12 Most Valuable 1991 Fleer Ultra Football Cards

1991 Fleer Ultra #283 Brett Favre Rookie Card

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $50

Jerry Glanville was furious when the Atlanta Falcons selected Brett Favre with the 33rd pick of the 1991 NFL Draft.

The Falcons head coach took to the media to express his disgust, quipping that it would require a plane crash for him to play the Southern Miss QB.

Favre’s perceived lack of work ethic and immaturity preceded him to Atlanta, and Glanville didn’t want to reward the young QB’s worst qualities with a job.

Instead of working harder to prove his coach wrong, Favre leaned in, drinking heavily and sulking on the sidelines.

“I tried everything with Brett,’’ Glanville said. “He needed to grow up and he was young, and I even flew in his parents to try to help me with him. But I couldn’t get him to function.”

It was an immediate disaster.

Favre threw just four passes in 1991, two of which resulted in interceptions.

He even missed a team picture and showed up late for multiple meetings.

By the offseason, the situation was too poisonous to run back.

The Falcons shipped Favre to the Green Bay Packers for a first-round pick.

“I was surprised it took them so long to trade me,” Favre said

1991 Fleer Ultra #251 Joe Montana

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $40

There was no bigger football dynasty than the San Francisco 49ers during the 1980s.

And leading them under center was Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana.

The prolific passer was lethal enough in the first half of the decade, leading the 49ers to Super Bowl wins over the Cincinnati Bengals in 1981 and the Miami Dolphins in 1984.

But he became even better when legendary wide receiver Jerry Rice joined the club in 1985.

Year after year, Montana and Rice formed a duo that defensives couldn't stop.

The two would help bring back-to-back Super Bowl titles in 1988 and 1989 with wins over the Bengals and Denver Broncos.

Many fully expected the team to three-peat in 1990, but a devastating hit on Montana forced him out of the 1990 NFC Championship Game versus the New York Giants with multiple injuries.

The Giants would eventually win the game, but the 49ers looked to get back on track ahead of the 1991 season.

Yet, Montana's elbow continued to nag at him, with team staff diagnosing the issue as tendinitis.

Then, on August 13, disaster struck when Montana tore a tendon in his elbow during a team drill.

Montana would miss the entire 1991 season and nearly all of the 1992 season before being traded to Kansas City in 1993..

1991 Fleer Ultra #165 Emmitt Smith

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $35

After an impressive rookie campaign in 1990 that saw Emmitt Smith win Offensive Rookie of the Year and earn Pro Bowl honors, the explosive back was ready for more in 1991.

And there was definitely no sophomore slump in the cards.

Smith would finish the season as the NFL's leader in carries (365), rushing yards (1,563), and skill-position touches (414) as he ran roughshod over the rest of the league.

If that wasn't enough to raise eyebrows already, Smith added 49 receptions for 258 yards and a score.

Two years after finishing with a horrific 1-15 record in 1989, Emmitt Smith helped lead the Dallas Cowboys to a second-place finish in the NFC East at 11-5.

It was enough for a Wild Card berth, marking the first time since 1985 that Dallas had made the postseason.

In the NFC Wild Card Game against the Chicago Bears, Smith carried the ball 26 times for 105 yards and a touchdown to help seal the 17-13 win at Soldier Field.

And though he played well in the NFC Divisional Round against the Detroit Lions with 15 carries for 80 yards, the Cowboys' wheels fell off in a 38-6 rout at the Silverdome.

1991 Fleer Ultra #169 Barry Sanders

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $35

This card is one of my favorite Barry Sanders cards simply because of the imagery on the front.

Anytime a football player is portrayed in a way for which many hobbyists and sports fans remember him, it makes a card that much better.

Seeing Sanders cut to the outside while legendary New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor, arguably the greatest defender in NFL history, looks on helplessly in the background is perfect.

That's who Sanders was.

He was a nightmare for opposing defenses, and no one made defenders miss better than he did.

Assuming this particular moment occurred during the Lions' Week 11 road matchup against New York during the 1990 NFL season, Taylor and the Giants got the last laugh that day, winning 20-0.

They also held Sanders to just 69 rushing yards on eleven carries.

But on that one particular play, perhaps the one where he broke off a nice 17-yard run for a personal best that day, Sanders was in control.

And that's how we'll always remember him, whether the Lions won or lost.

Over his spectacular ten-year NFL career, Sanders led the league in rushing four times, leaving a legacy as arguably the greatest running back in NFL history.

1991 Fleer Ultra #254 Jerry Rice

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $35

From 1985 to 1990, the football world saw the beginning of one of the greatest legacies of any receiver in NFL history unfolding in remarkable fashion.

