News
Is Bronko Nagurski’s 1935 National Chicle the best football card ever?
NFL legend Bronko Nagurski’s rookie card, issued in National Chicle’s 1935 set, will draw attention in any condition.
A prime example turned up on eBay in January. It inspired 50 bids and soared to $19,500 despite a grade of PSA 2.
You Might Also Like:
Simply put, Nagurski’s rookie is a true beauty. It’s one of the greatest football cards in existence, starting with the subject himself. Could a football player have a better name than “Bronko Nagurski”?
Then there’s the illustration. It presents Nagurski from the viewpoint of a would-be tackler. He was known for his bruising, hard-nosed, straight-ahead running, and the image here plays up that style.
In the background is a pennant showcasing Nagurski’s college, Minnesota. By 1935, Bronko was already in his sixth season as a star for the NFL’s Chicago Bears, but National Chicle nevertheless played up his connection to Minnesota, employing the team colors of gold and maroon.
The card’s reverse side describes Nagurski’s impact on the gridiron, citing his strength and versatility. “Twice All-American in college,” the text reads, “he has since won All-National pro honors five times in succession. A product of the wheat farm country, he still works the soil between action on the football field and professional wrestling mat.”
The card’s reverse doesn’t cite Nagurski's stats, but we’ll summarize them here—and explain why they don’t begin to tell the story of the man. During his nine-year pro career, Nagurski gained 2,778 yards and scored 11 touchdowns. Today’s top backs do that sort of damage in two seasons. So the uninitiated might wonder why he was enshrined in the NFL’s very first Pro Football Hall of Fame class (1963). It’s because he was a gridiron force who used brute strength to dominate both on offense and defense.
Let’s go back to the reverse side of his 1935 card: Bronko was “one of the few players versatile enough to play any position on the team without losing his effectiveness. He is as much a tradition to Minnesota football today as Red Grange is to Illinois.”
