Though you won't find any blockbuster hobby icons in the 1993 Score football card set, you will find some great-looking cards of the biggest superstars of the day.
From big-name rookies like Jerome Bettis and Drew Bledsoe to all-time greats like Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and Barry Sanders, the 440-card checklist packed plenty of punch.
And the design was really well done...
Score pulled off a clean and straightforward look that showcases each player in a terrific action shot.
The imagery certainly isn't boring.
That attention to detail stood for something in a market flooded by over-printing and competition.
And in this guide, we'll take a look at the 12 most valuable.
Let's jump right in!
1993 Score #306 Jerome Bettis Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $40
The Los Angeles Rams were a mess on the field in 1993.
But, they struck gold with the tenth pick of the draft.
Former Notre Dame running back Jerome Bettis flourished in head coach Chuck Knox's run-first offense, bruising his way to a full-time starting role by the team's sixth game.
He ran with the opportunity all the way to the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
Nicknamed "The Battering Ram" for his punishing downhill rushing style, Bettis finished second in the NFL with 1,429 rushing yards.
While every other facet of the five-win Rams sputtered, Bettis keyed the league's fifth-ranked rushing attack.
He led the league in rushes of ten or more yards (38), rushes for a first down (79), and tied for the NFL lead with seven games of 100 rushing yards or more.
A First-Team All-Pro out of the gates, Bettis appeared poised to follow in Earl Campbell's footsteps as the face of the franchise.
It wasn't to be, thanks to one of the most baffling trades in NFL history just over a year later.
1993 Score #1 Barry Sanders
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $35
After tasting playoff success in 1991, Barry Sanders and the Detroit Lions had high hopes for a postseason return during the 1993 NFL season.
With a 7-3 record heading into their Thanksgiving showdown with the Chicago Bears, things were looking promising.
And then, the Lions received one of the worst scares imaginable.
On his sixteenth carry of the day, Sanders sprained his knee on the Silverdome astroturf.
Detroit fell to Chicago 6-10 and but perhaps even more troubling, their superstar running back would miss the rest of the regular season.
In his absence, the Lions went 3-2 over the remaining five to capture first place in the NFC Central at 10-6 overall.
With Sanders back in the lineup for their Wild Card showdown with the division rival Green Bay Packers, Motown was ready to rock.
Detroit relied on Sanders all day, giving him the ball 27 times.
It wasn't enough.
Thanks to some late-game heroics from Brett Favre, Green Bay won the game 28-24, leaving the hometown Detroit crowd in shock.
1993 Score #14 Emmitt Smith
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $35
From holdout to hero, Emmitt Smith's 1993 NFL season is etched in Dallas Cowboys lore.
After helping the Cowboys destroy the Buffalo Bills 52-17 in Super Bowl XXVII, the reigning MVP wanted to negotiate a new contract.
And he wanted that contract to make him the highest-paid running back in the NFL.
From the outside looking in, Smith certainly had a case.
However, team owner Jerry Jones wasn't easily convinced.
And so, a staredown ensued.
Neither Smith nor Jones would give in.
Not until Dallas lost their first two regular season games at least.
Under tremendous pressure from the rest of the team, Jones finally folded and etched Smith to a four-year, $13.6 million contract.
It turned out to be a wise decision.
Over the next fourteen games, Dallas would go 12-2 behind Smith's league-leading 1,486 rushing yards and 1,900 yards from scrimmage.
In their second-straight Super Bowl appearance, again versus the Buffalo Bills, Smith ripped off 132 yards and two touchdowns to lead Dallas to a 30-13 victory.
Super Bowl MVP honors were just icing on the cake for Smith.
1993 Score #235 Jerry Rice
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $35
Seven weeks into 1993, it appeared the first year of the Joe Montana divorce would be a messy one in San Francisco.
The 49ers traded wins and losses in their first six contests, looking uninspired at times.
And then the offense caught fire during a crucial six-game winning streak that ultimately secured the franchise a seventh NFC West title in eight years.
You have Jerry Rice to thank for that.
Even when the Niners scuffled, the superstar wide receiver was the most valuable offensive threat in the game.
An easy choice for the 1993 NFL Offensive Player of the Year, Rice paced the league in receiving yards (1,503), receiving touchdowns (15), receiving yards per game (93.9), and receptions of 20 yards or more (24).
73.5% of his receptions resulted in a first down, an awe-inspiring rate for such a high-volume wideout.
It was one of the best years of an unparalleled career, good enough for a seventh First-Team All-Pro selection and a third-place finish in the league’s MVP race.
And while it all ended with a thud (yet again) against the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Championship Game, Rice’s otherworldly regular season was a sight to behold.
