Cards From the Best Players of the 1990s
From the 1950s through the 1980s, the NFL had a sort of grinding, dirty, warrior-esque aspect to the sport. It wasn’t until the 1990s when the zeitgeist shifted, and individual players transitioned from the bloody knuckles of Dick Butkus and stoic grittiness of Joe Montana to the flashy, offensive-based sport we know today.
The ’90s were stylish. Players personified speed, and speed killed. We saw some of the greatest performances of all time as the game matured into the pigskin we know today. If the athletes weren’t dominating in the last decade of the 20th century, they were being drafted and would soon become hall of famers after imposing their wills in the early aughts.
Football in the 1990s was the rosetta stone of the sport we enjoy today. Offenses became more dynamic, defenses adjusted to the offensive adjustments, and the All-Pros of this era made mincemeat of the records that set the standard in the decades before them.
Naturally, Topps was there to document it all with some of the greatest cards ever released, including the first-ever Chrome cards. These are just a few of the best pro football cards from the 90s that you should collect.
The Funkiest Cards Of The ’90s
1997 Topps Football Finest #290 Emmit Smith Refractor
Player info
• holds the league record in career rushing yards (18,355)
• Holds the league record for career rushing touchdowns (164)
Set info
• 350 card set rolled out in two releases
• ten insert themes: Champions, Dominators, Impact, Stalwarts, Masters, and Dynamos, Bulldozers, Masters, Hitmen, and Field Generals
card back
• An epic headshot of emmit, vitals, super bowl, and NFC championship win recap, his 1996 rushing numbers and career rushing numbers, and a short write-up of his unstoppable rushing prowess
1990 Topps Football #469 Deion Sanders Topps Super Rookie
Player info
• 1994 defensive player of the year
• Two-time super bowl winner: XXIX and XXX
Card info
• 175 card set
• 1 of 17 “super rookies” in the set
card back
• Vitals, 1989 interception stats, and a recap on his incredible 1989 year, in which he returned a kickoff for a td in his debut game, then hit a home run for the Yankees in the same week – becoming the first person in the 20th century to do so
1998 Topps Football Stars #70 Mike Alstott Gold Rainbow 1/99
Player info
• caught 65 passes his rookie year
• second all-time buccaneer td scorer
Card info
• 360 card base set and 9 inserts, including autos
card back
• vitals, Star ratings around his running traits (speed, instincts, power, hands, durability), cumulative career stats, and a topps trivia question
1996 Bowman’s Best #164 Ray Lewis Refractor RC
Player info
• 1981 defensive rookie of the year
• 2000 super bowl mvp
• most career combined tackles in league history
Card info
• 180 card base set with a gold frame for veteran players and silver for rookies
card back
• detailed Vitals, and a breakdown of his resume, skills, and up close giving a detailed look at his skillset coming into the league as a rookie “not big, but owns instantaneous reactions”
1993 Topps Stadium Club #506 Jerome Bettis RC
Player info
• 8th all-time in rushing yards
• 2015 hall of fame inductee
Card info
• 550 card set
• 4 insert sets and 10 mail-in insert sets
card back
• vitals, 1993 stat breakdown (games 1-8) and home/away/divisional/conference stats
1996 Topps Chrome Football Tide Turners Refractor #TT14 Barry Sanders
Player info
• league record 14 Consecutive games with 100 or more yards rushing
• 1997 mvp
Card info
• 165 card set
• first-ever chrome football cards in topps history
card back
• vitals, and situational stats on whether the lions were winning, tied, or losing, plus a brief writeup of when he rushed for back-to-back touchdowns on two touches against the browns
1991 Topps Football Stadium Club #94 Brett Favre RC
Player info
• 1995, 96, 97 AP NFL MVP
• record for Most consecutive starts: 297 (321 including playoffs)
Card info
• 500 card set
• no inserts
card back
• vitals, and a deep dive into the prospect of brett favre by the sporting news, noting his aggressive style (his name is also misspelled on the card)
