Transition was the name of the game for 1979 Topps football cards.
This set features the rookie cards of guys who would challenge the old guard and, in some cases, establish new standards.
It also features late-career cards of living legends who were nearing the end of the line, or at least the end of their glory years.
All of these story lines and more feature prominently in this list of most valuable 1979 Topps football cards in PSA 8 condition, as culled from the PSA Sports Market Report Price Guide.
1979 Topps Earl Campbell Rookie Card (#390)
Everyone thought Earl Campbell would be a beast coming out of college, thanks to that 1977 Heisman Trophy in his bauble case.
And everyone was right, as Campbell won three rushing titles out of the gate after the Houston Oilers took him with the first overall pick in the 1978 NFL Draft.
That third title, in 1980, saw him flirting with 2000 yards before “settling” for 1934.
Campbell was never the same after that monster season, though, and he retired at age 30 in 1985 after an uninspiring year-and-a-half with the New Orleans Saints. It was a fizzled ending to what had been a sizzling Hall of Fame career.
Today, the Campbell rookie card is still popular with collectors, hammering down around $40 in PSA 8 condition.
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1979 Topps Walter Payton (#480)
It’s sort of ironic that Campbell made it to Canton two years before Payton, considering that Sweetness won the rushing title the year before Campbell first stepped foot on an NFL gridiron.
But Payton was a superstar in The League while Campbell was still at Texas, and Walter kept right on chugging through 1987.
When all was said and done, of course, Payton was the all-time leading rusher — at least until Emmitt Smith came along.
Still, this fourth-year Sweetness card goes for around $30 in PSA 8 condition.
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1979 Topps Ray Guy (#50)
It takes a special guy to make a list like this from the punter slot … in fact, it takes a Ray Guy.
Dad jokes aside, Guy was the rare punter who managed to become a big name, a feat he accomplished by virtue of seven Pro-Bowl and three All-Pro selections during a 14-year career with the Oakland (and Los Angeles) Raiders.
Oh, he also averaged a whopping 42.4 yards per punt over his career and helped the men in black to three Super Bowl titles.
This mid-career card of Guy The Man is about a $15 item in PSA 8 condition.
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1979 Topps Ozzie Newsome Rokie Card (#308)
Newsome helped define what it was to be a modern NFL tight end — big, tough, skilled.
Though he stood 6’2″ and tipped the scales at 230+ pounds, Newsome was a favorite target of Brian Sipe and other Cleveland Browns quarterbacks from 1978 through 1990.
So much so that he ended up with 662 catches for nearly 8000 yards and 47 touchdowns. After his playing career, Newsome moved into an executve role … and also into Canton.
Today, his rookie card sells for $15 or so in graded NM-MT condition.
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1979 Topps James Lofton Rookie Card (#310)
In the 1980s, Lofton set off on a mission — apparently — to overtake Steve Largent‘s records for most catches and most receiving yardage.
Lofton half-succeeded, finishing his career as the all-time with 14,004 yards on 750+ catches.
Since then, several guys have passed both HOFers, but this Lofton rookie card remains popular at $15 in PSA 8.
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1979 Topps Roger Staubach (#400)
Staubach got a late start on his NFL career due to service in the U.S. Navy, but he came on strong, fast.
In 11 seasons, Roger managed to become a Dallas Cowboys legend who led the team to two Super Bowl titles and all sorts of glorious moments.
The 1979 season would be his last, and this card accompanied collectors as they watched a great QB wrap up his Hall of Fame career. It sells for north of $10 today.
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