Upper Deck 2002 "Legendary Cuts" Offer Collectors The Thrill of Obtaining Some Rare Cut Signatures

Where can you find the autographs of 29 deceased football legends?

Well, you can hunt for years at memorabilia shows, bid at auctions and search on eBay. You can rummage through antique shops on the off-chance that you'll discover the autograph of one of these gridiron greats in an ephemera cache hidden amid all that glassware, jewelry and furniture.

Or you can search through packs of Upper Deck 2002 "Legendary Cuts" football cards.

That series produced by the California-based cardmaker has 210 base cards and a generous sprinkling of subsets and inserts picturing current National Football League players. But, for collectors of vintage football autographs, the cards are embedded with cut signatures of so many gridiron greats that pulling one from a pack can feel like catching a "Hail Mary" touchdown pass that pulls victory from defeat.