CardBored: Breaking Open a Pack of 1991 Fleer Football Cards

Punters. They are probably the least popular players in football. The only reason they are on the field is because your team couldn’t get a first down and is now giving the ball away. But punters do have a direct impact one of the most important aspects of winning football games, that being field position. As a 49er fan I know having one of the best punters in the game in Andy Lee is an excellent complimentary weapon to have when you also have a dominating defense.

All that being said, punters should not have their own football cards. No kid ever got excited about getting a Tom Tupa card. This worthless, and I mean really worthless ’91 Fleer Football pack would have probably brought a kid in 1991 to tears if they opened it. But thankfully a grown man 22 years later was there to open this pack rather than a child and witness the horror of what I found in this pack. There were three punters in this pack. THREE PUNTERS! That to go with with the horrible card design, which was the case with all ’91 Fleer products, this is the most worthless pack to date and I don’t know if it can be beat.

#41

Card Value: $0.05
1991 Stats: 2 GS, 1 AV

Rakoczy had been a three year starter for the Browns but was cut before the season started. He’d be picked up by the Patriots to be a back up.

#55

Card Value: $0.05
1991 Stats: 1 G, 0 AV

Szymanski broke his leg as a rookie the prior year and only saw action in one game in ’91. I’m guessing he was probably on the Broncos practice squad. Fleer really didn’t do a very good job of selecting players for their sets as they picked this guy over the likes of Vance Johnson and Doug Widell.

#70

Card Value: $0.25
1991 Stats: 16 GS, 61.7 CMP%, 4690 YDS, 23 TD, 21 INT, 15 AV

This was during the run and shoot days of the Oilers and in ‘91 Moon set NFL records for completions (404) and attempts (655) in a single season. Both records have since been broken several times in the extreme pass happy NFL of the last few years.

#74

Card Value: $0.05
1991 Stats: 10 GS, 5 REC, 56 YDS, 0 TD, 1 AV

Beach was a blocking tight end who had been a long time starter for the Colts. He spent part of ’91 on injured reserve.

#129

Card Value: $0.05
1991 Stats: 54 PNT, 45.7 Y/P, 3 AV

Here’s punter card #1. This was the only year that Roby lead the league in yards per punt but he was not selected to the Pro Bowl.

#148

Card Value: $0.05
1991 Stats: 16 GS, 146 TKL, 2 FF, 8 AV

Clifton was a very consistent if unspectacular middle linebacker for the Jets.

#167

Card Value: $0.05
1991 Stats: 3 GS, 262 YDS, 4.6 Y/A, 4 TD, 3 AV

Williams was third on the Steelers depth chart behind Merril Hoge and Barry Foster.

#181

Card Value: $0.05
1991 Stats: 16 GS, 20 REC, 134 YDS, 0 TD

Walker was the Chargers starting tight end, had a scintillating 6.7 yards per catch in ’91.

#185

Card Value: $0.05
1991 Stats: 15 GS, 5 AV

Feasel was 6’7” which made him one of the tallest centers in league history.

#225

Card Value: $0.10
1991 Stats: 16 GS, 15 AV

For some reason pro-football-reference.com doesn’t have any tackle stats for Singletary. Although he was nearing the end of his career he was still an elite middle linebacker, ranking behind only Sam Mills of the Saints per approximate value in ’91.

#289

Card Value: $0.10
1991 Stats: 5 GS, 59.0 CMP%, 825 YDS, 3 TD, 10 INT, 3 AV

Wilson began the year of the Vikings starting quarterback but was atrocious. A three interception game against the Broncos in Week 5 box score was the final straw and he lost the job for the remainder of the season to Rich Gannon.

#315

Card Value: $0.05
1991 Stats: 64 PNT, 43.3 Y/P, 3 AV

Punter #2! Here’s a picture of Landeta with Bon Jovi which according to Getty Images was taken in 1991 so still on theme.

#334

Card Value: $0.05
1991 Stats: Did Not Play

Toney was an injury plagued fullback for the Eagles who missed all of the ’91 preseason with a hamstring injury and unsurprisingly was cut before the regular season.

#339

Card Value: $0.05
1991 Stats: 76 PNT, 45.3 Y/P, 3 AV