If you look through the database of Topps football rookie cards from the 1980s, you will find that most of the players listed had interesting or distinguished careers. Some of them have already seen their play rewarded with induction into the Pro Football Hall Of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Others in the database will be at some point after they become eligible for enshrinement. Most of the Heisman Trophy winners from this era will find their rookie cards included as well.

Only two database players from this period don't fit into the aforementioned criteria. Both cards are found in the 1980 Topps football set. These players were teammates from 1979-84, but neither has the top rookie card of the 1980 Topps set. I suspect that whoever decided to include these running backs in the list of cards we Epinionators can review must be some sort of Atlanta Falcons fan. These cards, in fact, are the only two of Topps' 528 1980 NFL cards that can currently be reviewed on Epinions.

Lynn Cain (card #517) has a rookie card whose 2007 Beckett value stands at a whopping twenty cents, which is the common card value of the cards from this season. His teammate, William Andrews (card #73), fares a little better with regards to rookie card value. Andrews, who starred on the collegiate gridiron at Auburn, was a third round selection by Atlanta in the 1979 NFL Draft. He made an immediate impact in the backfield, rushing for just over 1000 yards as a rookie, even though the Falcons had selected him to play fullback. In fact, Andrews ran for over 1000 yards in four of his first five NFL seasons (A strike-shortened 1982 season prevented five consecutive 1000 yard campaigns). His best rushing season came in 1983, where Andrews gained 1567 yards on the ground. He was also voted to four straight Pro Bowls (1980-83). During his first five seasons, Andrews led NFL running backs in combined yardage.

In 1984, however, Andrews suffered a knee injury so serious, he spent both the 1984 and 1985 NFL seasons on injured reserve. He was able to return to the active roster for one final season in 1986, but he was nowhere near the player he had been, rushing for just 214 yards in fifteen games. During the time between his injury and his return, Gerald Riggs had emerged as a star in his own right. Andrews retired prior to the 1987 season. He is still remembered by Atlanta fans, though. He is a member of the Falcons Ring Of Honor, and his jersey (#31) was retired by the team. Even his rookie card gets a little more respect than that of Cain. The value of the Andrews rookie card, according to the Beckett Football Card Price Guide book (2006-07 edition), is a respectable one dollar.

The photo, like many Topps cards from this set, serves its purpose in an undistinguished fashion. Andrews is shown in profile, taking a seat on the bench. No sign of any Falcons logo is present, as Topps did not pay for the usage of team logos during this period (1970-81). Topps, in fact, airbrushed the logos from many cards during this time. A simple football design and a nameplate appear at the bottom of the photo. This card, like so many Topps cards, has a plain white border. The color scheme on the back makes the text a little difficult to read. The text is black, and printed against a dark red background. It quickly tells about Andrews's first season in Atlanta, as well as his time at Auburn. The back even has a football cartoon that is totally unrelated to its subject. The card is typical of the lackadaisical effort Topps put forth during this era where they had no gridiron competition (1968-88). Still, Topps did the basics of making a good football card, but did little more than that.

None of the rookie cards in this set are of players who have been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall Of Fame. The top rookies in this set have yet to hear Canton's call (Phil Simms; #225; $12, and Ottis Anderson; #170; $4). William Andrews had five outstanding years before injury derailed his career. Football fans may remember Andrews's on-field achievements (and they should), but they'll probably think of runners like Riggs, Warrick Dunn, and Jamal Anderson when asked to name a memorable Falcons halfback. William Andrews will get some nods of recognition from both fans and collectors, but to many other football followers, he's just yesteryear's news.


This is an entry in the "Let's Go Database Diving" write-off hosted by rkingfish. To hook the details and wade through other entries, dive in here.


Thanks Rick.

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