Nearmint's Vintage Football Card Blog

Jerry Tubbs, who played ten seasons for the Chicago Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, and Dallas Cowboys, passed away on June 15. There is a story and a nice picture of Tubbs on the Tulsa World web site. Tubbs played on two National Championship teams at the University of Oklahoma, and he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996. He was an All-Pro with the Dallas Cowboys in 1962. After retiring as a player, he remained with the Cowboys as an assistant coach for over two decades.

Tubbs appeared on a lot of football cards during his NFL career. His rookie card, a 1957 Topps, is pictured here. You can see the rest of Tubbs’s cards in the Vintage Football Card Gallery.

Jesse Whittenton, a defensive back from 1956 to 1964 for the Los Angeles Rams and Green Bay Packers, passed away on May 22. There is a story about Whittenton on the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal web site. Whittenton made the Pro Bowl twice, in 1961 and 1963, and he was a member of the Packers’ 1961 and 1962 NFL Championship teams. He was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 1976.

Because the Lombardi-era Packers had so many other stars, Whittenton appeared on only one regular issue football card, the 1964 Philadelphia card pictured here. It was issued in his last season in the league. He also appeared on a 1961 Lake to Lake Packers card, a 1962 Post Cereal card, and a 1964 Wheaties stamp.

Dave “Super” Mann, who played three seasons for the NFL’s Chicago Cardinals and twelve seasons for the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts, passed away on May 22. At various times in his career, Mann was a running back, defensive back, receiver, punter, kicker, and kick returner. In 1958, he and Boyd Carter combined to return a missed field goal 131 yards, still a CFL record. Mann also had the third-longest punt in CFL history, a 102-yarder. The Toronto Star web site has a summary of Mann’s career.

Mann appeared on two NFL football cards and numerous CFL cards. His rookie card, a 1956 Topps, is pictured here. I don’t yet have all of his CFL cards, but you can see his 1962 and 1963 Topps CFL cards in the Vintage Football Card Gallery.

Bill Walsh, who played center for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1949 to 1954, passed away on May 13. Walsh made the Pro Bowl in 1950 and 1951, and he was a first team NFL All-Pro in 1954. In college he played on Notre Dame’s national championship teams of 1946 and 1947, and after his playing career he coached college and pro football for over 30 years. There is a story and recent photo of Walsh on the lehighvalleylive.com web site.

The card pictured here is Walsh’s rookie card, a 1951 Bowman. He also appeared on 1953 Bowman and 1954 Bowman football cards.

Billy Neighbors, who played guard from 1962 to 1969 for the AFL’s Boston Patriots and Miami Dolphins, passed away on April 30. There is a story and a recent picture of Neighbors on the AL.com web site. Neighbors was voted to the Associated Press and UPI All-AFL teams in 1962, 1963, and 1964. In college, he played for Bear Bryant on Alabama’s 1961 national championship team. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003.

The cards pictured here are Neighbors’s first two cards. The first, a 1961 Nu-Card, shows him still with Alabama, and the second, a 1963 Fleer, is considered his rookie card. (I don’t know why 1961 Nu-Cards are not considered rookie cards.) He appeared on several other cards and stamps, as well.

Rich Saul, who played center for the Los Angeles Rams from 1970 to 1981, passed away on April 15, according to nfl.com. Saul made the Pro Bowl the last six of his twelve seasons, and he played in Super Bowl XIV against the Steelers. Saul’s brothers Bill and Ron also played in the NFL. Rich and Ron Saul were teammates at Michigan State; there is a nice article about them at profootballresearchers.org.

The card pictured here is Saul’s rookie card, a 1976 Topps, issued in his seventh season. He also appeared on a Topps card each year from 1977 to 1982.

Tom Runnels, a running back and kick returner for the Washington Redskins in 1956 and 1957, passed away on April 7. The Hood County (Texas) News web site has an obituary and a recent picture.

Runnels appeared on one football card, the 1957 Topps card pictured here.

Sisto Averno, a guard from 1950 to 1954 for the “old” Baltimore Colts, the New York Yanks, the Dallas Texans, and the “new” Baltimore Colts, passed away on March 26. The Baltimore Sun web site has a report and a recent photo. Averno moved so much because there was a lot of churn in the NFL in the early 1950s, and the franchises he played for kept folding.

Averno appeared on one football card, the 1953 Bowman card pictured here.

Lonnie Wright, who played defensive back for the Denver Broncos in 1966 and 1967, passed away yesterday. Wright also played four seasons for the Denver Rockets and one for the Floridians of the American Basketball Association. The Denver Post web site has a summary of his athletic career.

Wright appeared on one football card, a 1968 Topps card that shows him with the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals acquired him from Denver in the 1968 AFL Expansion Draft, but he retired from football before playing for the team. He also appeared on one basketball card, the 1971 Topps card pictured here. Like his football card, Wright’s basketball card pictures him in a Denver uniform, but with a different team.

Roland Lakes, a defensive lineman from 1961 to 1971 for the San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants, passed away on March 5. There is a story about Lakes on the San Francisco Chronicle web site. According to that article, until 2010, Lakes was the youngest lineman ever to start a game for the 49ers.

Lakes appeared on two regular issue football cards, both shown here. The first is his rookie card, a 1965 Philadelphia; the second is a 1970 Topps. He also appeared, as a Giant, on a 1972 Sunoco Stamp, but he did not play in 1972.