Categories: History

What If 1984 Topps Football Combined NFL & USFL Checklists?

The 1984 Topps Football set could have been even better than the one we’ve come to know and love over the past 40 years. The 1984 Topps Football card set could have been one of the greatest football card sets in football card history!

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The 1972 Topps Basketball set combined cards for players in the NBA, as well as for the ABA, which was a competing league at the time. That allowed for a super-set of some great rookie cards, including Julius Erving (ABA), George McGinnis (ABA), Artis Gilmore (ABA) and Phil Jackson (NBA). But more importantly, it had cards of other superstar players like Wilt Chamberlain, Walt Frazier, Wes Unseld, Oscar Robertson, Rick Barry, John Havlicek, Dave Cowens, and Jerry West.

Imagine if Topps gave the NFL and the competing USFL the same treatment for their 1984 Topps Football set! We would have rookie cards of the following superstars, all in one set:

Rookie Cards From the 1984 Topps NFL Set:

Rookie Cards From the 1984 Topps USFL Set:

1984 Topps Football Superstar Non-Rookie NFL Cards Include:

  • Joe DeLamielleure, Cleveland Browns No. 51
  • Walter Payton, Chicago Bears No. 228
  • Joe Montana, San Francisco 49ers No. 358

1984 Topps Football Superstar Non-Rookie USFL Cards Include:

  • Doug Plank, Chicago Blitz No. 24
  • Brian Sipe, New Jersey Generals No. 73
  • Doug Williams, Oklahoma Outlaws No 96

As you can see, this 1984 Topps NFL set (which had rookies from the 1983 NFL Draft) would have been an even more legendary set than it already is! By combining the two league sets, you’d have rookie cards of quarterbacks John Elway, Jim Kelly, Dan Marino and Steve Young! The rookie running backs list would have both Roger Craig, Eric Dickerson, Herschel Walker, and Curt Warner! There weren’t many superstar rookie WRs, but the legendary defensive rookies list is stocked, with guys like Darrell Green, Howie Long and Reggie White!

If you love rookie cards, here are some more articles tracking great cards from the past and present:

What do you think of the 1984 Topps Football NFL set, as well as the 1984 Topps USFL set? Do you have any of these cards, and if so, which ones are your favorite?

David Gonos
David Gonos spent 5 years as a CBSSports.com Senior Fantasy Writer and three more years writing with SI.com. Over the past 17 years, his work has been published on NFL.com, MLB.com, FanDuel, FoxSports.com and USA Today. Since 2001, he has been tracking down the Top 50-plus Free Fantasy Football Draft Tools online. You can contact David Gonos here.
David Gonos

David Gonos spent 5 years as a CBSSports.com Senior Fantasy Writer and three more years writing with SI.com. Over the past 17 years, his work has been published on NFL.com, MLB.com, FanDuel, FoxSports.com and USA Today. Since 2001, he has been tracking down the Top 50-plus Free Fantasy Football Draft Tools online. You can contact David Gonos here.

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