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Football Memorabilia and Autographs
14 Lots
 Lot 155. Original 1928 Sepia Wire Photo of Red Grange with the “Bunion Derby” Winner. In 1928, sports promoter C. C. Pyle sponsored a transcontinental footrace, principally across Route 66 that was dubbed the “Bunion Derby.” Pyle was also one of the first sports agents. After convincing Grange to sign with the Chicago Bears, he lined up endorsements for Grange and took a percentage of the fees. Convinced that a transcontinental race would make him a lot of money, Pyle offered a top prize of $25,000 to the winner of the 1928 race. Andrew Payne, Jr., of Claremore, Okla., won the 3,422-miles race, from Los Angeles to Madison Square Garden in New York. He covered the distance in 84 days. Nearing the end of the race, Payne is shown in a 6 ½” x 8 ½” Worldwide Photo glossy, dated May 23, with Grange. Vg-ex with an ex appearance; superb clarity and contrast. In an International News 6” x 8” photo, dated May 26, Payne receives congratulations from Pyle as his father, Andrew Payne, Sr., looks on. The photo is vg to vg-ex with excellent clarity and contrast. A caption is adhered to the back of each photo. Pyle lost about $10,000 on the race, and a second transcontinental race in 1929 left him bankrupt. He remained active in show business, next managing the “Ripley’s Believe It or Not” exhibit at the 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago. Two photos.
Winning Bid $100.
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 Lot 156. Outstanding Photo of 1939 Heisman Trophy Winner Nile Kinnick. This is the most spectacular Kinnick photo that we have seen. Because of his performance at halfback for Iowa in the 1939 season, Kinnick was recognized as the nation’s outstanding football player. Less than four years later, he lost his life in World War II when he ditched his Navy fighter plane to avoid endangering planes on the deck of the U.S.S. Lexington. In this 8” x 10” black and white photo, Kinnick, facing the camera, is posed to throw a pass. A crease toward the upper right and various lighter creases do little to detract from the powerful, striking appearance of the photo. The focus and contrast couldn’t be better. As an identifier, “Nile Kinnick” is written neatly in a small area of the photo. Scarce and desirable.
Winning Bid $291.
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 Lot 157. Original 1940 Wire Photo of Heisman Winner Nile Kinnick and an Injured Player. In this Jan. 13, 1940, International News Photo taken in New York, Kinnick provides encouragement to a prep school football player whose leg had to be amputated because of an injury he received in a game. Kinnick gave the young man an All-American blanket. The 6 ½” x 8 ½” photo has a ½” tear along the right border, a heavy crease toward the bottom and various lighter creases. The caption is on the back. With strong contrast, the photo displays nicely, and vintage photos of Kinnick are scarce.
Minimum Bid $75.
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 Lot 158. 7 1940s-50s Anonymous 8” x 10” Premium Football Photos. These glossy photos show players who are in the Pro Hall of Fame, the College HoF, or both: Sammy Baugh, Albie Booth, Marshall Goldberg, Don Hutson, Cecil Isbell, Tuffy Leemans, Sid Luckman and Frankie Sinkwich. The producer of these blank-backed, white-bordered photos is unknown. Each has the player’s name in signature-like script. In its 2007 Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards, SCD has begun to checklist the baseball premiums from this issue. We are unaware of a checklist for the football premiums. Each of these photos has inoffensive impressions in the corners from being in an album, and the Goldberg photo has tears on the back that are not noticeable on the front. The photos average ex.
Winning Bid $125.
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 Lot 159. 8” x 10” B&W Photo Autographed by the Detroit Lions Ace Gutowsky. Scarce. One of the underappreciated stars of pro football’s early years, Gutowsky starred at fullback and linebacker for Portsmouth, Detroit and Brooklyn, 1932-39. When the Lions were close to an opponent’s goal line, Gutowsky was their “go to” ball carrier. On defense, he earned respect as one of the game’s hardest hitters. In 1936, he rushed for 827 yards, the Lions’ single-season record until 1960. He retired with a career total of 2,445 yards rushing, the most of any Detroit ball carrier until the 1960s. In addition to his ball carrying accomplishments, Gutowsky was the first NFL player born in Russia. He died in Oklahoma in 1976. His personalized signature at the top of the photo is nm-m 8. Authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Winning Bid $125.
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 Lot 160. Art Rooney Autograph. The signature is on a 3” x 5” blank sheet of paper. The paper exhibits some creasing and staining that does not affect the blue ballpoint pen signature of Rooney, which is a 10. Authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Winning Bid $50.
