Listed at six-foot-four and 264 pounds, Brandon Jacobs certainly fits the description of a power back. Football card collectors have a history of falling in love with just those types of runners, so the New York Giants battering ram just may find himself the object of their affection.
Jacobs originally attended Auburn, but after battling for playing time with future first-round draft picks Ronnie Brown and Cadillac Williams, he transferred to Southern Illinois. The Giants already had All-Pro running back Tiki Barber when Jacobs entered the 2005 NFL Draft, but he intrigued the team enough to take him in the fourth round, 110th overall.
In his rookie season, Jacobs saw duty mainly in short yardage and goal line situations. He managed just 2.6 yards per carry but scored seven times. His workload increased in 2006 - which turned out to be Barber's final season - and he found his way into the end zone nine times.
Injuries prevented Jacobs from taking as many snaps as the Giants had planned in 2007, but he made the most of his 11 games, averaging five yards a pop on his way to his first 1000-yard season. Though he once again found himself in a running back rotation, this time with speedy rookie Ahmad Bradshaw, he played an important role in New York's playoff run, scoring touchdowns in all three games en route to Super Bowl XLII.
There's no question Jacobs is a handful to bring down, and his tough, straightforward style is bound to keep him a favorite of New York fans and collectors. His status as a second day draft pick means his 2005 rookie cards aren't that hard to find, even autographed issues like his Finest # 163 and his SP Authentic # 205.
Brandon Jacobs 2005 Rookie Cards
- Absolute Memorabilia # 168 - #'d to 999
- Bazooka # 186
- Bowman # 122
- Bowman Chrome # 255 - autographed
- Bowman's Best # 134 - autographed, #'d to 999
- Donruss Classics # 185 - #'d to 1499
- Donruss Elite # 112 - #'d to 499
- Donruss Gridiron Gear # 135 - #'d to 399
- Exquisite Collection # 54 - autographed, #'d to 150
- Finest # 163 - autographed
- Leaf Certified Materials # 172 - #'d to 1000
- Leaf Limited # 156 - #'d to 250
- Leaf Rookies and Stars # 206 - #'d to 799
- Leaf Rookies and Stars Longevity # 206 - #'d to 599
- Playoff Contenders # 110 - autographed
- Playoff Honors # 119 - #'d to 699
- Playoff Prestige # 172
- Reflections # 198 - #'d to 699
- Score # 379
- SP Authentic # 205 - autographed, #'d to 850
- SPx # 158 - #'d to 1199
- Sweet Spot # 188 - #'d to 499
- Throwback Threads # 170 - #'d to 999
- Topps # 378
- Topps Chrome # 216
- Topps Heritage # 354 - SP
- Topps Pristine # 100
- Topps Total # 534
- Topps Turkey Red # 213
- UD Portraits # 194 - #'d to 425
- Ultimate Collection # 244 - autographed, #'d to 225
- Ultra # 247
- Upper Deck Foundations # 225 - autographed, #'d to 699
- Upper Deck Legends # 119 - #'d to 725
- Upper Deck Rookie Debut # 192
- Zenith # 105 - #'d to 999