Darrell Dess - G

Darrell Dess played 12 seasons in the NFL (1958-69), all but two for the Giants.

Dess was drafted by the Redskins in 1958, but played for the Steelers that season. 

 

After riding the Giants' bench in 1959, he was their starting left guard from 1960-64, making 2 Pro Bowls during that time. 

 

During training camp in 1965 he was traded (along with LB Mike Lucci) to the Lions for QB Earl Morrall. Two weeks later he moved on to the Redskins for QB George Izo.

 

After one game in 1966, he was traded back to the Giants. Playing behind Pete Case and Bookie Bolin in 1966, he started at right guard in '67 and '68. 

 

The Giants released him in April 1970.

 

Dess' 1964 card was one of my first 4 football cards.

 

 

Teams: Steelers (1958), Giants (1959-64, 66-69), Redskins (1965-66)

Jerrel Wilson - P

Jerrel WIlson was drafted by the Chiefs in 1963. He played 16 seasons, the first 15 with Kansas City. He punted for the Patriots in his final season.

Wilson's 1967 card shows his position as "halfback". As a rookie in 1963, he had 9 rushing attempts for 41 yards. (It's unclear if this was done from the halfback position, or because of botched punt attempts.)

 

He made 3 consecutive Pro Bowls from 1970-72, and led his league in punting yards in 1964 and 1973. A 72-yard punt in his rookie seasons was the longest in the AFL that year.

 

 

Teams: Chiefs (1963-77), Patriots (1978) 

  

 

Willie Richardson - FL

Willie Richardson played 9 seasons (1963-71) in the NFL. He was drafted by both the Colts and Jets in 1963.

After 4 seasons as a Colts' backup, he was their starting flanker from 1967-69, making the Pro Bowl in '67 and '68, and was named first-team All-Pro in 1967. 

 

Richardson was traded to the Steelers for Roy Jefferson during training camp in 1970. A few weeks later he was flipped to the Dolphins, where he played behind Paul Warfield and Howard Twilley for 1 season. 

 

He returned to the Colts for the 1971 season, playing in 12 games but only starting three.

   

His younger brother Gloster Richardson played for the Chiefs, Cowboys, and Browns.

 

 

Teams: Colts (1963-69, 1971), Dolphins (1970) 

   

  

Matt Hazeltine - LB

 

Matt Hazeltine was the 49ers' 4th-round pick way back in 1955. He was a starting outside linebacker for 14 seasons with the Niners, and made the Pro Bowl in '62 and '64. 

 

Except for missing 6 games in 1965 due to injury, he only missed 2 other games during his career, and started all but 6 games. 

 

Hazeltine retired after the 1968 season, but came back in 1970 to start every game for the Giants. 

 

 

Teams: 49ers (1955-68), Giants (1970) 

 

Pete Perreault - G

Pete Perreault, an undrafted free-agent, played for the Jets from 1963 to 1967. 

 

He was a backup defensive end in his rookie season, then started 6 games at right guard in 1964. 

 

Perreault played sparingly over the next 3 seasons, making no starts and only playing a combined 18 games over those years. 

 

He went to the Cincinnati Bengals in 1968, but only started 3 games for the expansion team. 

 

Pete returned to the Jets for 1969-70, and while playing in almost every game, he only made 4 starts. 

 

His final season was 1971, as a backup guard for the Vikings. 

 

 

Teams: Jets (1963-67, 69-70), Bengals (1968), Vikings (1971)

 

Nick Rassas - S

Nick Rassas was the Falcons' 2nd-round pick in 1966. He was also picked 2nd by the Chargers in the AFL draft. 

 

In his first 2 seasons with the Falcons, he played a combined 13 games (3 starts). 

 

Rassas was the team's strong safety in 1968, starting 7 games. 

 

In 1969, he was waived during training camp. The following summer he was signed by the Saints, but was cut during training camp. 

 

A video of his only career interception can been seen here. 

 

 

Teams: Falcons (1966-68)

Karl Noonan - SE

Karl Noonan was a split end for the Dolphins from 1966-1971. Signed as a free agent, he started 7 games as a rookie. 

 

In 1967, rookie Jack Clancy took Noonan's spot, starting 12 games. 

 

Clancy missed the 1968 season, so Noonan started every game at split end, with fellow 3rd-year man Howard Twilley starting every game at flanker. 

 

Noonan started 13 games in 1969, with Clancy and Twilley sharing the flanker position. 

 

In 1970, the Dolphins acquired Paul Warfield from the Browns. Warfield started 11 games, leaving only 3 starts for Noonan. 

 

The following year, Warfield and Twilley were again the top 2 wide receivers, with Noonan making no starts. 

 

The Dolphins added Marlin Briscoe to their receiving corps in 1972, spelling the end for Noonan. 

 

Teams: Dolphins (1966-71) 

 

 

 

When I first saw Noonan's card, I thought "I think I already had that", but it was actually this card: