Johnnie Robinson - DB

(not to be confused with the long-time Chiefs' safety) 

 

Johnnie Robinson was drafted by the Lions (7th round) and Bills (2nd round) in their leagues' respective 1966 drafts.

He played in 14 games for the Lions in 1966 (no starts), and scored 1 TD while returning 19 kicks and punts. 

 

That was his only season in the NFL. So why does he have a card in the 1969 set? 

 

No other information can be found on pro-football-reference.com or ProSportsTransactions.com. When I flipped his card over to see what it said about the '67 and '68 seasons, all I found was a puzzle piece on the back. 

 

 

Teams: Lions (1966) 

    

Jimmy Keyes - K/LB

In Miami, before there was Garo Yepremian there was Jimmy Keyes.

Keyes was the Dolphins' 2nd-round pick in 1968, and kicked for the first 12 games of his rookie season. Although he made all 30 XP attempts, he only made 7 of 20 field goals, and was replaced for the last 2 games by TE Doug Moreau (not by TE/P Larry Seiple). Keyes never kicked again for the Dolphins or anyone else. 

 

In 1969 he appeared in 5 games as a linebacker. 

 

 

Teams: Dolphins (1968-69) 

   

Dick Shiner - QB

Dick Shiner was a journeyman quarterback from the mid-60s to mid-70s.

Drafted by the Redskins in 1964, he rode the bench for three years in DC (Sonny Jurgensen's first 3 years there also). The record shows he played every game in '65 and '66, but with very few passing attempts. (He must have been holding for field goals.) Shiner started one game in 1965. 

 

During training camp in 1967 he was traded to the Browns for backup QB Jim Ninowski, but saw little playing time in his one season with Cleveland. 

 

In May 1968 he was part of the trade that sent QB Bill Nelsen from the Steelers to the Browns. He finally made 1st-string (it was the 1960s' Steelers, mind you), starting 20 games in his 2 seasons there. 

 

After 2 seasons, the Steelers had seen enough. In the Spring of 1970 they drafted Terry Bradshaw with their well-earned 1st-overall pick. Then they pawned Shiner off on the Giants for running back Frenchy Fuqua and MLB Henry Davis. (That's a lot for the Giants to give up, for someone who was never going to unseat Fran Tarkenton.)

 

Shiner returned to a backup role for the remainder of his career, with the Giants, Falcon, and Patriots. 

 

 

Teams: Redskins (1964-66), Browns (1967), Steelers (1968-69), Giants (1970), Falcons (1971-73), Patriots (1973-74) 

    

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)