Jerry Hill - RB

Jerry Hill was the Colts' 3rd-round pick in 1961, and played 9 seasons - all with the Colts.

He only played 1 game in 1961, then missed the entire 1962 season. 

 

From 1963-70 he started a handful of games at fullback each season, except for starting every game in 1965. He led the Colts in rushing that season. 

 

 

Teams: Colts (1961, 63-70)

    

Rudy Kuechenberg - LB

Rudy Kuechenberg was signed as a free agent by the Bears in 1967.

He played every game with Chicago for 3 seasons, finally starting 10 games in his 3rd year. Those were his only career starts. 

 

In 1970 he split time between the Browns and the Packers. In his final season he appeared in 3 games for the Falcons. 

 

His brother Bob played 14 seasons for the Dolphins. 

 

 

Teams: Bears (1967-69), Browns (1970), Packers (1970), Falcons (1971) 

   

Charlie Harper - G

Two months ago we looked at the card for Giants' guard Darrell Dess. Here's their other guard.

Charlie Harper was the Giants' 8th-round pick in 1966. He played 7 seasons in the NFL - all for the Giants. 

 

A backup guard in his rookie season, he played right tackle for the next 2 years, starting 12 games in '67 and 4 games in '68. 

 

Harper switched back to guard for the '69 and '70 seasons, starting 11 games at right guard in 1970. 

 

In 1971 he started every game at right tackle. Harper had played in every game for his first 6 seasons. 

 

In his final season (1972), he only appeared in 1 game, and it was at defensive tackle. 

 

 

Teams: Giants (1966-72) 

   

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)