1993 Score #253 Joe Montana
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $35
While a nagging hamstring injury cost him five games of the 1993 regular season, Joe Montana’s debut with the Kansas City Chiefs was an unquestionable success.
Effectively pushed out of San Francisco, Montana arrived in KC with a sizeable chip on his shoulder.
The team tasked the future Hall of Famer with taking a playoff team to the next level in Kansas City.
And he did it, leading the Chiefs to their first conference title game of the post-merger era.
Earning his eighth-and-final Pro Bowl nod, Montana went 8-3 in the regular season to capture KC’s first division championship in 22 years.
His numbers were, admittedly, modest compared to performances of seasons past.
But, his 60.7% completion rate, 2,144 passing yards, and 13 passing TDs did the trick for the 11-win AFC West champs.
Come playoff time, Montana went full legacy mode, orchestrating two thrilling comeback wins against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Oilers.
The AFC Championship Game, however, was a different story.
Montana left the game with a concussion three plays into the third quarter, and the Chiefs’ season ended with a deflating 30-13 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
1993 Score #265 Dan Marino
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $30
When Dan Marino went down with an Achilles injury in Week 6 of the '93 season, the Miami Dolphins' playoff hopes went down with him.
The 32-year-old quarterback was playing his best ball since his 1984 MVP campaign, completing 60.7% of his passes for 1,218 yards with eight touchdowns, three interceptions, and a sterling 95.9 passer rating.
Miami should have been in the mix for an AFC title, but fate decided otherwise.
Marino ruptured his right Achilles tendon in a Week 6 road win over Cleveland, ending his season right then and there.
The injury wasn't just a season killer.
It haunted Marino for the rest of his Hall-of-Fame career.
"It didn't actually heal all the way," Marino said. "It was elongated, so I had to deal with not being able to get up on my toe for the rest of my career, basically."
Miami finished off Cleveland to go to 4-1 before their second bye week.
However, backup quarterbacks Scott Mitchell and Steve DeBerg went just 5-6 the rest of the way, and the Dolphins fell short of the postseason at 9-7.
1993 Score #25 Brett Favre
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $25
You had to take the bad with the good with Brett Favre.
When the young QB joined the Green Bay Packers in 1992, his considerable talent and arm strength instantly pulled the franchise out of a haze of mediocrity.
Now the Packers had someone who made them exciting.
Now, they were relevant.
And now they were on the stomach-twisting ride of their lives.
After an efficient Pro Bowl campaign in 1992, the 24-year-old quarterback eschewed game management for a "wing it and fling it" mentality in 1993.
It worked and it didn't.
Favre led 9-7 Green Bay to the league's sixth-best scoring offense, completing 60.9% of his passes for 3,303 yards and 19 touchdowns.
On the flip side of the coin, Favre threw a league-worst 24 interceptions, likely costing the team a chance at the NFC Central title.
Either way, he was the right guy for the job.
Favre amassed 204 yards and three TDs in Green Bay's first playoff win since the strike-shortened '82 campaign, 28-24 over the division-champion Lions.
He threw two killer picks in a 27-17 Divisional Round loss to Dallas, yet still contributed 331 yards and two touchdowns in defeat.
1993 Score #40 John Elway
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $25
With Dan Reeves gone and Wade Phillips in as Denver's new head coach, John Elway didn't have to worry about his job security in 1993.
It also helped that Elway played the best football of his career so far.
In the five years following his 1986 NFL MVP season, Elway threw seven more interceptions (80) than he did touchdown passes (73).
His completion percentage hovered around 55%, and he failed to make an All-Pro Team over that half-decade stretch.
With first-round pick Tommy Maddox glued to the bench and his biggest critic now coaching the Giants, Elway had a better overall year than he did during his award-winning '86 campaign.
The 33-year-old QB captained the third-best scoring offense in the league and led all quarterbacks in completions (348), passing attempts (551), and passing yards (4,030).
He also set new career bests in completion rate (63.2), passing touchdowns (25), and passer rating (92.8).
He also set a new career low with ten interceptions.
The 9-7 Broncos eked into the postseason but could not get past the rival Raiders in the Wild Card Round.
Elway went for 302 yards and three scores, but the defense let him down in a 42-24 loss.
1993 Score #238 Troy Aikman
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $25
Defending Super Bowl champion Troy Aikman wasted little time prepping for the 1993 campaign, hoping to repeat the previous year's success.
And with the notable exception of Emmitt Smith, most of the same pieces from the previous Super Bowl team were still intact.
With a loaded roster, it was time to keep the pedal to the metal.
But after an 0-2 start, the nerves in the locker room started to fly.
Emmitt Smith was still holding out for a new contract and the pressure to sign him weighed heavily on team owner Jerry Jones.