With Joe Montana at quarterback, Rice worked brilliantly within San Francisco's West Coast offense to devastate opposing secondaries.

Whether it was during the regular season or one of many 49er playoff runs, Rice was the guy to stop if you wanted to beat San Francisco.

Then, suddenly, all that came into question.

When Montana had to miss the entire 1991 season because of elbow surgery, nobody knew if Rice would be the same.

As it turned out, he wasn't quite the same.

But he was still phenomenal.

In six games with Steve Bono at quarterback and the other ten with Steve Young under center, Rice still shredded defenses to the tune of a league-leading 14 touchdowns.

Sure, his yardage totals were off slightly from his days with Montana.

But Rice and Young would go on to have many successful years as yet another incredible duo for San Francisco.

In fact, Rice's 1,848 receiving yards in 1995 with Young would far outpace his best total with Montana (1,570) from the 1986 season.

1991 Fleer Ultra #35 John Elway

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $30

After losing back-to-back Super Bowls in 1986 and 1987, followed by another Super Bowl loss in 1989, many wondered if John Elway would ever get a ring.

And though he'd win back-to-back titles in 1997 and 1998, Elway entered the 1991 NFL season with a reputation for being a postseason bust.

Unfortunately, the 1991 NFL playoffs only furthered that reputation.

Elway was as prolific as ever during the regular season, completing 53.7% of his 451 attempts for 3,253 yards and 13 touchdowns.

With a 12-4 record, the Broncos captured a fifth AFC West title with the future Hall of Famer under center.

And with the league's third-best defense coming along for the ride, things looked good for a deep playoff run.

But it didn't go as smoothly as Broncos fans had hoped.

In the AFC Divisional Round against the Houston Oilers, Denver eeked out a 26-24 win thanks to a game-winning field goal sparked by an Elway comeback drive.

Thousands of faithful fans at Mile High Stadium roared excitedly and looked ahead to the AFC Championship Game.

However, the Buffalo Bills soon crushed their hopes by shutting Elway down to win the game 10-7.

1991 Fleer Ultra #88 Dan Marino

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $30

Over his seventeen-year Hall of Fame career, Miami Dolphins legend Dan Marino was a nine-time Pro Bowler, three-time All-Pro, the 1984 MVP, and led the NFL in passing five times.

He changed the game forever when he established the record for most passing yards (5,084) and touchdowns (48) in a single season in 1984.

It would be 20 years before Peyton Manning threw 49 touchdowns in 2004 and even longer before Drew Brees threw for 5,476 yards in 2011 to break Marino's records.

Clearly, Marino was ahead of his time.

In 1991, he was as prolific as ever, tossing for 3,970 yards and 25 touchdowns to help the Dolphins' offense finish third in the NFL in passing, sixth in points scored, and seventh in total offense.

For the sixth time in his career, Marino would be named a Pro Bowler for his fantastic performance.

However, the Miami defense was horrible against the run that year, finishing second-to-last in total rushing defense and 24th in the league in points allowed.

At 8-8, the Dolphins finished third in the AFC East, missing out on the postseason for the fourth time in five years.

1991 Fleer Ultra #150 Deion Sanders

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $30

Just as Barry Sanders' card boasts some powerful imagery, Deion Sanders' also contains an epic shot of the shutdown corner facing off against legendary wideout Jerry Rice.

There is so much history packed into this one image.

From 1989 to 1993, whenever the division rival San Francisco 49ers and Atlanta Falcons faced one another, Atlanta fans had a chance to watch Sanders try to stop Rice.

Jerry Rice was arguably the best wide receiver ever to play in the NFL.

And Deion Sanders was arguably the best cornerback to ever play in the NFL.

Watching the two face off against one another was a rare treat.

And it's likely we'll never again see two of the greatest at their respective positions go head-to-head as Sanders and Rice did.

As for how the two matchups in 1991 went, Rice caught seven passes for 138 yards and a touchdown in the first game.

But in the second game, he caught six passes for just 44 yards after Steve Young left the game due to injury, while Sanders recorded his second interception of the season with a 23-yard return.

Most importantly for Sanders and Atlanta fans, the Falcons won both games that year.

1991 Fleer Ultra #224 Lawrence Taylor

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $30

The 1991 Pro Bowl looked a bit strange, as someone was clearly missing.

After ten straight seasons of making the Pro Bowl since his rookie campaign in 1991, Lawrence Taylor wasn't on the roster for the NFC.

During those ten seasons, Taylor became the most feared defender in the league and began laying the foundation for one of the greatest defensive careers in NFL history.

