1955 Topps All-American #1 Herman Hickman
Rookie card
About Herman Hickman
Herman Hickman anchored the line for General Robert Neyland's Tennessee powerhouses from 1929 to 1931, a stretch in which the Volunteers went 27-1-2. Built like the professional wrestler he later became, Hickman carried some 230 pounds with startling speed, quick enough to outrun most of Tennessee's backs, and he earned first-team All-America honors at guard in 1931. He played three seasons with the NFL's Brooklyn Dodgers, made All-Pro in 1933, and wrestled as The Tennessee Terror before turning to coaching, first as an Army assistant and then as Yale's head coach from 1948 to 1951. Along the way Hickman became one of football's great characters: a network television host, an early Sports Illustrated staff writer, and a poetry-quoting raconteur celebrated as the Poet Laureate of the Little Smokies. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1959, the year after his death at age 46.
Sources: Wikipedia · College Football Hall of Fame · Football reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 596 | 0 | 18 | 79 | 128 | 136 | 103 | 131 | 1 |
| SGC | 122 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 15 | 24 | 22 | 42 | 3 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-08-23. Half-grades fold down (8.5→8). PSA counts are straight-graded. Uncataloged wrong-back slabs are excluded.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1955 Topps All-American Herman Hickman card?
It is card #1 of the 100-card 1955 Topps All-American Football set. It features Herman Hickman and Tennessee in Topps's college-football tribute issue.
Is 1955 Topps All-American #1 Herman Hickman a rookie card?
Yes. The checklist marks #1 Herman Hickman as a rookie card.
Is Herman Hickman in the College Football Hall of Fame?
Yes. Herman Hickman is represented among the set's College Football Hall of Fame subjects.
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 2026-08-27.
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