Ben Hawkins - FL

Ben Hawkins ("The Hawk") was the Eagles' 3rd-round pick in 1966. He played every game from 1966-1972, starting all but 9 times during that span.

Hawkins was known for playing with his chinstrap unbuckled, until the NFL eventually clamped down a few seasons later. 

 

From 1967-68 he played opposite Gary Ballman, and Harold Jackson from 1969-72. 

 

In 1967, he led the NFL in both receiving yards (1265) and 90.4 receiving yards per game. 

 

Hawkins started 4 times in 1973, but missed 10 games due to injury. 

 

Before the 1974 season he was traded to the Browns for defensive end Joe "Turkey" Jones, and played 2 games for them.

 

After playing for the WFL's Philadelphia Bell in 1975, he was re-signed by the Eagles in 1976, but was cut in training camp.

  

Tim Rossovich - DE

Tim Rossovich was the Eagles' #1 pick in the 1968 draft, and became the starting left end as a rookie.  He played in all but 1 game during his 4 seasons with the Birds, missing a game in his final season.

Rossovich was a character off the field, known for setting his hair on fire, and other zany stunts like eating glass.

In 1969 he started every game, and was named to the Pro Bowl.

After 5 games in 1970, he was moved to middle linebacker, replacing the veteran Dave Lloyd. He started 13 games that season, and 12 of his 13 games in 1971.

During training camp in 1972, Rossovich and safety Bill Bradley decided to hold out together, thinking they would have more leverage in contract negotiations. The Eagles solved that problem by dealing Tim to the Chargers, then Bradley quickly caved and returned to the team.

After starting at middle linebacker for the Chargers in '72 and '73, he returned to Philadelphia with the WFL's Bell for the '74 and '75 seasons. When that league folded, he moved on to the Houston Oilers for his final season in 1976.

 Rosso "went Hollywood" after his playing career, appearing in various TV shows and movies.

He passed away in 2018 at age 72.

Dan Darragh - QB

Dan Darragh was a quarterback for the Bills from 1968-1970. He was their 13th-round pick in 1968, and with injuries to 1967's two quarterbacks (long-time starter Jack Kemp missed the entire season,  and backup Tom Flores was limited to 1 game), Dan played in 11 games (starting 7) in his rookie season.

Kemp returned in 1969 to make 11 starts in his final season, and with rookie QB James Harris now on board, Darragh only played 3 games (starting 2) that year. 

 

Kemp retired after the season, but for the 3rd consecutive year the Bills had a rookie QB on the roster. In 1970 that was Dennis Shaw. Darragh started the first 2 games (both losses) before Shaw took over for the remainder of the season.

 

This is Darragh's only football card. For some reason, Topps did not include a Bills' quarterback in the 1969 set. Even though Kemp played every game that year, his missing the entire 1968 season, coupled with his age, probably led Topps to believe he would not be returning. Still, Darragh played 11 games in 1968, seemingly warranting a card in the '69 set.

 

Greg Cook - QB

Greg Cook was named the #1 "greatest one-shot wonder" by NFL Films.

He played for the University of Cincinnati, and was the Bengals' #1 pick in the 1969 draft, 4 players behind top pick O.J. Simpson and 1 player behind Joe Greene. 

 

Cook took over the starting QB job immediately, with the Bengals winning their first three games. He then suffered a shoulder injury and missed the next 3 games. 

 

He returned and started the remaining 8 games, playing through his injury. Only later was it diagnosed as a rotator cuff tear.  Even missing 3 games, he still led all AFL quarterbacks in 1969 with a 88.3 rating.

 

Because of his injury he did not play from 1970-72. He attempted a comeback with the Bengals in 1973, but only played in 1 game, with 3 passing attempts. 

 

Cook died in 2012 from pneumonia, at age 65.