1971 Topps Football Game Inserts

In 1971 Topps inserted game cards into the regular Football wax packs much like they did in 1968 with Baseball. This 53 card set looks a bit more game like than the baseball. Like the baseball game each player card has a play result on it # Yards Gain, # Yards Lost, Fumble, Interception etc. The player's picture is a bust headshot or action bust headshot which is flip/flopped like regular playing card Royal "face" cards.The players name and his team are printed on a diagonal banner. The card number appears in the right corner on the "top" some cards have the card number plus "of 53 cards" (the Joe Namath card does that).

Set: 26/53 Complete

1971 Topps Football Game Insert Checklist:

01 Dick Butkus

02 Bob Berry
03 Joe Namath

04 Mike Curtis

05 Jim Nance

06 Ron Berger

07 O.J. Simpson

08 Haven Moses

09 Tommy Nobis

10 Gale Sayers

11 Virgil Carter

12 Andy Russell

13 Bill Nelsen

14 Gary Collins

15 Duane Thomas

16 Bob Hayes

17 Floyd Little

18 Sam Brunelli

19 Charlie Sanders

20 Mike Lucci

21 Gene Washington 49ers
22 Willie Wood

23 Jerry LeVias

24 Charlie Johnson

25 Len Dawson
26 Bobby Bell
27 Merlin Olsen
28 Roman Gabriel
29 Bob Griese
30 Larry Csonka

31 Dave Osborn

32 Gene Washington Vikings

33 Dan Abramowicz

34 Tom Dempsey
35 Fran Tarkenton
36 Clinton McNeil
37 Johnny Unitas
38 Matt Snell
39 Daryle Lamonica

40 Hewitt Dixon

41 Tom Woodeshick

42 Harold Jackson

43 Terry Bradshaw

44 Ken Avery

45 MacArthur Lane
46 Larry Wilson
47 John Hadl

48 Lance Alworth

49 John Brodie
50 Bart Starr
51 Sonny Jurgensen
52 Larry Brown

NNO Field Position Marker Card

There is an unnumbered "Field Position" marker that is rarer than the other cards in the set because it was designed to be cut in half to be used for the game. One half to mark where the ball is and the other to see if a play made a first down.

The cards were used in conjunction with the series of mini-poster inserts released that year that had a player picture on the front and a "field" on the back. I had quite a few of these mini-posters as a kid, and I think a few of the cards (never had the field position marker card until I bought it on Ebay or maybe it was Sportlots) not sure where they all went.

Set: 5/32 Complete

1971 Topps Football Mini-Poster -

Game Field Checklist:

 

01 Gene Washington 49ers

02 Andy Russell

03 Harold Jackson

04 Joe Namath

05 Fran Tarkenton

06 Dave Osborn

07 Bob Griese
08 Roman Gabriel
09 Jerry LeVias
10 Bart Starr

11 Bob Hayes

12 Gale Sayers

13 O.J. Simpson

14 Sam Brunell

15 Jim Nance

16 Bill Nelson
17 Sonny Jurgensen

18 John Brodie

19 Lance Alworth

20 Larry Wilson

21 Daryle Lamonica

22 Dan Abramowicz

23 Gene Washington Vikings

24 Bobby Bell

25 Merlin Olsen

26 Charlie Sanders

27 Virgil Carter

28 Dick Butkus

29 Johnny Unitas

30 Tommy Nobis

31 Floyd Little
32 Larry Brown
 
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BLUE = Needs Upgrade