Random Wax: 2024 Donruss Football

2024 Donruss:  I'm a big Christian McCaffrey fan and it was great seeing him healthy and play 17 games last year.  He led the league in touches from scrimmage with 413, the 3rd time he's done so in his career.  He's also a 3X All-Pro.

Tyreek Hill still hasn't signed with a team since being released by Miami.  He's still recovering from a major knee injury that included a torn ACL.

Taliese Fuaga has started 30 games in his two years in the league.  Malik Washington, on this Blue Press Proof Parallel, might be in line for more targets in Miami with Hill no longer there.  He has 72 career receptions.

Greg Rousseau has started his entire career with Buffalo and has 32 career sacks.

Great threesome here.  This design isn't my favorite Donruss look but I like it enough.  And it does have solid photography as well.

Retired greats!  A great way to end the post.  I like James Lofton so that was a fun pull but also happy to get Broadway Joe and Andre Rison.

BREAKDOWN:
30 – Total Cards
4 – Rated Rookie
4 – Retired Greats
4 – Blue Press Proof Parallel

Random Wax: 2024 Prestige Football

2024 Prestige:  Andre Tippett was a dominant linebacker in the 80s being inducted into the Hall of Fame while earning 2X All-Pro, 5X Pro-Bowl and All-1980s Team honors.  And the 1985 Defensive Player of the Year got to wear those cool Patriots unis.

Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars had a great season going 13-4 but lost a close Wild Card game to the Buffalo Bills that saw the teams combine for 28 points (14 each) in the 4th quarter.  And wow was it fun to watch.

Panini had last their college license by this point.  Xavier Legette and Adonai Mitchell have become productive receivers in the NFL.

Two nice inserts and two great players. I like both Prestigious Pros and Power House.

These two are Xtra Points parallels giving the cards a shiny aspect.  Malik Nabers has done well in New York and was a nice pull.  I look forward to see what John Harbaugh can do as the Giants' head coach.

We also get retired greats like Drew Brees on this For the Record insert.  Nice card.  Any given Sunday cards look really good while highlighting specific games from the season.

Could have started the post with A-A-Ron but we'll put him here.  I don't see why Pittsburgh thinks he's a good option to bring back.  No doubt he's one of the great passers we've ever seen, but I saw him many times last year and nothing said he was going to get Pittsburgh to the next level.  That said the Steelers are in purgatory, being good enough to not get a chance at a good QB in the draft but disappointing enough each season to leave their fans wanting more.

BREAKDOWN:

30 – Total Cards

5 – RC

4 – Retired Greats

2 – Xtra Points

1 – Power House

1 – For the Record

1 – Prestigious Pros

1 – Any Given Sunday

Random Wax: 1992 Upper Deck Football

1992 UD:   Eric Bieniemy didn't make a big impact in the NFL, but I really like this photo.

Eugene Robinson was an excellent player, but I can't not think about his short time as a Falcon.  The night prior to Atlanta's Super Bowl game with Denver, and shortly after receiving the Bart Starr Award for high moral character, he was arrested for solicitation.

These backs were so good.

My two Star Rookie cards and the Star Rookie Checklist I pulled.

Star Rookie Checklist.  As always, I enjoy the art Upper Deck gave us in their sets.

My team MVP Checklist pull.  I always liked Reggie Cobb who had one season with 1000+ rushing yards in Tampa Bay.  

More art on this Checklist card.  Great set with good photos and a great design.

BREAKDOWN:

15 – Total Cards

2 – Star Rookie

1 - Checklist

1 – Team MVP Checklist

1 – Team Checklist

1 – Star Rookie Checklist

Random Wax: 2024 Donruss Football

 2024 Donruss:  Georgia Bulldogs alum Matthew Stafford has been nothing short of crazy good in his career even when playing for those bad Detroit Lions teams.  Traded for Jared Goff, he brought the Rams their first Super Bowl win in over 20 years.  

Chris Jones has 87.5 sacks in his 10-year career with the Kansas City Chiefs.  He's also a 3X All-Pro

One of my Blue Parallels here.  Bucky Irving rushed for almost 600 yards in his rookie season.

Rookie Gridiron Kings and another Blue Parallel.

I love retired greats including Zach Thomas who was born in Pampa, TX.  The Hall of Famer was also a 5X All-Pro.

BREAKDOWN:

30 – Total Cards

4 – Rated Rookie

4 – Blue Parallels

4 – Retired Greats

1 – Gridiron Kings

Random Wax: 2021 Score Football

2021 Score:   Patrick Mahomes is one of the big questions when the new season starts this fall.  He's coming off a major injury, the Chiefs were already struggling, and you just never know how these things play out.  I really hope he comes back close to normal.

I bought this pack in July of 2021 but just posting it now.  Like a little time capsule.  Things are so different now.  Russel Wilson and the Seahawks had won the 2013 championship and were still on top of the world.  It would still be a few years, but things would change drastically for both.

