Category Archives: Heisman Trophy Winner

College Football HoF, Heisman Trophy Winner, NFL, Super Bowl MVP

Plunkett, Jim

CARDS: Upper Deck Legends 1997, Action Packed 1990 Braille
ACQUIRED: EBay 2020, 2022

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Jim Plunkett played QB at Stanford from 1968-’70.
  • He immediately stepped in as starter and led the conference in a variety of passing statistics throughout his college career.
  • In every year he led the Pac-8 in Completions, Yards, and TDs.
  • Over his college career he threw for 7,544 yards on 530 of 962 passes, with 52 TDs to 47 picks.
  • First overall pick of the New England Patriots in 1971.
  • After a pretty decent rookie season, where he threw for 19 TDs and 16 picks, he steadily guided the ship during the dead ball era over the next 4 seasons.
  • An injury plagued 1975, led Jim to be traded to the 49ers.
  • He’d play there from 1976-’77, completing 254 of 491 passes for 3285 yards, 22 TDs to 30 interceptions.
  • Released in 1978, Jim joined the Oakland Raiders.
  • Spent his time primarily as a backup behind Kenny Stabler and then Dan Pastorini.
  • Plunkett stepped into the starting lineup after Pastorini got injured in 1980, and experienced a Renaissance.
  • He went 9-2 as a starter, completing 165 of 320 passes for 2299 yards and 18 TDs.
  • Led the team to a 27-10 win in Super Bowl XV.
  • After surviving a 2-5 season in 1981 and being benched, Plunkett again woke up leading the Raiders to a 10-3 record in 1983.
  • The Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins 38-9 in Super Bowl XVIII.
  • Injury plagued and faced with constant QB battles, played with Raiders through the ’86 season before retiring.
  • Spent 20 years after that working radio and TV as a commentator and post game analyst.

ACCOLADES:

  • Heisman Trophy Winner 1970
  • Offensive Rookie of the Year 1971
  • Superbowl XV MVP
  • 1980 Comeback Player of the Year
  • Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame
  • California Sports Hall of Fame
  • College Football Hall of Fame
  • Rose Bowl Hall of Fame
  • Maxwell Award 1970
  • Walter Camp Award 1970
  • Raiders Ring of Honor

NOTES:

Definitely a Raiders legend, Jim Plunkett went from near bust to Super Bowl MVP, and then to prove doubters wrong led the team to another title a few years later. He’s probably not going to get into the HoF. His numbers just aren’t strong enough and he never was All Pro or Pro Bowl bound.

Jim’s braille card was considered a rumor, a grail among collectors for a bit when it came out. After a while it showed up in about one per box. When an autographed copy appeared on eBay, I picked it up, even though its signed on the back.

College Football HoF, Heisman Trophy Winner, NFL, usfl

Rozier, Mike (3)

CARD: Fleer 1990
ACQUIRED: eBay, 2025

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

NOTES:

I mean, it’s a bit smeared which is fine with me. Of all the cards I sent him last time, this was the one he didn’t sign. It was the last one I needed autographed, so I didn’t want to trouble him again and just picked this one up off of eBay for a cheap price.

College Football HoF, Heisman Trophy Winner, NFL, Super Bowl MVP

Howard, Desmond (2)

CARD: Pro Set 1990 Super Bowl MVP HACK
ACQUIRED: TTM 2024, C/o Work
SENT: 6/25 RECEIVED: 12/19 (177 days)
FAILURE: TTM 2022, C/o Work

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

NOTES:

When I did these Super Bowl MVP cards back in 2022, I sent my friend Rick a copy of the Desmond Howard card since he was such a big fan of the Packers. Then I sent one out to Desmond myself.

Whether it got lost in the mail or Desmond saw it and kept it, I didn’t get mine back- but Rick did. I was pretty sad about it. I mean not like at Rick. No it was this feeling that punched my TTM desire in the gut. I just felt tired after not getting this one back in 2022 as I put a lot of work into these and I thought he’d be excited to sign.

Anyway I decided to give another shot this year after seeing a few successes on SCN and didn’t really expect anything. Lo and behold almost 6 months after I sent it, this one came back!

Unlike just sending TTM to players and what I interpret as letting them know that they are feeling seen- when I do customs- or hacks in this case, it is I who feels seen when they sign them.

Big win.