CARDS: Pro Set 1989, Fleer 1991, Score 1991 ACQUIRED: TTM 2026, C/o Work SENT: 2/2/26 RECEIVED: 2/21/26 (19 days)
CAREER SNAPSHOT:
Sam played basketball at Pitt from 1977-’81.
He averaged 14.4 points and 11.6 rebounds a game as forward over four years.
Then in ’79 won a Gold Medal at the Pan American Games.
Drafted by both the Phoenix Suns and the Seattle Seahawks- despite not playing a down of football in college- in 1981.
Played in the CBA for the Billings Volcanoes scoring 11.5 points and pulling in 8.3 rebounds a game from 1981-’82.
Joined the Seahawks in ’82 but spent the entire season on IR after messing up his knee.
In 1983, Sam was a rotational piece behind Jacob Green and Jeff Bryant, seldom used in nickel and dime situations.
Spent a season in the USFL with the Pittsburgh Maulers in 1984 notching 120 tackles, 15 sacks and 2 fumble recoveries.
Posted another 4 sacks in ’85 playing for the Memphis Showboats.
After the USFL collapsed that year, traded by Seahawks to the Browns.
Played four seasons for Cleveland, starting 21 contests and making 14 sacks and 3 fumble recoveries.
Signed as a free agent in ’88 with the Indianapolis Colts.
In 1990, started 8 of 16 contests as a pass rush specialist at both LDE and RDE.
Led team with 7.5 sacks, and had 48 total tackles.
Finished career with the Colts after the 1993 campaign and tallied 16 sacks and 4 fumble recoveries over time in Indianapolis.
Coached DL in NFL Europe, for the Barcelona Dragons‘ World Bowl Champion Team in 1997 (’95-’99).
Returned stateside to coach for a duo of NFL Teams, the Saints (2000-’03) and the Raiders (2004-’05).
Hailed as a local home grown hero, Sam as of 2026 is a director at Pitt’s Varsity Club.
ACCOLADES:
Gold Medal Pan American Games- Basketball 1979
Awardee of Distinction- Pitt Varsity Letter Club
Sam Clancy Day- June 23rd, 2023
Pitt’s All-Centennial Men’s Basketball Team (1905-2006)
Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame
NOTES:
Sam had an incredible career for an athlete who never played a down of college football before stepping onto the gridiron. The cards themselves came back a bit bent but that’s okay.
I’m glad that Sam got some other cards, because I absolutely loathed this card of him in his warm ups for Indianapolis. Pro Set at the time at least really prided itself in capturing players in the action. This was certainly not that. I like to give Pro Set the benefit of the doubt that maybe this was a replacement card for someone who retired, since it’s at the back end of Pro Set 1989 series II right before the rookies.
After the end of the XFL 2020, Ginda was selected by the Michigan Panthers of the USFL in 2022.
He finished the season with 90 tackles, 10 tfl, two sacks, and a forced fumble.
Named a team captain of the Panthers in 2024, he posted a whopping 115 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 3 picks, 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 6 pass deflections.
Spent the 2024 NFL season on and off the practice squad of the Atlanta Falcons.
In 2024, was resigned to the Panthers, but finished the season on IR.
Signed with the Chargers but didn’t make the squad.
Returned to the Panthers again, but again finished the season on IR.
ACCOLADES:
USFL Defensive Player of the Year 2024
USFL All-Star Team
NOTES:
Frank’s an old head from the AAF days. Too bad I didn’t go to the Michigan game in 2025. I would’ve worn my Tarpley jersey to jog his memory.
I made a deal with an eBay seller to pick up this black plate at a reduced price. It had been sitting there for 6-8 months and no one was biting.
During the 2026 season Frank came forward to reveal that he and other members of the league from previous years had been blackballed from the league- and that’s why they weren’t playing in 2026.
TRADE DETAILS:
Upper Deck eCard for Frank Ginda’s autographed UFL card.
Matt Coburn initially signed with Louisville in 2015, but close to signing day, was told the school ‘had no room for him’,
Signed with Wake Forest the following year ran for 2,528 yards, finishing 6th in school history.
Undrafted in 2019, signed with the Los Angeles Rams but didn’t make the squad.
Joined the XFL in 2020 seeing little action with the New York Guardians in two contests before the league folded due to COVID.
Played in The Spring League that year for the TSL Blues.
Signed with the Toronto Argonauts in 2021 but didn’t make the squad.
Played for the USFL Philadelphia Stars in 2022.
Ran 102 times for 457 yards and 8 TDs, and caught 18 passes for 150 yards and a TD for the Stars in 4 starts (10 games).
After short stints with the Jaguars and again with the Stars in ’23, was selected by the Michigan Panthers during the UFL dispersal draft.
Led the Panthers with 90 carries for 401 yards and 4 TDs in 8 games.
Injuries derailed most of his 2025 campaign, as he saw action in only 3 games, rushing 22 times for 101 yards and a 23 yard TD.
ACCOLADES:
USFL Sportsman of the Year 2022
NOTES:
The photo on this UFL 2025 card is fantastic. I really like the clear expression on his face along with the juxtaposition of his figure against the yellow background.
TRADE DETAILS:
I traded away a triple signature UFL card for EJ PERRY, HAKEEM BUTLER, CODY LATTIMER, DONALD PAYNE, and MATT COBURN II. (Later in the month I’d pull that same triple signature card again anyway.)
Celebrating the game, the players, the cards, and the autographs for over 25 years.
