How to Collect: The Freshest NFL Cards of the ’90s

Cards From the Best Players of the 1990s

Date: Sep 17, 2024
Author: Gerard Jones
Topics: Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Barry Sanders, Brett Favre, Dallas Cowboys, Deion Sanders, Detroit Lions, Gerard Jones, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, jerome bettis, Los Angeles Rams, marvin harrison, mike alstott, NFL Cards of the 1990s, Ray Lewis, San Francisco 49ers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Length: 675 Words
Reading Time: ~4 Minutes

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)


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