HOF Spotlight: Steve van Buren

Name: Steve van Buren
Position: Halfback
Pro Career: 1944 – 1951
Team Affiliation(s): Philadelphia Eagles
College: Louisiana State
Induction Class: 1965

Brief Bio: A punishing rusher, Steve van Buren helped to lead an Eagles team that dominated the NFL in the late 1940s. A team that wallowed in mediocracy before van Buren’s arrival suddenly became division runners up for two years, won three straight divisional championships, and won the NFL title in 1948 and 1949. In many ways, the Eagles have never since been as successful since van Buren’s retirement. During van Buren’s brilliant career, he broke the 1,000 rushing yard mark twice, won 4 NFL rushing titles, won an ever elusive “triple crown” in 1945 by leading the NFL in rushing, scoring, and kickoff returns, and was first-team all-NFL six seasons in a row.

Career Stats: 83 games played; 5,860 rushing yards; 69 rushing TDs; 523 receiving yards; 3 receiving TDs; 3 return TDs

Featured Card: 1948 Leaf #22. When Leaf created its first all-football set in 1948, there is no guessing why they included van Buren. The man was dominating the gridiron and leading his team to feats unexplored in the franchise’s past. Trivial Beckett value of this gem is $300. Prices on eBay listings are all over the place, but a majority fall in just below $100. Similar to Sid Luckman, van Buren also has a 1948 Bowman rookie card that can be used as a substitute for the 1948 Leaf if you are just trying to get a basic HOF collection put together.

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HOF Spotlight: Sid Luckman

Name: Sid Luckman
Position: Quarterback
Pro Career: 1939 – 1950
Team Affiliation(s): Chicago Bears
College: Columbia
Induction Class: 1965

Brief Bio: The first quarterback to champion the T-formation, Sid Luckman was truly a force to be reckoned with. As the #1 draft choice by the Bears in 1939, Luckman at first struggled with the complex formation and was demoted to tailback by legendary coach/owner George Halas. Given a second chance, though, Luckman never looked back. In his 12 professional years, Luckman led the Bears to 4 NFL championships and just missed a fifth. Luckman was named first- or second-team all-league every year from 1940 to 1948 and was named the league’s MVP in 1943, a year in which he threw a record tying 7 touchdowns passes in one game and threw another five to lead the Bears to a commanding 41-21 victory over the Redskins for the championship.

Career Stats: 128 games played; 14,686 passing yards; 137 passing TDs; 4 rushing TDs; 8,862 punting yards; 38.5 yards-per-punt career average; 2 interception TDs

Featured Card: 1948 Leaf #1. In the tail end of a brilliant career, there is no wonder that Luckman was the first card in the 1948 Leaf set (no national football card sets were produced between the 1935 National Chicle set and the 1948 Bowman and Leaf sets). Trivial Beckett value of this card is $400. Most eBay listings fall into a $100 ballpark while some are quite a bit higher and lower, depending mostly upon condition and grade. For an alternative, Luckman also has a 1948 Bowman card that is also considered a rookie card, although the bland black-and-white Bowman seems to command slightly higher prices than the colorful (albeit airbrushed) Leaf offering.

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HOF Spotlight: Otto Graham

Name: Otto Graham
Position: Quarterback
Pro Career: 1946 – 1955
Team Affiliation(s): Cleveland Browns
College: Northwestern
Induction Class: 1965

Brief Bio: Every great team needs a great leader. For the post-WWII Cleveland Browns, a team that won league or division titles in 10 straight years, Otto Graham was that great leader. A strong tailback in college, Graham was transformed into a T-formation field general when he became the very first player signed by the legendary Paul Brown as he formed his new team. After 4 hugely successful years in the AAFC, the Browns quieted all critics when the achieved the same success in the NFL starting in 1950. In Graham’s ten-year career, the Browns played in 10 straight championship games, winning 7 of those titles, and he was named first-team all-league quarterback 9 times.

Career Stats: 126 games played; 23,584 passing yards; 174 passing TDs; 882 rushing yards; 44 rushing TDs; 7 interceptions returned for 102 yards; 1 interception TD; 1 fumble recovery TD

Featured Card: 1950 Bowman #45. As the quarterback for one of the era’s most successful teams, it is no wonder Graham was included in this early NFL set. He had already been playing professional pigskin for a few years, but 1950 was his rookie season in a sense as it was his (and Browns organization’s) first year in the NFL after much success in the AAFC. Trivial Beckett value of this card is $450. While most eBay prices are below $300, there is one listed at a ridiculous $1,999.99. Even for a BVG 8.5, that is far too high in my book. If you are looking to add this card to your collection, you will need to spend a pretty penny, but do so wisely. Always look out for counterfeits and disreputable sellers.

NOTE: You can find all of my Hall Of Fame Spotlight Features by clicking the HOF Spotlight banner above.

