Today’s vintage football card of the day is a 1951 Topps Magic card of Bill Wade. Wade played quarterback for thirteen seasons in the NFL: 1954 to 1960 with the Los Angeles Rams, and 1961 to 1966 for the Chicago Bears. He was the starting quarterback for the 1963 Bears team that played the New York Giants in the NFL championship game, and he scored both Bears touchdowns in a 14-10 win.
The 1951 Topps Magic set comprises 75 college players; what makes them “magic” is a scratch off area on the back that reveals a picture of the player’s school.
After a stellar senior year at Vanderbilt, Wade was the first player chosen in the 1952 NFL Draft. (See the Gallery’s First Overall Draft Picks page.) He spent two years in the military before joining the Rams in 1954.
You can see all of Bill Wade’s cards and many more cards of Vanderbilt alumni in the Gallery.
