For every No. 1 draft pick that seizes the attention of football collectors from day one, there's a player who comes out of nowhere and forces people to take notice. Case in point: Arizona Cardinals running back Tim Hightower, who kept defenses honest during the 2008 season as his team made it all the way to the Super Bowl.
Only the most obsessive draftniks knew about Hightower while he racked up yards on the ground for Richmond in the Colonial Athletic Association. Nevertheless, he was on Arizona's radar, at least enough to warrant a fifth-round selection in the 2008 NFL Draft.
Buzz on Hightower coming out of Cardinals camp was that he would be given a look on short yardage and red zone carries, and it turned out that his bruising style was made for those situations. Though he managed just 2.9 yards per carry as a rookie, he found the end zone 10 times.
His scoring exploits continued in the NFC Playoffs, as he added another rushing touchdown and two more through the air. On a crucial fourth-and-one against the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game, it was Hightower, and not veteran Edgerrin James, who got the call and converted.
Hightower's emergence caught card companies a little bit by surprise, and he is not included in many 2008 football sets. The good news for fans who would like to track down his rookie cards is that he does have some very nice autographed issues, including his Absolute Memorabilia # 243 and his Donruss Threads # 241.
Note that on some of his rookie cards he is listed by his full name of Timothy Hightower.
2008 Tim Hightower Rookie Cards
- Absolute Memorabilia # 243 - autographed, #'d to 99
- Bowman # 159
- Bowman Chrome # BC49
- Bowman Sterling # 16
- Donruss Classics # 180 - #'d to 999
- Donruss Gridiron Gear # 195 - #'d to 999
- Donruss Threads # 241 - autographed, #'d to 299
- Leaf Certified Materials # 197 - autographed, #'d to 499
- Leaf Limited # 295 - #'d to 999
- Leaf Rookies and Stars # 181 - #'d to 999
- Leaf Rookies and Stars Longevity # 181 - #'d to 999
- Playoff Contenders # 196 - autographed
- Score # 408
- Select # 408 - #'d to 999