TTM This Week: Dappz Sports, 1973 Topps Football Autograph Returns

This week’s TTM Cast features a talk with sports card entrepreneur and social media influencer Dappz of Dappz Sports. Dappz began his breaking business out of his bedroom in 2020 and has used social media to grow his business. He runs a 24/7 breaking business and a memorabilia store in Los Angles. We discuss the growth of his business, the breaking end of our hobby and get a sneak peek into what he has planned for the National at the end of the month.

We also have our monthly chat with Clemente Lisi, this time talking hockey as well as reviewing some new releases from Topps.

On this Wednesday’s TTMCast 1-on-1 15-year NFL veteran Bob DeMarco joins me to talk about his career as a center in the NFL. Bob played in St. Louis, Miami, Cleveland, and Los Angles from 1961-1975. We talk about how the game changed during his career, what it was like to play for Don Shula and Chuck Knox and his signing habits for fans through the mail.

We connected after Bob signed his 1973 Topps card for me in about two weeks.

You can listen to all our podcasts at ttmcast.podbean.com.

TTM Successes this Week

Returns have been rolling in after I sent out requests to players who appeared in the 1973 Topps football set. Some of them went on to interesting things after football.

You can usually find player addresses on TTM websites, including SportsCardForum.com and SportsCollectors.net.

Here are a few of TTM successes:

Jackie Smith

Smith caught 480 passes and 40 touchdowns during his Hall of Fame career as Tight end for the Cardinals and Cowboys from 1963-1978. He was a 5x Pro Bowler and was elected into the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 1994.

An excellent singer, he’s performed the national anthem at a variety of sporting events.

Smith is an outstanding TTMer and one of a hand-full of Hall of Famers who still sign for free.

Jim O’Brien

O’Brien spent four seasons in the NFL as placekicker including three with the Colts and one with the Lions from 1970-1973. He made the game-winning field goal with 9 seconds left for the Colts in Super Bowl V. He made 60 of 108 attempts during his career. He also caught 14 passes for 305 as wide receiver (mostly in 1972). In 1974 he was hit in the face with a beer bottle at a bar and required surgery for a cut cornea. He cites this as a big reason why he had to retire.

He signed his 1973 Topps card in about two weeks.

Pete Banaszak

“Rooster” spend his entire pro career from 1966-1978 with Oakland where he won an AFL championship in 1967 and scored two touchdowns in Supe Bowl XI. He was NFL co-leader in rushing touchdowns in 1975. He ran for 3,772 yards and scored 51 touchdowns during his career.

More recently, he’s been part of the Jacksonville Jaguars postgame radio show.

He signed his 1973 Topps card in less than two weeks.

Virgil Carter

Carter was a 6^th round pick out of BYU by the Bears in 1967. He played two season in Chicago, then four with Cincinnati before heading the San Diego and back to Chicago for one season each. He was NFL completion percentage leader in 1972 and threw for 29 TD during his career. He earned a Masters degree from Northwestern and taught statistics and math at Xavier while he was playing for the Bengals.

Carter signed his 1973 Topps card in about two weeks.

Pat Holmes

After getting drafted by the Eagles in 1962, Holmes went on star with the CFL Calgary Stampeders from 1962-1965. He joined the Houston Oilers in the AFL and was an AFL All-Star in 1967 and 1968. After the merger he stayed in Houston until 1972 then finished his career the Kansas City in 1973.

Holmes signed his 1973 Topps card in 2 weeks.

Fair Hooker

Fair Hooker caught 129 passes for the Cleveland Browns from 1969-1974. He played three seasons in college at Arizona State and was drafted by Cleveland in the 5^th round of the 1969 NFL draft.

Hooker became a banking executive in Southern California after his football career.

He signed his 1973 Topps card in about two weeks.

Scott Hunter

Hunter starred at Alabama before getting drafted by Green Bay in the 6^th round of the 1971 draft. He played for Green Bay, Buffalo, Atlanta, and Detroit from 1971-1979 throwing for 4,756 yards and 23 touchdowns during his career. Hunter went on to a career as a TV sports anchor in Mobile for nearly 20 years. He was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1998.

He signed his 1973 Topps card in a couple of weeks.

Have a TTM success story you would like to share with me? Please, send it me at [email protected]. If I use it in my column, I’ll send you a prize.