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 Lot 162. Washington & Jefferson College Athletic Jacket from the Honus Wagner Co. The Pirates’ Hall of Fame shortstop operated a sporting goods store in Pittsburgh beginning in 1924. Located southwest of Pittsburgh, W&J holds the distinction of counting among its students Stephen Foster. At least until the school kicked him out. At one time, W&J was something of a football powerhouse. Pro Hall of Famer Fats Henry and College Hall of Famer Russ Stein played there. In 1922, the small-college Prexies played mighty California to a scoreless tie in the Rose Bowl. The quality ex-m leather and wool jacket offered here came from Wagner’s store, apparently in the 1950s. It has the college’s “Presidents” logo on the left front and a W&J patch on the left sleeve at the shoulder. The previous owner’s name is stitched in cursive lettering inside the left pocket. Inside the right pocket are cloth labels for the Honus Wagner Co. of Pittsburgh and Hatchers of Lynn, Mass. The jacket seems to be a “large.” This attractive display item, which doubles as a warm jacket, could be yours for our
Winning Bid $152.
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 Lot 163. Scarce Tie Clasp Commemorating the Baltimore Colts 1959 NFL Championship. With Johnny Unitas throwing two touchdown passes and running for a third TD, the Colts defeated New York, 31-16, to capture their second straight NFL title. The brass tie clasp says “1959 World Championship.” Attached to it is a charm that features a colt holding a football while a helmet flies above him. The clasp is housed in a Balfour box. Vg-ex. Attractive and unusual.
Winning Bid $75.
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 Lot 164. Complete 1954 Hutch Uniform Endorsed by Heisman Winner Johnny Lattner. Ex-m+ uniform features the name of the 1953 Heisman Trophy winner on the helmet and the shoulder pads. Also includes a blue and gold jersey and tan football pants. Lattner had a successful football career at Notre Dame. Drafted in the first round by the Pittsburgh Steelers, he played only one season before entering the U.S. Air Force. There, he suffered a severe knee injury during a football game, which ended his professional career. A young boy must have been proud to receive this uniform as a Christmas present. The uniform comes in its original box with a 1 ½” Christmas sticker on one end. Worn but not abused, the uniform is complete except for one of the strings used in tying the shoulder pads together.
Winning Bid $75.
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 Lot 165. Vintage Football Spikes. These 1930s never-worn MacGregor leather shoes are classics. Bottoms are stamped “A618” with “Viscolized Soles.” Size 11E and mint - the best pair we’ve seen.
Minimum Bid $50.
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 Lot 166. 3 Publications on the Washington Redskins’ 1983 Super Bowl Title. Led by two Joes named Gibbs and Theismann and John Riggins, the Redskins defeated Miami, 27-17, in Super Bowl XVII in Pasadena. The Super Bowl program offered here is nm-m. Washington, D.C.’s two major newspapers, the Post and the Times, created books in paperback format chronicling the 1982-83 season. The Post titled its version Redskins: The Season of Respect, nm. The Times chose The Impossible Dream: The Redskins’ Route ot the NFL Championship for its title. Nm. Both include Super Bowl summaries.
Winning Bid $50.
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 Lot 167. Scarce Book: Three Years of Football at Dartmouth by Louis P. Benezet. This excellent, illustrated 259-page book tells the story of Dartmouth football, 1901-03. It provides lineups and accounts of games. It is illustrated with 11 plates; one pictures the 1901 team, which included an African-American player. During the three seasons, Dartmouth won 25 games, lost four and was tied once. The author, Benezet, was an 1899 alumnus. Green boards, gilt lettering, clean ex copy.
Winning Bid $60.
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 Lot 168. Vintage Football Publications Including the 1945 Cotton Bowl Program. On New Year’s Day 1945, sophomore running back Bob Fenimore led Oklahoma A&M, now Oklahoma State, to a 34-0 Cotton Bowl romp over TCU. The school’s first consensus All-American, Fenimore is pictured in the 64-page vg+ to ex program. Two other college programs are included: 1946 American International vs. Springfield College, vg-ex, and 1950 St. Bonaventure at Boston U., g-vg. College football is also the focus of: Grantland Rice’s 1954 Football Guide, 40 pages, g+ to vg. And two issues of The Football News, a tabloid billed as “The American Collegiate Sports Weekly.” The issues, both complete and g to g-vg, are from Nov. 4, 1950, and Oct. 6, 1951. Three periodicals cover pro football. Annuals from Complete Sports, the Pro Football Record Book, for 1964 and 1965, appear to be relatively scarce. Jim Brown is on the cover of the inaugural issue from 1964. Both are ex. Also, a 1976 Kansas City at Buffalo program, ex-m. 9 publications.
Winning Bid $75.
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