Atlanta Falcons

Here are the 1971 Atlanta Falcons. After seeing 5 all-stars out of 10 Chiefs cards, there's not an all-star in sight here! Topps went overboard on the defensive linemen, and skipped the defensive backs.


#195 Bob Berry - Bob was the Falcons' starting QB for 5 seasons (1968-72), sandwiched between 2 stints as a backup with the Vikings (1965-67, 73-75).

#246 Harmon Wages - Harmon played his entire career (1968-71, 73) with the Falcons. He was their starting halfback in 1969 and 1970.


#2 Jim "Cannonball" Butler - Butler began his career with the Steelers (1965-67). After being the Falcons' starting fullback for 4 seasons, he wrapped up his career with the Cardinals in 1972.


#84 Jim Mitchell - Jim was the Falcons' 4th-round pick in 1969. He played his entire career (1969-79) as the Falcons' starting tight end.


#109 George Kunz - George was the Falcons' 1st-round pick (#2 overall) in the 1969 draft. After 6 seasons as Atlanta's starting right tackle, Kunz played for the Colts from 1975-78, and 1980. He was the Colts' starting right tackle for his first 3 seasons in Baltimore.


#218 Claude Humphrey - The Falcons' #1 pick (3rd overall) in the 1968 draft, Humphrey was their starting left defensive end from 1968-74, and 1976-77 (missing the entire 1975 season). After missing part of the 1978 season, Claude was traded to the Eagles, where he played from 1979-81, including Super Bowl XV. He was a 6-time Pro-bowler while with Atlanta.


#166 John Zook - John was drafted by the Rams in 1969, but was immediately dealt to the Falcons. He was Atlanta's starting right defensive end from 1969 to 1975. He also played for the Cardinals from 1976-79, the first 3 seasons as a starter.


#122 Glen Condren - Glen was drafted by both the Giants and the Jets in 1964. He didn't play in 1964, but played for the Giants from 1965-67. After missing the 1968 season, he played for the Falcons from 1969-72, starting at right defensive tackle in 1970 and 1971.


#60 Tommy Nobis - Nobis' card number (60) was the same as his jersey number! Tommy was the first overall pick in the 1966 draft (the Falcons' inaugural season). He played his entire career (1966-76) as the Falcons' starting middle linebacker.


#29 Billy Lothridge - Billy was the Cowboys' 6th-round pick in 1964. After 1 season each with Dallas and the Rams, Lothridge came to the Falcons in the 1966 expansion draft. After 6 seasons in Atlanta, he finished his career with the Dolphins in 1972. Lothridge was also the Falcons' starting free safety in 1968.


Also check out the 1967 Falcons.


Coming March 13th: Oakland Raiders
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Kansas City Chiefs

I'm a week late, but...
Here are the ten 1971 cards for the Chiefs. This includes FIVE all-star cards. (Surprisingly, Len Dawson is not one of them!) With all those all-stars, how did the team do?

In 1970 (the first year after the AFL was absorbed) the Chiefs finished 7-5-2, 2nd in the AFC West behind Oakland (who were 8-4-2). In 1971, the Chiefs finished 10-3-1, 1st in the division, but lost to Miami in the playoffs.


#180 Len Dawson - This is the 10th of Dawson's 14 seasons with the team. He was a 7-time Pro Bowler, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987.

#254 Robert Holmes - Holmes was the Chiefs' 14th-round pick in 1968. He was their starting fullback in his first 2 seasons. In 1970 he was primarily a kick returner (with Wendell Hayes playing fullback). In 1971 he played 6 games with the Chiefs, then spent the rest of the season (and 1972) with the Oilers. He later played for the Chargers.


#139 Otis Taylor - Taylor was the Chiefs' 4th-round pick in 1965, and played his entire 11-year career with the Chiefs. In 1967, his 11 TDs were tops in the AFL. In 1971 he led the NFL with 1110 receiving yards. He also played in 3 Pro Bowls.


#206 Jim Tyrer - A 3rd round pick for the Chiefs (Dallas Texans) in 1961, Tyrer was a fixture at left tackle from 1961 to 1973, before finishing his career with the Redskins in 1974. He was an AFL All-Star from 1962 to 1969, a 9-time Pro Bowler, and played in Super Bowls I and IV.

#61 Jan Stenerud - Jan joined the Chiefs in 1967 (the year after the Chiefs' Super Bowl I appearance) and kicked for them through 1979. He then played 4 seasons with the Packers and 2 with the Vikings. Stenerud was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1991.


#13 Buck Buchanan - Buck was the Chiefs' #1 pick in 1963. He played defensive tackle for the Chiefs for his entire career (1963-75), and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1990.


#114 Willie Lanier - One of two 2nd-round picks for the Chiefs in 1967, Lanier moved to middle linebacker in his sophomore season, and held that spot until his retirement after the 1977 season. He and Dick Butkus were known as the 2 toughest SOBs MLBs of their era. He was an 8-time Pro Bowler, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1986.

