I’m a lifelong BYU fan, a BYU graduate, and an avid collector of sports cards. In recent years, I've begun specializing in rare, autographed cards of BYU players in their BYU uniforms. Instead of just keeping these cardboard treasures to myself, in this video series entitled "BYU Cards Tell Stories", I'm opening up my collection and sharing them with you.
In this episode, I'm sharing my collection of autographed cards of BYU quarterback legends, reminding the football world that BYU is Quarterback U.
Among my collection are autographed cards for these legends:
Steve Young - 2014 SP Authentic with a PSA 9 grade. The two-time NFL MVP, seven-time Pro Bowler, three-time Super Bowl champ, and Hall of Famer is a must-have autograph in a BYU fan's collection.
Ty Detmer - 1991 Pro Set Heisman Hero with the autograph authenticated by Beckett Grading Services. Just let these stats set in: As a sophomore at BYU he threw for 4,560 yards and 32 touchdowns. As a junior he threw for 5,188 yards and 41 touchdowns. As a senior he added 4,031 and 35 more scores. College GOAT!
Taysom Hill - Unfortunately I can't find any autographed cards featuring Taysom Hill in his BYU uniform (if anybody knows of an authenticated one - I'm willing to pay!) so I had to cheat a little bit and buy his NFL rookie card instead.
Jim McMahom - 2011 Exquisite Masterpieces autographed booklet numbered to just 25. While I don't love booklet cards, the image of him celebrating the 1981 Holiday Bowl is iconic and with a population of just 25 cards produced, it's quite rare.
John Beck - 2007 Sage Silver Level numbered to 400 (not 4,000 as stated in the video). Beck, a second round NFL pick, sometimes gets forgotten in the pantheon of BYU greats. Look, the dude threw for 11,021 yards and 79 touchdowns in Provo. That's a remarkable career.
Zach Wilson - 2022 National Treasures jumbo patch autograph numbered to 75. National Treasures is perhaps my favorite type of card. Zach Wilson is one of my favorite BYU players. This card numbered to just 75 had to go in my collection.
Jaren Hall - 2022 Bowman's Best University autographed gold card numbered to 75. Collectors like myself love autographed, numbered gold cards, and this Jaren Hall is a beautiful one for the collection.
Jake Retzlaff - 2024 Leaf Metal State of Pride Earth Mojo 1/1. Oh, baby! That 1-of-1 designation is the holy grail for collectors. Sure, Leaf produces a ton of different variations that each have their own 1-of-1, but I've got one of Jake Retzlaff celebrating his "state of pride" playing in the great state of Utah. While I wish things would have turned out differently for Jake, the 11-2 season he led BYU to in 2024 will go down as an all-time great year for the Cougars, and he will always be a part of it.