Happy 85th birthday to Curtis McClinton! McClinton played fullback for the AFL’s Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs from 1962 to 1969. He played on three AFL Championship teams: the 1962 Texans and the 1966 and 1969 Chiefs. The 1966 Chiefs lost to the NFL’s Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl I, and the 1969 Chiefs beat the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV.
McClinton excelled at catching passes out of the backfield. Statistically, his best year was 1965, when he gained 1251 yards from scrimmage. He finished his career with 3124 yards rushing and 1945 yards receiving.
McClinton was voted AFL Rookie of the Year in 1962, and he was named an AFL All-Star in 1962, 1966, and 1967. He was inducted into the Chiefs Hall of Fame in 1995.
Today’s card of the day is McClinton’s 1961 Nu-Card card. It is a pre-rookie card, issued while he was still at the University of Kansas. He also appeared on numerous Fleer and Topps cards with the Chiefs.
I’m in the camp that says that a card like this should be considered his rookie card.