I had hopes for Zach Wilson.  Maybe rooting for the BYU underdog.  He's still in the league but it has been a rough go of it for him.

I'm okay with the 3D inserts showcasing a trio of defensive players from a team.

Mac Jones has also struggled overall in his career, but he did have success his rookie year in New England and in limited time last year with the 49ers last season.  These are 1991 Throwback Rookies inserts.

More Score Team inserts, which are pretty good, a Next Level Stats insert and Game Face which gives us a retired great.

BREAKDOWN:
40 – Total Cards
9 – RC
3 – 3D
3 – Next Level
3 – Score Team
3 – Red Parallel
2 – 1991 Throwback Rookies
1 – Game Face
1 – Retired Great

Random Wax: 2024 Score Football

2024 Score:   The draft was last week, and all teams have hope again!  Well, most teams do.  Dak Prescott was a 4th round pick in the 2016 draft when Jared Goff was the #1 pick by the Rams their first season back in LA.  Love him or hate him, he's 83-55 in the regular season and 2-5 in the playoffs.

Quinnen Williams was drafted 3rd over all in the 2019 draft and has been 1X All-Pro and 4X Pro-Bowl selection.

Marvin Harrison Jr. was taken 4th overall in the 2024 draft.  This is a solid design for Score.  The helmets are a big plus.

Taken 24th overall in the 2018 draft, DJ Moore was traded to the Buffalo Bills in the offseason.  Baker Mayfield and Saquon Barkley were taken 1, 2 in that draft respectively.

Malik Nabers was taken 6th overall in the 2024 draft.  His 2025 season was cut short due to injury.  Caleb Williams, Jayden Williams and Drake Maye were the first three picks of that quarterback heavy draft.

Trey Hendrickson is a 1X All-Pro and 4X Pro Bowl selection but was taken in the 3rd round of the 2017 draft.  Myles Garrett was taken 1st overall that year.  He's alright.

I'm not a big fan of these though I normally like League Leaders.  These seem to have some random stats, and the overall design isn't my thing.  Brandon Aubrey just signed a 4 yr $28M extension with the Cowboys.  He was went undrafted when Bryce Young was the #1 pick in the 2023 draft.

Celebration are fun inserts.  Tyreek Hill is a 5X All-Pro but was only a 5th round pick in the 2016 draft.  Corey Coleman was the 1st receiver taken in that draft but only totaled 61 receptions in his three seasons in the NFL.

Retired great Ray Lewis making an appearance on that Red Parallel.  One of three in the pack.  Hall of Famer Andre Tippett has always been a favorite of mine.  The 2X All-Pro was drafted in the 2nd round of the 1982 draft.  The Patriots had the #1 overall pick of that draft as well picking defensive end Kenneth Sims.  I love these First Ballot inserts.

BREAKDOWN:
30 – Total Cards
7 – RC
3 - Celebration
3 – Red Parallel
3 – Retired Greats
3 – League Leaders
1 – Potential
1 – First Ballot
1 – Sack Attack
1 – 35th Anniversary Rookie

Random Wax: 1991 Pro Set Football Series 1 4 Packs

Pro Set Football 1991:   We'll double down with Jim Kelly who also led off last week's 1990 Pro Set post.  Kelly was selected 14th in the 1983 NFL Draft.  Seven (7) Hall of Famers were selected in the 1st round of that draft - John Elway, Eric Dickerson, Jimbo Covert, Bruce Matthews, Jim Kelly, Dan Marino, Darrell Green.

Pro Set didn't go a completely different direction from their 1990 set in terms of design.  But the tweaks they did worked well giving us another good set.

Great shot as Kevin Greene zeroes in on Chris Miller.

World League, NFL Officials, and Super Bowl XXV Replay cards.  Super Bowl cards with photos/highlights from the game should be a thing every year.  Why don't we see these anymore?  Anthony Parker played 9 seasons in the NFL, with 4 of those as a starter.

Award Winners, Milestone, and NFL Newsreel cards.  I like all of these.  Anytime we can get more variety like these, I'm in.

Actual photo of Bill Belichick saying time out to the Jets when deciding not to take the head coaching job.

Always liked Reggie Cobb and of course I love the Creamsicle unis.

These NFC All-Pro cards are great.  The art is really good and I love seeing All-Pro selections on cards.  Great job Pro Set.  AFC All-Pro selections are found in 1991 Series II.

1990 Replay gives us a look at key moments from the 1990 season.  Another good inclusion in the set.

So much fun looking at these and so many great memories and players.

BREAKDOWN:
60 – Total Cards
5 – World League
5 – Coach
4 – All-Pro
3 – 1990 Replay
2 – Award Winner
2 – NFL Newsreel
2 – Super Bowl XXV Replay
2 - Officials
1 – Milestone
1 – Heisman Hero