Play Ball!

Attention sports fans: Donruss Trading
Cards has signed an agreement to pro-
duce collectible card games licensed by
the National Football League.

The move marks the company's entry
into both the collectible card game and
the football card markets. In the past, the
company has produced only baseball and
hockey trading cards under the Donruss
and Leaf brand names. Donruss spokes-
woman Tracey Santiago says the compa-
ny is also forming a new-division, headed
by Joe DeLeonardo, to handle the product.

At press time, Donruss was reluctant.
to reveal specific details about the game.
However, Clay Walker, assistant vice-
president of Players Inc., the licensing
arm of the NFL Players Association, was
more open.

"It will be about 450 cards," Walker
says. "Each card, will have individual
strengths and weaknesses. Some cards
will be heightened around running, oth-

ers on blitzing. You can build a deck
around the Kind of football game you
want to play."

According to Walker, the individual
cards will feature offensive and defen-
sive statistics - meaning players on the
cards can assume both roles. Thus, while
the cards will depict NFL players, the
numbers on the cards may not always
reflect their real-life statistics.

Gamers use the cards-to build plays,
with one gamer playing offense and
another playing defense, "If [the defend-
ing gamer] calls a blitz and you planned
a screen pass," Walker says, "once you
look it up in the guide, you're probably
going to get like a 20-yard gain."
Walker adds that the Donruss product
will be the only NFL card game licensed.
this year. Any other card games, includ-
ing "Gridiron" by Precedence and the
Upper Deck Co.(see p. 9), will not feature
player likenesses.