Entering the 1991 season, Taylor was a ten-time Pro Bowler, ten-time All-Pro, three-time Defensive Player of the Year, and league MVP (1986) while sporting two Super Bowl rings.

But coming off that second Super Bowl win from the Giants' razor-thin 20-19 victory over the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXV, Taylor wasn't his usual self during the 1991 season.

Whether caused by former head coach Bill Parcells' retirement ahead of the season, his declining speed and power at age 32, or some other underlying issue, Taylor's production dropped noticeably.

In fourteen games, Taylor recorded just seven sacks.

After the workload he endured over the previous ten seasons and the high level at which he played every game, a drop-off was due at some point.

Still, even a declining version of LT wasn't something any offense wanted to see on the other side of the ball.

1991 Fleer Ultra #162 Troy Aikman

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $25

Troy Aikman's right knee had held up in 1991.

The third-year QB completed 65.3% of his passes in '91 for 2,754 yards with 11 touchdowns against 10 interceptions in 12 games.

Aikman's TD/INT ratio wasn't great, but his completion rate was the second-best of his 12-year Hall-of-Fame career.

On November 24th, Aikman tore a collateral ligament in his right knee, ending his regular season before the team's final playoff push.

Dallas coach Jimmy Johnson said, "We don't want him back until he can be productive and not endanger himself."

Dallas had a great Plan B: let backup Steve Beuerlein play game manager and pound the run with Emmitt Smith.

The Cowboys rallied around the fallen Aikman to close the regular season, winning their last five to streak into the playoffs at 11-5.

That's where a healthy Aikman could have done wonders.

Instead, Beuerlein was bailed out by Smith and the defense in a 17-13 Wild Card Round win over Chicago before submerging the offense in a 38-6 Divisional Round loss to Detroit.

Aikman replaced Beuerlein late in the first half, but it was too late.

1991 Fleer Ultra #291 Herman Moore Rookie Card

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $25

By 1991, it was clear to the Detroit Lions that they would have stability in the running game for years as long as Barry Sanders could stay healthy.

So with the 1991 NFL Draft approaching, the team looked to strengthen their passing attack to open the field even more.

Fortunately, Universtiy of Virginia standout Herman Moore was still on the board when it was their turn to pick at the number ten spot.

Though he possessed incredible talent, it took a while for Moore to warm up to the professional level.

However, over the 13 games he played in 1991, he started in only one while reeling in 11 passes for 135 yards.

The Lions were puzzled.

As it turned out, though Moore regularly needed contacts to help correct his poor vision, he neglected to wear them during those regular season games.

Fortunately, before the Divisional Round against the Dallas Cowboys, Moore decided to wear his contacts again.

The result?

Moore caught six passes for 87 yards and a touchdown, helping Detroit defeat Dallas 38-6.

Detroit would later fall to the Washington Redskins in the NFC Championship, but they had found a star at wideout for years to come.

1991 Fleer Ultra #297 Ricky Watters Rookie Card

Estimated PSA 10 Value: $25

After Roger Craig left for the Los Angeles Raiders before the 1991 NFL season, the San Francisco 49ers were on the hunt for a new feature running back.

They found their man in the 1991 NFL Draft, selecting Nebraska product Ricky Watters midway through the second round.

It had all the makings of a draft-day steal.

"Ricky's a miniature Bo Jackson," 49ers tackle (and former teammate of Jackson) Steve Wallace said. "He has more moves than Bo and better lateral movement. He's able to lower his shoulders and run through people like Bo did."

It was high praise for an unproven rookie.

Watters had the confidence and athleticism to prove Wallace right, yet his body wasn't willing to cooperate in year one.

The 22-year-old halfback broke his right foot in a July practice and was initially supposed to miss six to eight weeks.

The rehab process proved much slower and more complicated than expected, and the 49ers ultimately made the call to sit Watters out for the entire '91 campaign.

1991 Fleer Ultra Football Cards In Review

The Brett Favre rookie card is the key to the set, but that doesn't mean it's far superior in price to some of the other big-name Hall of Famers, such as Montana, Sanders, and Rice.

Huge production volumes hurt just about every card equally in the 300-card checklist.

And, again, collectors weren't as wowed by the "premium" look of these as they were Upper Deck and Stadium Club.

Like most premium sets, Fleer didn't go too crazy with the subsets but did include these:

• Draft Picks (#279 - 298)
• Checklists (#299 - 300)

Overall, this set has plenty of plusses, including a decent rookie card crop and plenty of Hall of Famers.

And whether you like the design or not, the importance of this set is marked primarily by it being Fleer's first attempt at a premium football card set.

For that reason, it still carries some noteworthy significance.