Though the brand would later be known for flashy designs and loads of inserts, the 1991 Pinnacle football card set was much simpler by comparison.
Yes, the design featured a modern dual-image layout.
And, yes, there were multiple interesting subsets.
But if you know how vibrant and animated Pinnacle sports cards were later in the 90s, you'll see a stark contrast with this set.
That doesn't make it a bad one by any means.
It does come up short in the big-name rookie card department.
But there are plenty of stars and Hall-of-Famers in the 415-card checklist.
And in this guide, we look at the 12 most valuable.
Let's jump right in!
1991 Pinnacle #42 Emmitt Smith
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $50
Emmitt Smith gave Dallas Cowboys fans quite the encore during his sophomore season in 1991.
Fresh off an Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign in 1990, Smith looked to expand on his reputation as one of the league's top backs.
And, boy, did he do so, in a big way.
At 22 years old, Smith led the NFL in rushing for the first of five times in his career by racking up 1,563 rushing yards.
And he did so as a true workhorse for Dallas, leading the league in carries (365) and skill-position touches (414).
The NFL was officially on notice that Smith was a guy who would hurt many teams on the ground and through the air for years to come.
In recognition of his incredible campaign, Smith earned Second-team All-Pro honors and a second-consecutive Pro Bowl selection.
As great as his individual achievements were, Smith was even more excited that his efforts helped Dallas earn a Wild Card berth.
Not since 1985 had Dallas made the playoffs.
And though they'd win a close one 17-13 on the road against the Chicago Bears at Solider Field in the Wild Card, the Detroit Lions blew them out 38-6 in the NFC Divisional Round.
Not to worry for Dallas fans.
The Cowboys would be Super Bowl champs the following season.
1991 Pinnacle #66 Joe Montana
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $50
In 1991, Joe Montana's Hall of Fame career took a disappointing turn for the worse.
After back-to-back Super Bowl titles in 1988 and 1989, the prolific passer had the San Francisco 49ers on a path towards becoming the first team to three-peat in 1990.
Montana and crew steamrolled everyone during the regular season and dominated the Washington Redskins 28-10 in the 1990 NFC Divisional Round.
But during the 1990 NFC Championship Game against the New York Giants, things started to look dim, with the 49ers trailing 13-9 in the fourth quarter.
And then, things turned from dim to devastating.
On one play, Giants defensive end Leonard Marshall hit Montana so hard that he had to leave the game due to various injuries.
The Giants would go on to win, and just like that, San Francisco's dreams of a three-peat came to a crashing halt.
Sadly, dreams turned to nightmares during the 1991 preseason when Montana felt a tear in his throwing elbow during a team drill.
Surgery and recovery forced him to miss the entire 1991 season and most of the 1992 campaign.
When the 1993 NFL season drew closer, the 49ers decided to stick with Steve Young at quarterback and traded Montana to the Kansas City Chiefs.
1991 Pinnacle #103 Jerry Rice
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $50
When superstar quarterback Joe Montana went down with a season-ending injury, the 49ers fan base freaked out.
Ok, the entire football world freaked out.
Montana was a larger-than-life, four-time Super Bowl champ.
Along with All-Pro wide receiver Jerry Rice, the two formed a dynamic duo that was nearly unstoppable.
Yet, without his star quarterback under center, Jerry Rice remained focused.
And he was as determined as ever to prove himself.
In the end, it didn't turn out to matter all that much who was under center for the 49ers in 1991.
Rice was able to find a workable chemistry with both Steve Bono and Steve Young.
Sure, he missed out on an All-Pro designation for the first time since his rookie season, but still topped 1,200 receiving yards (1,206) and led the NFL with 14 receiving touchdowns.
Not bad.
Unfortunately, Rice's efforts weren't enough to help the team to the playoffs, marking the first time the 49ers missed the playoffs in his career.
1991 Pinnacle #250 Barry Sanders
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $50
For the third-straight time to kick off his future Hall of Fame career, Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders romped and stomped his way to a 1,000-yard rushing performance during the 1991 NFL season.
His 1,548 rushing yards were second to only Emmitt Smith, who barely outpaced him with 1,563 yards of his own.
But no one outscored Sanders on the ground in 1991, as his league-leading 16 rushing touchdowns also marked a career-best over his ten seasons in the NFL.
At season's end, Sanders found himself a Pro Bowler and First-Team All-Pro for the third time in a row while also finishing third in both the MVP and AP Offensive Player of the Year vote.
In short, Sanders was brilliant during the 1991 NFL season.
And all that work paid enormous dividends for the Lions, as he helped lead them to a 12-4 record and NFC Central crown.
In their first playoff game since 1983, the Lions dominated the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Divisional Round at the Superdome, coasting to a 38-6 win.
No one knew it then, but that would be Detroit's last playoff win since.
Washington blew them out 41-10 in the 1991 NFC Championship Game, kicking off an 0-9 playoff run that still haunts Lions fans today.
1991 Pinnacle #6 Troy Aikman
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $40
Had Troy Aikman stayed healthy in 1991, the Dallas Cowboys dynasty may have kicked off a year sooner.
Unfortunately, his right knee didn't hold up for the entire season.
