Today’s card of the day is a 1951 Topps Magic card of quarterback Babe Parilli. This is Parilli’s rookie card, issued while he was still at the University of Kentucky. Parilli finished fourth in voting for the Heisman Trophy in 1950, and he finished third in 1951. (See the Gallery’s page of Heisman candidates.) He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1982.
Parilli went on to play professional football for sixteen years in the NFL, CFL, and AFL. He led the Boston Patriots to the AFL Championship game in 1963 (which they lost to the San Diego Chargers), and he played on the New York Jets team that won the 1968 AFL Championship and beat the NFL’s Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III.
Parilli had the NFL’s longest pass completion in 1952 (90 yards to Bill Howton), and the AFL’s longest completion in 1967 (79 yards to Art Graham). In 1964, playing for the Patriots, he led the AFL with 3465 yards passing and 31 touchdown passes.
You can see all of Babe Parilli’s cards in the Gallery.
Great player on an even greater card!