#35 Bobby Bell - Bell is the 2nd All-Star Chiefs linebacker to be featured in this card set. Bell played his entire career (1963-74) with the Chiefs. His first 2 seasons were at left defensive end, before moving to left linebacker. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983.

#232 Jim Lynch - Like Willie Lanier, Lynch was a Chiefs' 2nd-round pick in 1967. Also like Lanier, Jim played his entire career (1967-77) with the Chiefs. He took over as the starting right linebacker in 1968 (from Lanier), and stayed there until the end of his career.


#88 Johnny Robinson - Robinson was the Detroit Lions' 1st-round pick (#3 overall) in 1960, but signed with the new Dallas Texans AFL franchise (which became the Chiefs in 1963). He was a flanker in his first 2 seasons, then became the starting free safety from 1962 until his retirement after the 1971 season. He was a 7-time Pro Bowler.


Also check out the 1968 Chiefs.


Coming Feb 27th: Atlanta Falcons
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Los Angeles Rams

Here are the 1971 Los Angeles Rams. Most teams have 10 cards, but there are only nine here. I think the Billy Truax card was planned to be a Rams card, but he was traded to the Cowboys before the 1971 season. (There are 11 Cowboys cards.) The Rams seem to have more than their fair share of All-Star cards (and offensive linemen cards). Four of these eight players are in the Hall of Fame.


#230 Roman Gabriel - Roman was the Rams' #1 draft pick in 1962. After sharing the QB job for 4 seasons (first with Zeke Bratkowski, then with Bill Munson) Gabriel took over as the fulltime starter in 1966. From 1966 to 1972, he started all but one game for the Rams. He played for the Eagles from 1973 to 1977, and was the starting QB for the first 3 years there. Imagine the excitement for Eagles fans in 1973: "We're finally getting a legitimate QB, after many years of Norm Snead followed by 2 seasons of pretenders (Pete Liske, John Reaves)!"

#181 Les Josephson - Les played his entire career (1964-67, 69-74) with the Rams. His best seasons were '67 and '70.


#44 Jack Snow - Jack was the Vikings' #1 pick in 1965, but never played for them. His entire career (1965-75) was with the Rams. He even found time to appear on TV in an episode of "Bewitched" (which can be found on YouTube). His son J.T. Snow played major league baseball.

#68 Ken Iman - Iman spent 4 seasons as a backup with the Packers before starting every game for the Rams from 1965 through 1974.


#94 Tom Mack - Tom played his entire career (1966-78) with the Rams, and was the starting left guard for every season. He's an 11-time Pro Bowler, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999.


#16 Bob Brown - Brown was one of the top offensive tackles of his era. He was the Eagles #1 pick (2nd overall) in the 1964 draft, and played 5 seasons as their starting right tackle. In 1969, former teammate Pete Retzlaff was hired as the Eagles' GM. Brown refused to play for a team run by Retzlaff, and demanded a trade. He spent 2 seasons with the Rams, and his final 3 seasons with the Raiders, all as the starting right tackle. A 6-time Pro Bowler, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004.


#209 Deacon Jones - Jones was the ringleader of the Rams' "Fearsome Foursome" defensive line of the late 1960s/early 1970s. He was drafted by the Rams in 1961 (14th round!) and was a fixture at left defensive end through the 1971 season. After 2 more seasons as the Chargers' starting left defensive end, he wrapped up his career with the Redskins in 1974. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1980.

#125 Merlin Olsen - Playing next to Deacon Jones all those years was Merlin Olsen. He was the Rams' #1 draft pick (3rd overall) in 1962, and was the Rams' starting left defensive tackle every year until he retired after the 1976 season. A FOURTEEN-time Pro Bowler in his 15 seasons, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1982.


#243 Kermit Alexander - Alexander was the 49ers' #1 pick in the 1963 draft. From 1963 to 1969, he was a starting defensive back (usually right cornerback) for the 49ers. For most of those seasons, he also returned kicks and punts. After 2 seasons (1970-71) as a starting DB for the Rams, he played his final 2 seasons with the Eagles. Alexander may be most remembered for his hit on Gale Sayers that blew out Sayers' knee.


Also check out the 1967 and 1968 Rams.

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San Diego Chargers

Here are the 10 cards for the 1971 San Diego Chargers. (Actually, 3 of these players were already off the team by the time the cards came out.) Unlike the 3 teams already posted, there are no all-stars in this bunch. After all, it is 1971 and it is the Chargers!


#255 John Hadl - Hadl has been with the Chargers since 1962, and was the starting QB for all those seasons except 1963, when Tobin Rote led the team. After 1972, Hadl moved on to the Rams, Packers, and Oilers, retiring after the 1974 season. He was the last QB to wear a number higher than #19, wearing #21 for his entire career except while at Green Bay.


#66 Marty Domres - A rookie in 1969, Domres was being groomed as Hadl's eventual replacement, but was traded to the Baltimore Colts before the 1972 season for Johnny Unitas.


