Norm Snead, who played quarterback for sixteen seasons in the NFL, passed away on January 14. He was 84. Snead began his pro career with the Washington Redskins, who chose him with the second overall pick in the 1961 NFL Draft. In 1964, the Redskins traded him to the Philadelphia Eagles, where he was the team’s starting quarterback for seven years. Late in his career, Snead played for the Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, and San Francisco 49ers. Despite playing on just one playoff team–the 1971 Vikings–he was selected for the Pro Bowl four times.
Today’s card of the day is Snead’s 1963 Topps card. This is a very tough card to find in high grades; there is only one PSA 9 in the PSA population report. Several factors may have contributed to this scarcity: First, the colored borders of the 1963 Topps cards make any wear on the corners stand out. Second, Snead’s card–like all of Redskins cards in the set–is a short print. Finally, like all the quarterback cards in the 1963 Topps set, Snead’s card was on the left edge of the sheet, making it susceptible to damage in production. (You can see the card’s position on the sheet on the Gallery’s 1963 Topps virtual uncut sheet page.) Combine these factors, and condition-sensitive collectors have a challenging card.
Not surprisingly, as a longtime starting quarterback, Snead also appeared on many other cards. You can see them all in the Gallery.
