One Page PC - Neil Lomax

I started collecting football cards in 1988, before I'd even seen a game on TV. Much of what I learned about out-of-market teams in the NFL (and the NBA and NHL) came from collecting cards. There may have been other ways to learn about underrated stars at the time, but if I didn't see them on SportsCenter or read about them in a magazine I only knew what the back of a trading card would tell me. 

One of those overlooked players was Neil Lomax, quarterback of the St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals through much of the 1980s. The Cardinals were one of a few teams (along with the Buccaneers, Chargers, Seahawks, and Packers) that fascinated me as a kid because I only knew of their existence though Topps cards. I didn't see them on TV or hear about them, and I couldn't get my hands on their Starting Lineup figures (more on that later.)

Spending hours flipping over cards was my version of sports-reference pages. That was how I learned that Lomax was a really good passer and wondered why I didn't hear about him as much as Boomer Esiason or John Elway. Small markets were much smaller back then, and the Cardinals had just relocated from St. Louis. 

Also, as I would learn later on, playoff success is crucial. Esiason and Elway were AFC stalwarts, along with Dan Marino and Bernie Kosar. Joe Montana was king of the NFC (and NFL); Phil Simms and Randall Cunningham were leading nearby teams to the playoffs. Jim Everett and the L.A. Rams were emerging as a threat to the 49ers' dominance. 

I wanted to learn more about Lomax, but the Cardinals were terrible. And just when I started watching more SportsCenter and NFL highlight shows that covered the whole league... he was gone. I don't even think I noticed at first. Hey, a Cardinals highlight! Wait... who the heck is Timm Rosenbach??!?

A hip injury ended Lomax's career after the 1988 season, which is one reason why he's largely forgotten by modern NFL fans. The lack of playoff success and the fact that his team relocated are probably factors as well. Based on his too-brief career as a top tier passer, I initially though that Lomax was the Andrew Luck of the '80s... but his career numbers are more comparable to Baker Mayfield.

I had to laugh when I saw cards of his predecessor Jim Hart in 2024 Panini Prizm. No one is happy pulling Hart, but I would have liked a new Lomax card or two. He didn't have many cards during his career and has appeared in very few sets post-retirement.

This is a nearly complete career run of Lomax cards - I'm only missing 1984 Topps. Not pictured are two Team Leader cards from 1985 and 1987 Topps. According to TCDB, Lomax has 75 different cards - but they stretch the definition of "different" to include copyright variations and stickers with seven different backs. 

Only seven of those 75 cards were released post playing days, and two of those are 1989 Score buybacks. Lomax only has two autographed cards and no game-used issues, so a (more) complete PC wouldn't be expensive to build. 

I'm probably going to add his '84 Topps card to my next Sportlots order and I'm tempted to toss this in the cart as well: 

Or maybe I'll pick up a sealed figure and card on eBay to pair with my 1988 SLU:

Thanks for reading!



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