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.
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.
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.
