiders. In the late 1960s, he (along with Lance Alworth, Don Maynard, and Otis Taylor) was one the top receivers in the AFL. (The back of this card is part of the Bart Starr puzzle.)

#37 Billy Cannon - Cannon was the first overall pick in the 1960 NFL draft. Rather than sign with the Rams, he signed with the AFL's Houston Oilers. This was one of the first skirmishes between the 2 leagues. After 4 seasons as the Oilers' halfback, Cannon moved on to the Raiders, where he switched to tight end in his 2nd season. In 1970, he played with the Chiefs before retiring.

#142 George Blanda - It seems like Blanda played forever. After quarterbacking the Bears for much of the 1950s, he found new life as the Houston Oilers' quarterback during the early AFL years. After moving to Oakland, he was primarily their kicker, but played occasionally at QB.

#116 Tom Keating - Tom played 11 seasons (1964-67, 69-75) with 4 different teams, but the middle 6 seasons were spent as Oakland's right defensive tackle. He made the AFL All-Star team in 1966 and 1967, and played in Super Bowl II following the 1967 season.

#12 Kent McCloughan - Kent was the Raiders' left cornerback for 6 seasons (1965-70). He was a 2-time All-Pro.

Also check out the 1971 Raiders.

Next time: New York Jets
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Kansas City Chiefs

2009-12-19T11:35:00.015-05:00

Here are the 1968 Chiefs, "between Super Bowls". Having lost Super Bowl I, they would go on to win Super Bowl IV following the 1969 season.
I only had Hayes, McClinton, and Bell in 1968. All others were found at card shows a few years ago.

#171 Len Dawson - Dawson was drafted by the Steelers in 1957. After 3 seasons with the Steelers and 2 with the Browns, he joined the Dallas Texans (who would later become the Chiefs) in 1963 and immediately became the starting QB, a job he would hold until his retirement following the 1975 season. Dawson led the AFL in passing in 1962, 1964, and 1966. Len was one of 2 QBs let go by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the late 1950s (the other was Johnny Unitas!)

#40 Wendell Hayes - This card is so off-center that you can see part of the Raiders' Clem Daniels' card. As a rookie in 1965, Hayes was the Denver Broncos leading rusher. He's wearing a Broncos jersey here (the numbers have a blue outline).

#67 Curtis McClinton - This 227-pound fullback was the AFL rookie of the year in 1962. He scored the only Chiefs' TD in Super Bowl I.

#145 - E. J. Holub - Holub played linebacker for the Chiefs from 1961-67, then switched to center for 1968-70. The back of this card forms part of the Len Dawson puzzle.

#15 Jim Tyrer - Tyrer was a rookie in 1961, and was an AFL all-star selection every season. What is with that logo? Maybe it's an outline of Kansas City.

#119 Jerry Mays - Like Tyrer, Mays was also a rookie in 1961. He is a 5-time AFL all-star selection, and is the Chiefs' defensive captain.

#197 Buck Buchanan - Buchanan was arguably the best AFL defensive tackle. He was the first overall pick in the 1963 AFL draft, and played his entire career (1963-1975) with the Chiefs. An 8-time Pro-Bowler, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1990.

#93 Bobby Bell - Bell played his entire career with the Chiefs. In 1963 and 1964 he was a defensive end. From 1965 until his retirement after 1974, he was their left linebacker. He played in every Pro Bowl from 1964 to 1972.

Also check out the 1971 Chiefs.

Since the cards on my 1967 football blog were only made for NFL teams, I'm going to offset that by posting all the AFL teams on this 1968 blog, before any other NFL teams.

Next: Oakland Raiders
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Green Bay Packers

2009-12-05T00:27:00.022-05:00

Here are the world champion Green Bay Packers. In the 1968 card set, the cards for Super Bowl participants Packers and Raiders are horizontal, and have a special background. The cards for all the other teams are vertical, without a super-imposed background.

There are 9 Packers in this set. Topps seems to have gone overboard with the running backs (3) at the expense of having no offensive or defensive linemen represented.

