Today’s “card” of the day is a 1948 Baltimore Colts Matchbook of Rex Grossman Sr. Grossman played linebacker for two seasons for the Colts in the All-America Football Conference, and he remained with the team when it joined the NFL in 1950. He played the first eight games of the 1950 with the Colts, then finished the season with the Detroit Lions.
Grossman was also the Colts’ kicker. In 1948, as a rookie, he led the AAFC with ten field goals, and he made all 43 of his extra point attempts.
Grossman was the grandfather of Rex Grossman III, a quarterback in the NFL from 2003 to 2013. Grossman III played for the Chicago Bears, Houston Texans, and Washington Redskins.
Grossman’s matchbook is one of ten in the 1948 Colts Matchbooks set, which I added to the Gallery just last week. The key player in the set is another rookie, Y.A. Tittle, and the set also includes College Hall of Famers Charlie O’Rourke and “Squirmin'” Herman Wedemeyer. You can see the full set of matchbooks here.
This might just be the best sports related matchbook design that I’ve ever seen.