After leading Dallas to a 7-5 record, Aikman tore a collateral ligament in his knee during a Week 13 road game against the Washington Redskins.
The Cowboys could have gambled and tried to rush him back.
But the team played it safe and played the long game, with coach Jimmy Johnson soon saying, "We don't want him back until he can be productive and not endanger himself."
Aikman's teammates stepped up big time in his absence.
Backup QB Steve Beurelein did a fine job as field manager.
And superstar runningback Emmitt Smith went to work on the ground, utilizing the star-studded Dallas o-line to steamroll opposing defensive schemes.
As it turned out, that plan worked wonders.
Dallas won out the rest of the season.
Smith and the defense helped Dallas to a 17-13 Wild Card Round win over Chicago.
But the Detroit Lions were too much in the Divisional Round.
Aikman replaced Beuerlein late in the first half, but Detroit ran away with a 38-6 victory.
1991 Pinnacle #7 John Elway
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $40
The 1991 NFL season was another campaign that left many in Denver wondering if John Elway could ever bring Super Bowl glory to Mile High.
He'd already led the Broncos to three Super Bowl defeats in the 1980s, only to start the following decade with a terrible 5-11 record and last-place finish in the AFC West in 1990.
Eventually, he'd help lead the team to back-to-back Super Bowl titles later in the decade in 1997 and 1998.
But, the way the 1991 season unfolded, he nearly got started on the Super Bowl championship trek much sooner.
On 53.7% passing, Elway threw for 3,253 yards and 13 touchdowns in a Pro Bowl performance that helped lead Denver to a 12-4 record and an AFC West title.
And in the AFC Divisional Round against the Houston Oilers at Mile High Stadium, Elway relied on his trademark grit and determination to set up a late-game victory.
Trailing 24-23 late in the game, Elway marched the offense from their two-yard line to the Oilers' eleven to set up a game-winning field goal by David Treadwell.
Unfortunately, Elway and Treadwell both struggled in the AFC Championship Game at Buffalo, losing a close one to the Bills by a 10-7 margin.
1991 Pinnacle #70 Dan Marino
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $40
After a brilliant 17-year career that saw him lead the NFL in passing yards five times and touchdowns three times, Dan Marino sadly retired without a Super Bowl ring on his resumé.
Many would say he is the best player in NFL history without a championship ring.
It's not a legacy anyone would necessarily like to have, yet it speaks to how incredible he was.
Dan Marino changed the game forever with his quick release, incredible arm strength, and pinpoint accuracy.
There were great quarterbacks before him, but he raised eyebrows (to say the least) in 1984 when he set the record for passing yards (5,084) and touchdowns (48) in a single season.
Nobody had ever lit up the league through the air like that.
And those records would last decades before Peyton Manning tossed 49 touchdowns in 2004 and Drew Brees racked up 5,476 yards in 2011.
The 1991 season may not have been his best, but Marino still finished second in the NFL in passing yards (3,970) and fourth in touchdown passes (25).
Unfortunately, Miami was mediocre in 1991, finishing third in the AFC East with an 8-8 record and out of the playoffs.
1991 Pinnacle #147 Deion Sanders
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $40
When Atlanta sports fans learned that two-sport star Deion Sanders had signed with the Atlanta Braves ahead of the 1991 MLB season, they could not have been more excited.
They'd already seen how dynamic he was on the football field for the Atlanta Falcons for two NFL seasons.
Now, they wanted to see what he could do for the Braves on the baseball field.
Yet, because of a clause in his contract with the Falcons, he'd have to report to training camp on August 1 and couldn't participate in any potential postseason run.
But after finishing the 1990 MLB season with the worst record in baseball at 65-97, Braves fans' expectations for the playoffs were low anyway.
Amazingly, the Braves shocked the world and made it to the World Series, losing in seven to the Twins.
And Sanders could only watch, wishing he could be there to help in a Braves uniform.
But on the football field, Sanders more than made up for his absence on the baseball field in Atlanta fans' hearts and minds.
In his third season, Sanders morphed into a lockdown corner and explosive special teams wildcard, earning his first of eight career trips to the Pro Bowl.
1991 Pinnacle #273 Lawrence Taylor
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $40
1991 Pinnacle #358 Barry Sanders
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $40
1991 Pinnacle #364 Emmitt Smith
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $35
1991 Pinnacle #366 Barry Sanders
Estimated PSA 10 Value: $35
1991 Pinnacle Football Cards In Review
As I mentioned in the opener, the design and overall look and feel of the 1991 Pinnacle football set may seem a bit muted in comparison to its later releases.
But I enjoy the simple, straightforward look.
The black inner borders, dual imagery and other design elements do just enough to give it a modern appearance.
Because the set marked the brand's debut into the football card hobby, it would have been nice if there were some big-name rookies.
Unfortunately, it didn't turn out that way.
So it's a good thing there are plenty of legendary icons like Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith, Barry Sanders and more to make up for it.
There were also multiple subsets, including:
- Rookies (#281 - 336)
- Head to Head (#351 - 355)
- Tech (#356 - 362)
- Game Winners (#363 - 371)
- Idols (#372 - 386)
- Sideline (#394 - 415)
You're not going to find any cards in this set that will break the bank.
But what they may lack in monetary value, they certainly make up for in nostalgic value.