1953 TOPPS FOOTBALL
ELBERT DUBENION
Among vintage football collectors, there's no set quite like 1965 Topps.
The long size stands out as a obvious change from the standard sports-card fare established by Topps with its 1952 baseball set. And the bright backgrounds -- none more so than the Buffalo Bills' pink -- were in stark contrast to most previous issues.
The Topps set was also very much in contrast with another for a different reason. 1965 is an AFL-only set. NFL cards were produced by a company named Philadelphia. The leagues' differences are well-documented, and, to some extent, are reflected in these cards: The bright, bold AFL vs. the plain NFL.
Joe Namath, Fred Biletnikoff and Willie Brown are Hall of Famers whose rookie cards are found in the '65 set.
Today, April 17, is the day of our Bills Offense Draft at WGR. This player, Elbert "Golden Wheels" Dubenion, is a strong consideration at wide receiver. He led the Bills in receiving five times, including in their first title campaign of 1964. Dubenion's 27.1-yard average on 42 receptions is higher than any player has achieved in a season since, and third in all of pro football history. Dubenion died on Dec. 26, 1969.
I think he gets drafted today.
