Brian Piccolo - RB

This is the only Topps card for Brian Piccolo. It's also the only card I've posted to this blog that I don't have. Also, his first name is spelled incorrectly.

Piccolo played for the Bears from 1966-1969. 

 

He played in every game for his first 3 years, and 9 games in his final season. He started 10 games, mostly in 1968. 

 

 

Teams: Bears (1966-69) 

 

--- 

 

This completes my goal of posting the 1969 card for every player who had no other card from 1966-1972. (Somehow, Willie Richardson slipped into the mix.)

 

After looking at the list of labels on the sidebar, I see there were no cards posted for the Redskins, Packers, Rams, Jets, or Chargers, so I am going to post a random player for each of those teams. 

  

Jim Lindsey - HB

Jim Lindsey was the Vikings' 2nd-round pick in 1966. He played 7 seasons in the NFL (1966-72), all with the Vikings.

Lindsey played in 84 games over that span, with his only 4 starts coming during his rookie season. He was also a kick returner for most seasons. 

 

After football, Lindsey got into the real estate business. His company owned more than 30,000 apartment units and 40 golf courses.

 

 

Teams: Vikings (1966-72)

   

Jerry Hill - FB

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)

    

Izzy Lang - HB

Hmm... I've seen this card before. Oh yes, here: 

https://philaeagles66-75.blogspot.com/2019/04/israel-lang-hb.html 

 

Teams: Eagles (1964-68), Rams (1969)

Don McCall - HB

Don McCall was the Saints' 5th-round pick in 1967. He rode the bench for much of his rookie year, as veterans Jim Taylor and Ernie Wheelwright (at the end of their careers, but still bigger names than Don McCall) got the most playing time in the backfield. 

 

McCall started 13 games in 1968 and led the Saints with 637 yards, a big improvement over Taylor's team-leading 390 yards in 1967. 

 

In 1969, running back Andy Livingston was acquired from the Bears before training camp started, making McCall expendable. Don was traded to the Steelers just before the start of the season. He played in 13 games for Pittsburgh, starting none. 

 

Waived in the summer of 1970, he was picked up by the Saints in mid-December, and played 2 games at the end of the season. 

 

He was later employed by the Chargers (1971) and Bills (1972) but saw no action with either of them. 

 

He also played for the WFL's Southern California Sun (1974) and San Antonio Wings (1975). 

 

 

Teams: Saints (1967-68, 1970), Steelers (1969), Chargers (1971), Bills (1972), WFL (1974-75).

Bob Cappadona - RB

Bob Cappadona was the Patriots' 3rd-round pick in 1965.  He didn't play that year, and although he played in 27 games for Boston from 1966-67, he only made 4 starts, all in '67.

 

He played his 3rd and final AFL season for the Bills, starting 7 games but rushing for only 272 yards while sharing the 2 backfield spots with such luminaries as Max Anderson and Ben Gregory.  A year later, all three would be out of a job as O.J. Simpson and Wayne Patrick would take over.

Teams: Patriots (1966-67), Bills (1968)

 

Craig Baynham - HB

When I started this blog last week, I had 47 players (and 2 checklists) from the 1969 set. When I decided to only post those players who we haven't seen on one of my other blogs, that left me with a pool of 13 cards. 

 

I soon realized that isn't enough to sustain a blog, so I went on eBay and bought the cards for 33 of the other 34 players who didn't also have other cards in the 1966 to 1972 sets. (I decided to pass on paying the "Brian Piccolo premium" for his card.)   So now there are 46 cards in the hopper, all pre-listed on my football blog index.

 

Craig Baynham's card arrived yesterday. The other 32 cards are all from one seller, and are on their way.

 

Craig Baynham was the Cowboys’ 9th round pick in 1966. He was a future pick, so finished his college career in 1966. 

 

As a rookie in 1967, he played all 14 games but started none. In 1968 he again played every game, starting 8 games after 1966-67's starting halfback Dan Reeves was lost for the season after 4 games. (Like last week's Pete Banaszak card, a 1968 injury to a teammate is probably the only reason he has a card in this set.) 

 

In 1969, with Reeves was still hampered by off-season surgery and Baynham injured as well, rookie Calvin Hill seized the opportunity, essentially ending Baynham’s Cowboys’ career. 

 

Baynham played 5 games for the Bears in 1970, until he was sidelined with a foot injury. A broken wrist during training camp in 1971 caused him to miss that entire season. 

 

He returned in 1972, this time for the Cardinals, but a shoulder injury limited him to 7 games. He then retired before the 1973 season. 

 

 

Teams: Cowboys (1967-69), Bears (1970), Cardinals (1972)

Pete Banaszak - HB

Pete Banaszak was drafted by the Raiders in the 5th round in 1966. He played 13 seasons, all for the Raiders. During his career he only missed 11 games, all coming between 1967-70. 

 

Banaszak was usually the backup halfback, playing behind Clem Daniels (1966-67), Charlie Smith (1969-70, 72-74), and Clarence Davis (1975-78), although Pete started most games in 1968 and every game in 1971. 

 

In 1975 he led the NFL with 16 rushing touchdowns, without starting any games. That season was also his high water mark with 672 yards, more than the 563 yards he gained while starting every game in 1971. 

 

Teams: Raiders (1966-78)