Football legends don’t usually show up in baseball card sets. But every so often, Topps throws a curveball to keep us on our toes.
One of the more recent ones is a Dan Marino baseball card included in the 2025 Bowman Draft release. It’s worth noting that the Pro Football Hall of Famer’s connection to baseball isn’t just a clever marketing stretch. The Kansas City Royals drafted him before he decided to pursue the gridiron in his professional life.
Editor’s Note: Looking to Sell Sports Cards? Here’s How to Do It Quickly & Easily
Here’s a Look at That Dan Marino Baseball Card
via Baseball America
As noted by Baseball America’s Seth Mates, Marino is the centerpiece of Topps’ “Dream Draft Pick” chase card series inside the 2025 Bowman Draft set. This is the third time they’re running the idea, which features famous non-baseball athletes on pieces of cardboard as members of the MLB team that once drafted them.
The Royals selected Marino in the fourth round (99th overall) of the 1979 MLB Draft out of high school as a pitcher/shortstop. He opted to play college football, and the rest is history.
This card comes in base versions along with parallels, scaling down to a 1/1. Autographed variations are also in the mix, and the inscriptions are fun. Mates noted that one says “Laces out!” which is a nod to Marino’s appearance in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, among others.
Marino Made the Right Call By Choosing Football
Marino’s high school baseball career was quite impressive. As a senior at Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, he posted an eye-popping 23-0 record as a pitcher. Mates highlighted an old scouting report from May 1979, which described him as having “an excellent athletic body, long arms with solid legs.” His physical profile was compared to Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer. Not bad, right?
The report also labeled him as “draftable but unsignable” because of his prowess on the football field. Kansas City decided it was still worth a shot, but ultimately couldn’t convince him to sign. Marino opted to attend the University of Pittsburgh before being selected 27th overall by the Miami Dolphins in the 1983 NFL Draft.
He spent his entire 17-year Hall of Fame career with the Dolphins, and there’s a long list of his personal accomplishments. They include nine Pro Bowl selections, three All-Pro selections, and the 1984 MVP Award. Marino posted a career 147-93 record with 61,361 passing yards and 420 touchdown passes.
Other Sports Legends Who Crossed Into Baseball Card History
Marino joins a short but notable list of NFL icons who’ve gotten the Dream Draft Pick treatment. Topps launched the series in 2023 with Tom Brady, who was drafted by the Montreal Expos in 1995.
John Elway headlined the 2024 edition as a New York Yankees prospect, who selected him 52nd overall as an outfielder out of Stanford University. He actually signed with the organization for $140,000 and played Single-A ball before making the jump to pro football.
Beyond this series, crossover cards like these are very appealing to collectors. Michael Jordan’s 1994 Birmingham Barons cards are still popular for obvious reasons. Any card that bridges two sports fanbases carries built-in demand.
What to Know About the 2025 Bowman Draft Release
The 2025 Bowman Draft set is Topps’ annual spotlight on the current MLB Draft class, combining autographs with the chase cards that drive box-break excitement. The Marino “Dream Draft Pick” is a notable attraction, but the set delivers the full Bowman experience. This includes prospect autos, parallels at multiple tiers, and a structure that gives collectors at every price point something worth hunting.
Who could be featured as the “Dream Draft Pick” next year? Mates floated some interesting names, including Patrick Mahomes, Kyler Murray, and Russell Wilson. One thing this series hasn’t featured yet is an active NFL player on a baseball card, so it’d be intriguing to see what kind of interest that’d generate among collectors.
Love home runs? Sign up for my Substack today and start getting interesting home run-related observations straight to your inbox! And if you’re new to MLB Daily Dingers, it’s probably best to start here.