My American Football League Program project has had me in an even more retro mood than normal. And as I wind down the bulk of the work (programs and media guides through the 1966 season are up now), I’m already looking for a new project. And so I struck upon the idea of retro football cards. So what’s that mean, you ask?

Simply put these are actual football cards from yesteryear, modified to show modern players. I haven’t collected football cards for years, as it stopped being a fun hobby when I saw it turning into big business. But when I was into it, I amassed a pretty decent collection. I still have most of them, in fact, and treasure them more than any of the baseball cards I collected.

So this project is a way for me to reconnect with the joy of collecting, as well as a way to keep my Photoshop skills up — meager as they are. So my first retro card, for no particular reason, is New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees. I used a 1969 Billy Kilmer Topps card as the template. I think it turned out OK for my first try.

The only “new” elements are the picture of Brees, of course, and the text for his name.

I had a hard time finding a picture of Drew Brees striking some kind of football pose — but without his helmet — that looks more like the types of poses featured in cards of this period. Cards in the ’60s didn’t feature action shots as a rule.

I hope to do more of these, so if anyone reading this has a suggestion I’m open.

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