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Description

As "sweet" as it gets...

1976 Topps Walter Payton Rookie #148 PSA Gem Mint 10. In the thirteen seasons following his first round acquisition in the 1975 NFL draft, this superstar running back refashioned the record books in his image, claiming the top ranking in a vast array of career categories including rushing yards, touchdowns, carries, yards from scrimmage, all-purpose yards and more. His coach and a Hall of Fame player in his own right, Mike Ditka, called Payton the greatest football player he'd ever seen, but an even greater human being. Today the annual award presented to the NFL player offering the greatest service to his community fittingly bears Payton's name.

Those hoping for the next incarnation of the iconic Gale Sayers saw Payton's 679 yards in 1975 as a considerable disappointment and wondered if their first draft pick had been wasted. They were wrong. Payton more than doubled his production in 1976 and earned his first of nine Pro Bowl appearances. In 1977, he'd set a single-game record of 275 yards while playing with a 101-degree fever, and went on to lead the NFL in rushing yards for the season. With each successive Sunday, the number 148 card of the 1976 Topps Football set more firmly established itself as the decade's most coveted card and Payton as the face of the Chicago Bears.

Graded PSA Gem Mint 10. Here we present his rookie card, a specimen bestowed with a grade enjoyed by the small sample size of 52 other examples with a PSA population surpassing 11,000. A discussion of the card's physical attributes becomes moot, as every point of consideration--color, registration, centering and condition--is quite literally unimprovable. PSA assigns a Gem Mint rating only with the greatest reluctance, but there was no other option available with this submission.


Auction Info

Auction Dates
August, 2022
27th-28th Saturday-Sunday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 22
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 1,791

Buyer's Premium per Lot:
20% of the successful bid per lot.

Sold on Aug 27, 2022 for: $75,000.00
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