Five cards of former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue

Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue died on Sunday. He was 84.

Tagliabue, who succeeded Pete Rozelle as the NFL’s fourth commissioner in 1989, served in the role until 2006. Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020, Tagliabue was "the ultimate steward of the game," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement on Sunday.

A basketball player as an undergraduate at Georgetown University, Tagliabue didn't play football. Still, trading card manufacturers included Tagliabue on the checklist for multiple sets, including one card commemorating his time on the basketball court with the Hoyas.

1990 Pro Set (#785)

Paul Tagliabue 1990 Pro Set Football (#785) card — Paul Tagliabue did his part to bring the NFL to cities and countries all over the world. His 1990 Pro Set Football (#785) card commemorates his visit to the Berlin Wall in 1990. | Card Ladder/eBay

The image on the front of Tagliabue’s first licensed NFL card is a photo of him visiting the Berlin Wall in August 1990. The back of the card mentions Tagliabue’s decision to “expand international series to include Germany this year,” with the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles playing a preseason game in Berlin on Aug. 11, 1990.

There are two variations of this card. One says Tagliabue “peered through historic Berlin Wall” in the description on the back of the card, while Tagliabue “poses at historic Berlin Wall” in the other version.

1990 Pro Set Commemorative Collectibles (#2)

Paul Tagliabue 1990 Pro Set Football Commemorative Collectibles (#2) card — Paul Tagliabue's time as NFL commissioner included the league's expansion to 32 teams. Tagliabue's 1990 Pro Set Football Commemorative Collectibles (#2) card highlights his first few months as Pete Rozelle's successor. | Card Ladder/eBay

Found in 1990 Pro Set Series I packs, the card commemorates Tagliabue becoming the “seventh elected leader” of the NFL on Oct. 28, 1989, after Rozelle’s retirement. The back of the card rattles off a few of the key moments in Tagliabue’s first few months on the job, including “supporting instant replay” and “helping to navigate largest TV contract in entertainment history.”

1991 Collegiate Collection Georgetown Hoyas (#79)

The text on the back of the card states that Tagliabue is pictured “presenting the Championship Trophy, from the 1961 Richmond Invitational, to Father Ed Bunn,” who served as Georgetown University’s 43rd president for 12 years (1952-64). The card makes note of Tagliabue’s 584 career rebounds with the Hoyas and the 11.3 points per game he averaged while captaining the 1961-62 squad.

1992 Pro Line Portraits Collectibles (#7)

Produced during the sports card hobby’s Junk Wax Era, the NFL Pro Line series utilized casual photos as the card’s primary images instead of in-uniform action shots. There are autographed versions of Tagliabue’s card, as the 1992 Pro Line Portraits set featured some of the first pack-pulled autographs collectors could chase.

2022 Panini NSCC Football Hall of Fame Private Signings (#PT)

Limited to 25 copies, Tagliabue’s autographed card from the 2022 National Sports Collectors Convention was available in Silver Packs, which could be obtained through wrapper redemptions at the event. The set included Tagliabue and the other members of the 2020 Hall of Fame class, including the five-member Modern-Era class (running back Edgerrin James, wide receiver Isaac Bruce, offensive lineman Steve Hutchinson and defensive backs Steve Atwater and Troy Polamalu.