Today’s card of the day is a 1960 Mayrose Cardinals card of Woodley Lewis. Lewis played eleven seasons in the NFL: 1950 to 1955 with the Los Angeles Rams, 1956 to 1959 with the Chicago Cardinals, and 1960 with the Dallas Cowboys. He was a versatile player, moving between defensive back, running back, and offensive end.
In his rookie year, 1950, Lewis intercepted twelve passes and led the NFL with 275 interception return yards. He was selected for the Pro Bowl at the end of the season. He played in three NFL Championship games with the Rams, in 1950, 1951, and 1955. The Rams won one of those championships, in 1951 against the Cleveland Browns.
Lewis was one of just three NFL players who did not miss a game in the 1950s. The others were Leo Nomellini and Emlen Tunnell.
Though he appeared in the 1960 Mayrose Cardinals set, Lewis did not play for the Cardinals in 1960. Instead, he played for the expansion Dallas Cowboys in what would be his last season. Strangely, this card shows Lewis wearing number 17, though he never wore 17 during his NFL career.
Topps had difficulty spelling Lewis’s first name correctly, misspelling it “Woody” and “Woodly” in 1958 and 1959. You can see those errors and other Woodley Lewis cards in the Gallery.
