So “Johnny Football” has a baseball card? Yawn.
You already know about Deion, Bo and Brian Jordan, of course, but here are some serious NFL impact players who you may not realized also appeared on baseball cards.
JOHN ELWAY
Don Mattingly was a 19th round draft choice by the New York Yankees in 1979. Among those drafted ahead of him were future NFL quarterbacks John Elway and Dan Marino (both by the Kansas City Royals) and Jay Schroeder. Elway did not sign with Kansas City, but did sign with the Yankees two years later and played a season in their system. He had one minor league card issued – as was the case with Mattingly, his minor league card became one of the most highly-counterfeited of the 1980s.
RICKY WILLIAMS
The Philadelphia Phillies farmhand was included in the 1999 SP Propsects set, but as the picture indicates, more for his football notoriety than his baseball potential.
JASON SEHORN
The one-time New York Giants great played briefly in the Chicago Cubs organization, and last year shared his story with baseball card blog The Greatest 21 Days.
RUSSELL WILSON
Like Manziel, Topps recently put out a gimmick card of the defending Super Bowl champion quarterback. But back in 2010, when he was still in college, they put him on a Bowman card in a Colorado Rockies uniform back when it looked like he might seriously pursue baseball.
JOHN LYNCH
One of the hardest hitters in the NFL in the 1990s, Lynch was the Florida Marlins’ second-round draft pick in 1992. He threw the first pitch in Erie Sailors history that year.
BRANDON WEEDEN
Last year’s Cleveland Browns quarterback also has a baseball past. Upper Deck managed to misspell his last name on his 2002 rookie card with the Yankees.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bo Rosny is The Hall of Very Good’s resident baseball expert. You can read more from him at his website Baseball Cards Come to Life.
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