He was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the 1958 draft along with 3 other Cougars. Of course the draft had many more rounds back then. Wharton was chosen in the 11th round. Other Cougars in the draft were Don Caraway (4th round), Don McDonald (29th), and John Peters (30th). He played for the Houston Oilers from 1960 to 1963.
Today's card is the 1960 Fleer #18. This is Wharton's only card from a major manufacturer. You can probably tell from previous posts that I love these vintage cards even though they look very unsophisticated by today's standards. This card has a typical fake action pose. And just look at that face. Classic expression. The back has no statistics, not surprising for a Tackle. Instead there is a brief history of Wharton's career.
Surprisingly there are three Cougars in the 1960 Fleer set. Also in the set are Don Flynn (#32) and Curley Johnson (#123).
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4 comments:
Hi NTXCoug,
The old Fleer sets are among my favorites; thanks for posting the background on Mr. Wharton. I hadn't noticed that the 1960 Fleer set featured 3 Houston alumni, but I have noticed that the early AFL teams tended to have players from colleges nearby. Don Flynn and Curley Johnson, the other two Houston players you mentioned, appear on Dallas Texans cards in the 1960 Fleer set.
There was also a Houston pennant among the set of 1960 Fleer pennant stickers. It's unfortunately one that I don't have.
In case you haven't seen it, here is a link to a lot of old football cards of Houston alumni.
Thanks for the feedback nearmint. I'm very familiar with the link you sent. I should put it on my link list because it's a great reference not only for UH cards, but for other vintage collectors.
I've glanced at your blog and have it bookmarked. Looks like a site I could spend alot of time on.
Im his granddaughter lindsi wharton! hehehehehe
Hi Lindsi! Thank you for your comment. It's great to hear from anyone associated with an early Cougar great.
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