1955 Topps All-American #34 Davey O'Brien
Played two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. As a rookie in 1939 he broke Sammy Baugh's NFL record for passing yards in a season. He later left football to become an FBI agent.
About Davey O'Brien
Davey O'Brien stood just 5-foot-7, yet in 1938 he produced one of the greatest seasons a college quarterback has ever had. Following Sammy Baugh at TCU, he threw 19 touchdown passes against only four interceptions while piloting the Horned Frogs to an 11-0 record, a Sugar Bowl win over Carnegie Tech, and the national championship. He became the first player to win the Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Award in the same season, and he remains the smallest player ever to take home the Heisman. With the Philadelphia Eagles in 1939 he led the NFL with 1,324 passing yards, breaking Baugh's league record as a rookie, and in his 1940 finale he completed a then-record 33 passes against Washington. O'Brien then walked away from football to spend a decade as an FBI special agent. Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1955, he lives on in the Davey O'Brien Award, given each year to the nation's best quarterback.
Sources: Wikipedia · College Football Hall of Fame · Heisman Trust · Football reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 483 | 1 | 22 | 93 | 143 | 128 | 48 | 48 | 0 |
| SGC | 90 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 20 | 17 | 19 | 25 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-08-23. Half grades fold down for both graders (8.5→8); PSA qualified slabs (OC, ST, PD, MC and the like) are not counted. Uncataloged wrong-back slabs are excluded.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1955 Topps All-American Davey O'Brien card?
It is card #34 of the 100-card 1955 Topps All-American Football set. It features Davey O'Brien and TCU in Topps's college-football tribute issue.
Is 1955 Topps All-American #34 Davey O'Brien a rookie card?
Yes. The checklist marks #34 Davey O'Brien as a rookie card.
Is Davey O'Brien in the College Football Hall of Fame?
Yes. Davey O'Brien is represented among the set's College Football Hall of Fame subjects.
Did Davey O'Brien win the Heisman Trophy?
Yes. Davey O'Brien won the Heisman Trophy in 1938. Eleven Heisman winners appear in the set.
How many cards are in the 1955 Topps All-American Football set?
The public checklist has 100 numbered cards. The optional 102-item Master adds the second cataloged biography-back state for #14 Gaynell Tinsley and #21 Byron R. White. Alleged short prints are not encoded.
Sources: PSA Basic Registry, PSA Master Registry, Trading Card Database, Vintage Football Card Gallery, and Cardboard Connection, PSA & SGC population reports. Card data compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-10-25.
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