04-22 Card of the Day: Bruce Smith

BRUCE SMITH

This is Bruce Smith's rookie card: No. 389 in the 1986 Topps football set.

It's card No. 389 out of 396 because the Buffalo Bills were the NFL's worst team the season before. Topps grouped its cards by team in '86, from the Super Bowl winners at the front of the set (Chicago Bears) to the back (Buffalo), and then the three checklists.

What kind of picture is this? I mean sure, it is actually Smith. But, no action shot? Why does he look so angry? What is he thinking and looking at? One theory: He's looking at the 1985 Bills roster. Concern, if not disdain. He's "a bad man" though, right?

Or -- although his being in uniform would be strange -- he's looking at me in about 1995 getting into an elevator at the stadium with him, after I started talking. I wanted to say something, so I awkwardly complimented him on a charitable donation he made. He did thank me, but this was about his expression.

One other point about this card for the card connoisseurs: It's been graded "9(OC)" by PSA, the leading card grader. OC = off-center. Does this card look off-center? Well it is, according to the grader. Steve Young's NFL rookie is in this set; like this card, I sent it in for grading finding it to be near-perfect. But it got dinged for centering, as did this one. If you're checking your cards out and considering them for grading, carefully read PSA's standards at PSACard.com before you spend $20 or so on getting that grade. This card -- a Hall of Fame rookie from 34 years ago in near-mint condition -- sells for about $10.

Mike Schopp