#119 Mike Garrett - Garrett was a star with the Chiefs for his first 4 seasons, before being traded to the Chargers during the 1970 season. He played for the Chargers until retiring after the 1973 season.


#229 Dickie Post - Post was a Chargers' rookie in 1967, and led the AFL in rushing in 1969 with 873 yards. His production dropped in 1970, when Mike Garrett joined the team and took carries away from Post. Although appearing on the card as a Charger, he played for the Oilers and Broncos (not the Chargers) in 1971.


#10 Lance Alworth - After a promising rookie season in 1962, Alworth became one of the top receivers in the AFL from 1963 onward. He led the league in receiving TDs from 1964-66, and in receiving yards in '65, '66, and '68. Before this 1971 season, he was traded to the Dallas Cowboys (replacing the departed Lance Rentzel) where he helped get them to Super Bowl VI.


#172 Gary Garrison - Gary played for the Chargers from 1966 to 1976, before finishing up his career with the Oilers in 1977. He made the Pro Bowl 4 times.


#201 Mike Mercer - Mercer didn't play during the 1971 season, but had kicked for 6 teams in a 10-year career spanning 1961 to 1970 (Vikings, Raiders, Chiefs, Bills, Packers, and Chargers). He also punted for the Vikings and Chiefs, and was the Chargers backup punter in 1970.

#92 Steve DeLong - The Chargers' 1st-round pick in 1965, he played on their defensive line through the 1971 season, and finished up with the Bears in 1972.


#42 Rick Redman - Rick played his entire career (1965-73) with the Chargers. Early on, he was their middle linebacker before moving outside beginning in 1971. He was also the Chargers' punter from 1965 to 1967.

#148 Speedy Duncan - As you may guess from his name, Speedy was a kick and punt returner for his entire career (1964-74). He was also the Charger's right cornerback from 1964 to 1969. From 1970 until the end of his career, he was primarily a return specialist. He played for the Washington Redskins for his last 4 seasons, including in Super Bowl VII.


Also see the 1968 and 1972 Chargers.


Next time: Los Angeles Rams
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San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers must have been a pretty good team back in the early 1970s, since Topps had designated 3 of their players as All-Stars (including the QB).

A quick check of Pro-Football-Reference.com shows that they were just coming off a 1970 season where they finished 1st in the NFC West, with a 10-3-1 record (the 2nd best record in the NFC after Minnesota). They lost the NFC Championship game to the Cowboys.

In 1971, they slipped to 9-5, but still finished 1st in the division. In both seasons, they were 1 win ahead of the Rams.


#100 John Brodie - Brodie's rookie season in San Francisco was 1957. In 1970, he was the league's MVP and leading passer. His last season as a fulltime starter was 1971, as he shared the QB job with Steve Spurrier in 1972 & 1973.


#129 Ken Willard - This card tells us that Willard led the 49ers in rushing for each of his 1st 6 seasons (1965-70). After 9 seasons as a 49ers regular, Ken finished his career as a bit player with the Cardinals in 1974.

#165 Gene Washington - Gene was an instant sensation from his rookie season in 1969. In 1970, he led the league with 1100 receiving yards. Washington was the 49ers' star receiver for 9 years, then missed the 1978 season. In 1979, he finished his career with the Lions.

#52 Cas Banaszek - Banaszek played his entire career (1967-77) with the 49ers. He was drafted as a linebacker, and switched to tackle in his 2nd season. Cas was the 49ers' starting right tackle for the remainder of his career.


#77 Bruce Gossett - The only player in this set that didn't begin his career with San Francisco, Gossett played 6 seasons with the Rams before moving to the 49ers in 1970. He led the league in scoring in 1966. Bruce finished his career with the 49ers in 1974.


#149 Cedric Hardman - Cedric played 10 seasons with the 49ers (1970-79) before hopping across the bay to Oakland for 2 more seasons. He played in 2 Pro Bowls.


#213 Charlie Krueger - When I got this card in 1971, I thought Krueger looked like somebody's grandpa, but he was only 36 at the time. Charlie didn't play during his rookie season of 1958, but he was a fixture on the 49ers' defensive line from 1959 through 1973. After a few seasons at defensive end, he was the 49ers' starting left defensive tackle for the rest of his career. This is one of the few lineman's cards with a statistics chart on the back, thanks to an interception in 1969.


#189 Dave Wilcox - Dave was the 49ers' starting left linebacker for 11 seasons (1964-74). He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000. (I always thought he looked like Gilligan on this card.)


#24 Jim Johnson - The 49ers' 1st draft pick in 1961, Johnson played 16 seasons (starting at left cornerback from 1964-76) until his retirement following the 1976 season. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1994. He is the brother of former Olympic track star Rafer Johnson.


#239 Bruce Taylor - San Francisco's other cornerback was a first round pick in 1970. He played 8 seasons, all with the 49ers. For most of his career, he was also the team's punt returner.


Also check out the 1967 and 1972 49ers.