#1 Bart Starr - I guess at this time Bart was the top player in the NFL. He had just been named as MVP for both Super Bowls I & II, and now Topps has bestowed card #1 status on him!

#79 Elijah Pitts - In 1967, halfbacks Elijah Pitts and Donny Anderson were tied for the team lead in rushing touchdowns with 6. Pitts is a holdover from the pre-super bowl days when Paul Hornung and Jim Taylor ruled the backfield for the Packers. Both of those backs were lost to the Saints in the 1967 expansion draft. This was of little consequence, as they were both up in years, and the Packers had youngsters Donny Anderson and Jim Grabowski to replace them. (Notice that back in the day, I had a tendency to pencil in a more specific position for some players.)

#209 Donny Anderson - As a rookie in 1966, Anderson was mainly used to return kicks. In 1967 he and Elijah Pitts led the team with 6 rushing TDs.

#183 Jim Grabowski - This fullback led the Packers in rushing in 1967 with 466 yards. He was Green Bay's #1 pick in 1965.

#27 Carroll Dale - During the Packers' Super Bowl years, Dale was the team's flanker. (For anyone under age 50, that's the wideout on the tight end side.) ;) Here we see him in an old photo from his 1960-1964 LA Rams days.

#105 Boyd Dowler - Dowler was the Packers' long-time split end. He was the rookie of the year in 1959, and led the Packers in receiving 7 times since then. You may recall (from watching the NFL Films Super Bowl I highlights, shown every January on ESPN) that Dowler's early-game injury in Super Bowl I paved the way for his replacement (Max McGee) to have a career day.

#157 Ray Nitschke - The Packers' middle linebacker was one tough, mean SOB. (I think that's a compliment, when referring to middle linebackers!) Outside of Dick Butkus, there was no better MLB during this era. Nitschke later appeared in the movie The Longest Yard, as a prison guard/middle linebacker who had a rough game against Burt Reynolds!

#131 Herb Adderley - Herb was the Packers' starting left cornerback, and was a fierce hitter. After winning 2 Super Bowls with the Packers, Adderley was traded to the Cowboys, where he participated in Super Bowls V and VI as the Cowboys' left cornerback.

#52 Bob Jeter - The back of this card tells us that Bob played in the Canadian Football League in 1961 and 1962, before joining the Packers in 1963. Normally the starting right cornerback, Jeter was also used as a backup receiver.

Also check out the 1967 Packers.

Next time: Kansas City Chiefs
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Welcome to my 1968 football card blog!

2009-12-04T23:15:00.014-05:00

Welcome to my new 1968 football card blog. 1968 was my second year of collecting football cards. (You can read my football card back-story here on my 1967 football card blog.) I have all of these cards except Johnny Unitas and Bob Griese.

In 1968, Topps re-acquired the license to print NFL football cards that they had prior to 1964, but had lost to the Philadelphia Gum Company. (From 1964 to 1967, Topps only printed AFL cards.)

Prior to 1972 less than a dozen players from each team were featured on football cards, and the cards were issued in 2 series.

The 1968 card set consisted of 217 player cards and 2 checklists. Unlike the previous year, there were no team cards or other "special" cards. Also unlike previous years, the players were not grouped by team, but were distributed randomly across the set, like Topps baseball cards always were. There are 8 or 9 player cards per team.

This is the first year for Cincinnati Bengals cards. Since they were an expansion team, their players are all wearing their previous team's uniforms. Also, since this is Topps' first crack at NFL players in 5 years, many of the cards in the 1st series use photos that are several years old, showing players in uniforms they hadn't worn for some time.

Each post will include all the players for one team. I will not be scanning the card backs, but in this introductory post, I am including a sample 1st series back (green printing), and a 2nd series back (blue printing). Some cards have a football highlight on the back, and some have a coin-rub quiz. Both of these types are found in each of the 2 series.

Also, 20 of the cards have backs that are parts of a picture puzzle (10 for Bart Starr, 10 for Len Dawson).

First up: The Green Bay Packers, fresh off their Super Bowl II victory over the Raiders!
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