Saturday, November 25, 2023

Cards That Never Were: Randy Johnson Topps 1971 & '73

Cards That Never were is a recurring series in which I create virtual trading cards for players missed in various sets. It is a concept I have borrowed from far too many to list, but I appreciate all of their efforts. More of my creations and a lot of great stuff from others can be found in the Custom Baseball Cards Facebook group (and it is not just baseball card creations).
After a successful collegiate career at at Texas A&I in Kingsville (now Texas A&M–Kingsville), QB Randy Johnson was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the first round of the 1966 NFL Draft. He was the first Texas A&I player to ever be selected in the first round. Johnson Pleyd five seasons with the Falcons, followed by three seasons with the New York Giants. In 1974, Johnson joined the World Football League's Hawaiian Islanders. He jumped back to the NFL with the Washington Redskins for the 1975 season, before spending his last season in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers.
Overall in his career, he threw for 8,329 yards, with 51 touchdowns and 91 interceptions. He went 10-38 as a starter, mostly for the woeful Falcons.
For his efforts, Topps (or Philadelphia) gave him cards in sets of 1967-'70, '72, '74 and '76. Since he was in the WFL in 1974, no card was issued in any 1975 sets. Therefore, his true missing cards are '71, '73 and '77. I was able to create two of those missing cards. I could not find any pictures from his stint with the Packers, so a '77 card remains a white whale. I might even make a '75 card if I find a decent picture of him with the Hawaiians.

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