Sharing My Bama Autograph Collection

[Valdorian]

A few years ago I decided to start a collection of autographed trading cards and see how many different Alabama players I could acquire. It has basically become a part-time job with how much time I spend just to track down that next card for the collection or meet that next player to sign something for me. Being able to learn more about the history of the school as well as players from every era is one of my favorite parts.

The goal of my collection is to get at least one autograph of as many different Bama players as possible; either in Alabama uniforms or on Alabama cards. Some interesting facts about my collection:

• Total Different Players - 801
• Deceased Players - 173
• All Americans - 132 (including every unanimous All American we've ever had)
• CFB HoF'ers - 17
• NFL HoF'ers - 8 (every one we've had)
• Rarest Autograph - Pat Trammell, who died in 1968

Without further delay, here's a link to my collection, sorted alphabetically by last name. Hope you enjoy taking a trip through multiple eras of Alabama football and see some players you forgot about that bring back some great memories! Thanks for looking and Roll Tide!

Alabama Collection

 

[Bazza]

That's an impressive collection, @Valdorian !

Thanks for sharing.

I wonder if the Bryant Museum has a trading card collection (?)

 

[FitToBeTide]

So many of our all-time greats. Thanks for an amazing post. RTR!

 

[Ledsteplin]

Amazing collection! Well done!

 

[Valdorian]

That's an impressive collection, @Valdorian !

Thanks for sharing.

I wonder if the Bryant Museum has a trading card collection (?)

I've wondered that myself. Last time I was there they had a few random cards in a display but they weren't signed and I think it was a temporary thing. If I don't end up passing the collection down in the family I imagine that's where they'll go next someday.

 

[Con]

Wow! Talk about spanning the decades. That was cool seeing all of the cards @Valdorian.

 

[Padreruf]

I've wondered that myself. Last time I was there they had a few random cards in a display but they weren't signed and I think it was a temporary thing. If I don't end up passing the collection down in the family I imagine that's where they'll go next someday.

As a side note you could probably get quite a tax write-off from these. I donated about 2000 books when I retired, most of.them commentaries, to go to ministers in Africa who needed them. I received a significant write off from them.

 

[Tide-one-on]

Great collection! A also enjoy collecting the Bama player cards. Had a real good one going until CNS arrived and we have so many cards and players, I couldn't keep up! It's a good thing!

 

[alabama mike1]

Very impressive!

 

[TexasBama]

This is jaw dropping. Fred Sington and Don Hutson, wow!

 

[Valdorian]

This is jaw dropping. Fred Sington and Don Hutson, wow!

Thanks a bunch! Believe it or not, Hutson wasn't too hard as he was such a well-known athlete that there are a handful of signed cards out there of him. It's the ones like Sington who were lesser known that died in the 90's who are so scarce. There's probably 5 or 6 signed Sington cards in existence at this point. Other players such as Don Whitmire who died in 1991 almost right after his Alabama trading card was released probably only signed 1 or 2 cards before they passed, so those are my rarest ones other than the Trammell.

 

[TexasBama]

Thanks a bunch! Believe it or not, Hutson wasn't too hard as he was such a well-known athlete that there are a handful of signed cards out there of him. It's the ones like Sington who were lesser known that died in the 90's who are so scarce. There's probably 5 or 6 signed Sington cards in existence at this point. Other players such as Don Whitmire who died in 1991 almost right after his Alabama trading card was released probably only signed 1 or 2 cards before they passed, so those are my rarest ones other than the Trammell.

I'm sure there were a few that it would have been impossible to get an autograph from - Johnny Mack Brown, Pooley Hubert, Bill Lee, Bobby Marlow, Paul Bryant, etc.

My mother went to high school with Don Whitmire.

 

[Valdorian]

I'm sure there were a few that it would have been impossible to get an autograph from - Johnny Mack Brown, Pooley Hubert, Bill Lee, Bobby Marlow, Paul Bryant, etc.

My mother went to high school with Don Whitmire.

You're correct. Unless I were to expand to collecting items other than cards, most of those you mentioned are not possible. Still holding out hope for a Bobby Marlow because theoretically he definitely could have signed a Bama card before he died. Very cool that you mother went to school with Don Whitmire! He has such an interesting story. Really I'm fascinated with the history of many of those older players people have forgotten about.

 

[Perrett4Bama]

Very impressive. I have quite a few also but nothing like this. Brings back lots of memories looking through those cards.

 

[Crimson1967]

This is jaw dropping. Fred Sington and Don Hutson, wow!

Charlie Boswell was the most amazing to me. His signature is better than mine.

For the unaware, he was blinded during WWII.

 

[Crimson1967]

I'm sure there were a few that it would have been impossible to get an autograph from - Johnny Mack Brown, Pooley Hubert, Bill Lee, Bobby Marlow, Paul Bryant, etc.

My mother went to high school with Don Whitmire.

Brown became a movie star so he could plausibly be out there.

Just did a quick search and found a lot of his but they were all of him in movies. He died in 1974.

 

[Valdorian]

Brown became a movie star so he could plausibly be out there.

Just did a quick search and found a lot of his but they were all of him in movies. He died in 1974.

Unfortunately he did not have any Bama cards made of him until 1989!

 

[Valdorian]

Charlie Boswell was the most amazing to me. His signature is better than mine.

For the unaware, he was blinded during WWII.

Yeah that's one of my favorites and the only one I've seen signed by him. He also won 16 national blind golf championships!

 

[FitToBeTide]

Charlie Boswell was the most amazing to me. His signature is better than mine.

For the unaware, he was blinded during WWII.

Amazingly Charlie was a good golfer despite his blindness!

 

[rolltide_21]

I wonder if Knute Rockne Christian's parents were disappointed he played for the Tide instead of the Irish