Talk about a blast from the past. The Pro Set football product returns for a second year after a nearly 30-year hiatus.
Pro Set football was a staple of the 1990s, and it seemed like billions of these cards were produced from the time it debuted in 1989 until 1993.
It just seems that way, but go to any yard sale, and if sports cards are offered the football cards are most likely of the Pro Set variety.
Pro Set was founded by Lud Denny, who scored a major coup by obtaining a licensing agreement with NFL Properties. But the company had folded by 1994.
Now, thanks to Leaf, the football set we saw so much of 30-some years ago is back — hopefully, without the errors that plagued Pro Set, particularly in 1990. Although I must admit, the 1990 Santa Claus card was a fun one to collect.
Pro Set football was a staple of the 1990s, and it seemed like billions of these cards were produced from the time it debuted in 1989 until 1993.
It just seems that way, but go to any yard sale, and if sports cards are offered the football cards are most likely of the Pro Set variety.
Pro Set was founded by Lud Denny, who scored a major coup by obtaining a licensing agreement with NFL Properties. But the company had folded by 1994.
Now, thanks to Leaf, the football set we saw so much of 30-some years ago is back — hopefully, without the errors that plagued Pro Set, particularly in 1990. Although I must admit, the 1990 Santa Claus card was a fun one to collect.
Leaf had an on-demand Pro Set offering in 2021, but this year’s set is more mainstream and can be bought at retail stores like Target (where I bought a Silver blaster box).
Like the 2022 Leaf Draft football set, there are only 10 base cards in the set. But just like that set, there are two autograph cards per blaster.
The 2022 set mirrors the design of the 1990 Pro Set layout, although some elements are missing. The Pro Set logo is firmly anchored at the top left-hand corner and the card features solid action shots. The player nameplate is beneath the photo in a black banner with white block letters, while the position is underneath the name with a silver banner.
At the bottom is perhaps a cheeky reference to Pro Set’s NFL licensing deal from the 1990s: “Official trading card of football fans everywhere.”
The card back features a horizontally cropped version of the front action photo and includes a seven-line biography.
The checklist is similar to the Leaf Draft football set, with a few exceptions. New to the set is Kenneth Walker III, the Michigan State running back who won the Walter Camp and Doak Walker Awards in 2021 and . The other newcomer is Ohio State wide receiver Chris Olave, who was a first-round pick of the New Orleans Saints (No. 11 overall).
Like the 2022 Leaf Draft football set, there are only 10 base cards in the set. But just like that set, there are two autograph cards per blaster.
The 2022 set mirrors the design of the 1990 Pro Set layout, although some elements are missing. The Pro Set logo is firmly anchored at the top left-hand corner and the card features solid action shots. The player nameplate is beneath the photo in a black banner with white block letters, while the position is underneath the name with a silver banner.
At the bottom is perhaps a cheeky reference to Pro Set’s NFL licensing deal from the 1990s: “Official trading card of football fans everywhere.”
The card back features a horizontally cropped version of the front action photo and includes a seven-line biography.
The checklist is similar to the Leaf Draft football set, with a few exceptions. New to the set is Kenneth Walker III, the Michigan State running back who won the Walter Camp and Doak Walker Awards in 2021 and . The other newcomer is Ohio State wide receiver Chris Olave, who was a first-round pick of the New Orleans Saints (No. 11 overall).
The players in the 2022 Pro Set product who also were part of the Leaf Draft football set are 2021 Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young out of Alabama, Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud and Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers (who transferred from Ohio State), Southern Cal quarterback Caleb Williams (who transferred from Oklahoma), and two more Buckeyes, running back Treveyon Henderson and wide receiver Garrett Wilson, who was drafted by the New York Jets at No. 10 in the first round.
Rounding out the set is Alabama wide receiver Jameson Williams, who was drafted in the first round (No. 12 overall) by the Detroit Lions; and University of Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett, who was drafted by the Steelers at No. 20 in the first round.
As promised, there were two autograph cards in the blaster box I bought. Both are sticker autos and feature Texas A&M defensive back Leon O’Neal, who was not drafted but was signed as a free agent by the San Francisco 49ers; and Wisconsin linebacker Leo Chenal, a third-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Leaf has two designations for first-year players: ARC (amateur rookie cards) and XRC (extended rookie cards). In the base set, Caleb Williams and Henderson are ARC cards, while Wilson, Jameson Williams, Pickett, Walker and Olave are XRCs.
Is this century’s version of Pro Set better than the last? Well, it was nice to collect lots of pro players, but the newer version has a cleaner look. And while it only concentrates on college players, it is obviously easier to collect the base set. The autograph set will naturally be more difficult to complete, since there are 196 cards including four redemptions.
Have fun.
Rounding out the set is Alabama wide receiver Jameson Williams, who was drafted in the first round (No. 12 overall) by the Detroit Lions; and University of Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett, who was drafted by the Steelers at No. 20 in the first round.
As promised, there were two autograph cards in the blaster box I bought. Both are sticker autos and feature Texas A&M defensive back Leon O’Neal, who was not drafted but was signed as a free agent by the San Francisco 49ers; and Wisconsin linebacker Leo Chenal, a third-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Leaf has two designations for first-year players: ARC (amateur rookie cards) and XRC (extended rookie cards). In the base set, Caleb Williams and Henderson are ARC cards, while Wilson, Jameson Williams, Pickett, Walker and Olave are XRCs.
Is this century’s version of Pro Set better than the last? Well, it was nice to collect lots of pro players, but the newer version has a cleaner look. And while it only concentrates on college players, it is obviously easier to collect the base set. The autograph set will naturally be more difficult to complete, since there are 196 cards including four redemptions.
Have fun.
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