HOF Spotlight: Dan Fortmann

Name: Dan Fortmann
Position: Guard
Pro Career: 1936 – 1943
Team Affiliation(s): Chicago Bears
College: Colgate
Induction Class: 1965

Brief Bio: From young whipper-snapper to all-time great, Dan Fortmann was determination personified. Selected by the Chicago Bears in the very first NFL draft in 1936, Fortmann became the youngest starter in professional football at just 20 years old. Also considered too small for the NFL, many wrote him off as a bad pick from legendary owner George Halas. Fortmann proved them wrong. He helped to anchor a dominant Bears line that won three league championships and two other divisional titles during Fortmann’s 8 year career. An outstanding blocker on offense and tenacious tackler on defense, Fortmann was selected first- or second-team All NFL in every year of his career.

Career Stats: 86 games played; 8 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery TD

Featured Card: 1975 Fleer Hall of Fame #20. As a lineman, Fortmann did not receive much attention in the collectibles world, despite his brilliant career. Like many early football stars, he has been included in many HOF themed sets, like this 1975 offering from Fleer. Most similar cards will run in the $1-$2 range while autographs will fall into a $75-$100 range on eBay. Certain people are willing to make a quick dollar at any sacrifice of character possible, so always be aware of forged autographs. If the seller looks reputable, has great feedback ratings, and the autograph does not look “off”, you should feel safe to pull the trigger.

NOTE: You can find all of my Hall Of Fame Spotlight Features by clicking the HOF Spotlight banner above.

HOF Spotlight: Paddy Driscoll

Name: John “Paddy” Driscoll
Position: Quarterback
Pro Career: 1919 – 1929
Team Affiliation(s): Hammond Pros, Decatur Staleys, Chicago Cardinals, Chicago Bears
College: Northwestern
Induction Class: 1965

Brief Bio: One of the league’s first “franchise players,” Paddy Driscoll was a true do-it-all, 60-minute gridiron hero. Driscoll drove his team on offense as a successful quarterback and tailback, was flawless on defense, and was a prolific kicker and punter. A big-time performer, Driscoll was at his best in big games, often scoring all of his team’s points in games against cross-town archrivals Chicago Tigers and Chicago Bears. A man with legendary performances, Driscoll once dropkicked a record 4 field goals in one 1925 game, dropkicked a 50-yard field goal in 1924, singlehandedly scored 27 points in a one game in 1923, and expertly placed 23 precision punts to stifle legend Red Grange in his professional debut.

Career Stats: 118 games played; 18 passing TDs; 25 rushing TDs; 4 receiving TDs; 1 punt return TD; 1 fumble recovery TD

Featured Card: Similar to Tim Mara and George Preston Marshall, I am featuring the official 8×10 headshot photo from the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The photo can be yours for $5.99. You can see a whole selection of official 8×10 headshots here. Driscoll is also featured in several HOF focused sets, most of can be yours for around $1-2 each on eBay. If you are interested in something a little more “high-end,” there was one autographed 8×10 photo listed at the time of my research for a shade under $500. If autographs are your thing, you would be smart to shop around and attend memorabilia shows and auctions to gain a better perspective of real value rather than just trusting the only current eBay listing. But you already knew that, right?

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HOF Spotlight: Guy Chamberlin

Name: Guy Chamberlin
Position: End, Coach
Pro Career: 1919 – 1928
Team Affiliation(s): Canton Bulldogs, Chicago Staleys, Cleveland Bulldogs, Frankford Yellow Jackets, Chicago Cardinals
College: Nebraska
Induction Class: 1965

Brief Bio: In an era when the only statistic that mattered was wins and losses, Guy Chamberlain was truly successful. Heavily recruited by legend Jim Thorpe, Chamberlain joined the pre-NFL Canton Bulldogs and became a star at the end position and proved to be a versatile 60-minute player, excelling on both offense and defense. Chamberlain also served as a coach for several season, posting a 58-16-7 record. His impressive .759 winning percentage is still amongst the best of coaches have at least 50 victories. Chamberlain helped lead Canton to undefeated seasons in 1922 and 1923, becoming the first two-time champion of the young league. Chamberlin won two more championships in 1924 with the Cleveland Bulldogs and 1926 with the Frankford Yellow Jackets.

Career Stats: 92 games played; 3 rushing TDs; 8 receiving TDs; 3 interception TDs; 1 fumble recovery TD; 58-16-7 coaching record

Featured Card: 2000 Nebraska All-Time Greats #T12. Another legendary player from the 1920s, we again must look to a more modern set for an example of a Chamberlin card. Here we have a college team specific set, but it is in the style of the legendary 1933 Sport Kings set. Trivial Beckett value is $1. Chamberlin cards on eBay generally fall into the $1-5 range. Common cards from HOF or retired player-themed sets usually do not run the risk of forgery, so price can be your main purchase criteria in this case. Look for sellers who offer free shipping or will be willing to give you a discount if you purchase several low-end cards at the same time.

NOTE: You can find all of my Hall Of Fame Spotlight Features by clicking the HOF Spotlight banner above.