Finally, Smith was back.
And the team began to hit full stride.
Aikman averaged a league-high 69.1 completion percentage and a career-high 7.9 yards per passing attempt.
His performance earned him a third-straight Pro Bowl selection.
More importantly for the star quarterback, the Cowboys finished 12-4 to win the NFC East.
After victories over the Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round and NFC Championship, respectively, the Cowboys faced a familiar foe in the Super Bowl: the Buffalo Bills.
Like the previous year, the Cowboys won the Super Bowl in a blowout victory against the Buffalo Bills 30-13.
1993 Score #308 Drew Bledsoe Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $25
The New England Patriots won just 14 games from 1989 - 1992.
They scored just 202 points in '92 en route to a league-worst 2-14 record.
Foxboro was a wasteland, especially at the quarterback position.
In early '93, though, things were looking up.
The Pats replaced Bill MacPherson with former Super Bowl-winning Giants coach Bill Parcells.
And with the first pick of the '93 Draft, they found their franchise guy in Washington State quarterback Drew Bledsoe.
The 6-foot-5, rocket-armed quarterback had the most gorgeous throwing motion in the scouting pool.
He was also happy to be in New England, regardless of the team's past failures.
"There are a lot of positives," said Bledsoe. "The hiring of Coach Parcells is a big positive. For the No. 1 in the draft to be able to play for a coach who has won two Super Bowls is a big positive."
There weren't a lot of positives in '93.
Bledsoe suffered an MCL sprain that cost him a few games and completed under 50.0% of his passes (49.9%) with 15 touchdowns against 15 interceptions in the 13 games he did play.
New England finished 5-11, a game out of the AFC East cellar.
1993 Score #222 Deion Sanders
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $20
One of the few players in NFL history to successfully play the trio of defense, offense, and special teams, Deion Sanders could do it all.
And that was just on the football field.
Sanders even spent time in Major League Baseball, primarily with the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds.
But staying on the subject of football, the 1993 NFL season would be his last with the Atlanta Falcons.
Sanders started just ten games for the organization, finishing third in AP Defensive Player of the Year Voting.
On defense, Sanders recorded 7 interceptions for 91 total yards while chipping in 169 total yards of kick returns on special teams.
On offense, he collected 106 total yards in some occasional play at wide receiver.
Sadly, Sander’s Falcons were nowhere near as talented overall as their top defensive player.
At 6-10, they sunk to 3rd in the NFC West behind the San Francisco 49ers and the New Orleans Saints, nowhere near qualifying for a playoff spot.
1993 Score #435 Lawrence Taylor
Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $20
Lawrence Taylor left football on his terms after the 1993 NFL season.
One of the greatest defensive players ever, Taylor reversed course on a 1992 retirement after suffering a season-ending Achilles injury.
With a bitter taste in his mouth, LT signed a new deal with the New York Giants for one last go-around.
The Giants pulled out all the stops for their Hall-of-Fame outside linebacker in '93, improving to 11-5 to make the playoffs for the first time since 1990.
Taylor had a solid year in his 13th-and-final season, collecting six sacks and recovering a fumble for the NFL's top-scoring defense.
While he wasn't the same dynamite edge rusher of years past, he was a terrific on-field general for the most stifling defensive unit in the NFL.
Or, more accurately, the most stifling defensive unit in the regular season.
After vexing the Vikings in a 17-10 Wild Card Round win, the Giants defense shattered in a 44-3 Divisional Round loss to San Francisco.
Second only to Reggie White in career sacks (132.5), Taylor quickly made his intentions known after the wreckage cleared.
"I think it's time to pretty well call it quits," Taylor said succinctly.
1993 Score Football Cards In Review
What I like most about this set is its design.
The team names, player positions and player names were placed around the outer edges in such a way that leaves the focus where it should be: on the full-color photography.
Sure, you could say the same for many sets.
But, I think it's the font that makes it more apparent in this case.
The thin font with significant spacing in between characters works really well.
Design aside, the checklist is full of Hall of Famers and all-time greats, with the Jerome Bettis rookie card being the key to the set.
Like most sets of the era, Score included several different subsets to boost collector interest:
- Rookies (#306 - 315)
- Super Bowl Highlights (#411 - 412)
- Double Trouble (#413 - 416)
- Rookie of the Year (#417 - 420)
- 90 Plus Club (#421 - 430)
- 1992 Season Highlights (#431 - 434)
- Hall of Fame (#436 - 439)
- Man of the Year (#440)
There aren't any cards in this set that are going to break the bank, that's for sure.
But what it lacks in monetary value it certainly makes up for in nostalgia.
If you're not in the hobby for the money, then this set will offer plenty of memories of some of the biggest superstars of the early 1990s.