Leonard Hankerson Swatch Card

Leonard Hankerson was a third-round draft pick of the Washington Redskins in 2011, and he made the team right away, playing in 4 games - 2 as a starter - with 13 receptions and 163 yards for an average of 12.5 per catch.

He got even better in 2012, playing in all 16 games, starting 5, and gaining 543 yards, for an average of 14.3 per catch. He also had his first three touchdowns.

Though he isn't the fastest runner, he rarely misses a catch, and I think eventually he can become a reliable 1000-yard man for a few seasons, especially on a team with standout quarterback Robert Griffin III.

So I was more than happy when I pulled this card out of a pack of Panini's 2011 Rookies And Stars Longevity (card #9 of the Freshman Orientation sub-set, serial numbered 133/249):

It features a patch that Panini guarantees is made of ''event-worn material''. It'd be kind of weird if it hadn't, but then again, Upper Deck has made some of those...

Marcell Dareus Swatch Card

I've been relatively lucky with my (American) football 'hits' in the card world these past few years, especially since I pretty much only purchase one or two packs per year. Other times, I go to Ebay for a Colin Kapernick 99-cent jersey card.

In this instance, I pulled a first-round draft pick jersey card, Marcell Dareus of the Buffalo Bills, who wears jersey #99 - one that will never again be worn in NHL hockey. It's from Panini's 2011 Rookies And Stars Longevity (card #17 of the Freshman Orientation sub-set, serial numbered 152/249), and is an event-worn swatch:

I am particularly fond of the many double-entendres on the back of his card, in a year where homosexuality was discussed at great lengths in American sports:

Dareus had 82 tackes and 11 sacks in 2 full seasons with the Bills. He is an alumni of the reigning NCAA champions Alabama Crimson Tide, the third Alabama player drafted by the Bills.