Panini America, the world’s largest sports and entertainment collectibles company and the official trading card partner of the NFL Draft, announced today that it will produce officially licensed Rookie Cards of Leon Sandcastle, the NFL Network’s fictional top NFL draft prospect, for its first two 2013 trading card sets – Score and Prestige. Sandcastle will appear as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs and will join other members of the 2013 NFL Rookie Draft Class.
Panini America, the world’s largest sports and entertainment collectibles company and the official trading card partner of the NFL Draft, announced today that it will produce officially licensed Rookie Cards of Leon Sandcastle, the NFL Network’s fictional top NFL draft prospect, for its first two 2013 trading card sets – Score and Prestige. Sandcastle will appear as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs and will join other members of the 2013 NFL Rookie Draft Class.
Sandcastle, played by NFL Hall of Famer and NFL Network personality Deion Sanders, first burst onto the scene as the subject of an entertaining Super Bowl XLVII commercial promoting the network’s months-long coverage leading up to this week’s 2013 NFL Draft. Sandcastle instantly became a social media phenomenon. Now, he’ll have his own Rookie Cards.
Sandcastle’s first cards will appear exclusively in retail packs of 2013 Score Football, which releases in late May and retails for $1.99 per pack. The landmark 25th anniversary of the Score brand will feature Rookie Cards on the iconic 1989 Score design, including Sandcastle’s. Panini America also will include autographed Leon Sandcastle Rookie Cards in the late-June release of 2013 Prestige Football as a hobby exclusive.
“Leon Sandcastle’s larger-than-life persona took the NFL world by storm earlier this year and his presence in our first two products of 2013 season is a direct result of that,” said Panini America CEO Mark Warsop. “We had fans and collectors from all over asking us to make Sandcastle Rookie Cards a reality. Now that we’ve done that, we’re confident that his first trading cards will deliver a definite fun factor along with other 2013 NFL Rookies.”
Be sure to keep up with the Sandcastle craze by following @PaniniAmerica on Twitter using the hash tag #ScoreRookie. You can also pre-order 2013 Score Football now at iCollectPanini.com.
No u did in’t stop playing around thats not a real card Lol!!! who playin jokes over there @ Panini? Is that Richard Pryor lol!!!!
That is some awesome hair in that picture, love it.
This is FUN and fun is what card collecting is all about, great idea, just watch how the other guys COPY this idea!!! Love it!!!
Other companies have offered cards of fictional players. Topps had a whole subset of players in Allen & Ginter baseball, I also have a Topps Auto Santa card, as well as a patch. Not totally original, but cool nonetheless.
Totally loving the Sandcastle Auto RC’s. Outstanding, Panini. Outstanding.
Omgoodness!! This is flippin hilarious!&AWESOME! LOL
Will def join in the #ScoreRookie
YES!!! Awesome job! I love this kind of stuff!! This is what makes Panini special!! Keep it up!
I expect auto, combine jersey and auto/jersey combos as well. Too funny. A great inclusion!!
Oh snap, I just had flashbacks of Oscar Gamble!
Exactly. 1976 Topps Traded, baby!!
That’s really funny, just please no mem or auto cards in place of real hits! Thanks Tracy!
Is Deion Sanders going to sign these cards, or some random Panini employee?
We are getting Leon to sign his cards. When asked, Deion said is excited that Leon got his FIRST trading card deal!
haha, should be interesting!
Well, I guess it’s better than Upper Deck putting random unfamous people in their garbage product….
Karl, I pulled a Topps auto of a guy who KNEW a guy who was once an extra on a “Diff’rent Strokes” episode. Are you suggesting that card has no value? Hmm, I wonder where that leaves my “Famous Umpire” auto set.
is it an ‘easy’ pull or is it an SP?? thanks Tracy, cant wait to pull a few..
I was looking at young Deion and thinking that it’s been 24 years since 1989 Score! Geez, where does the time go. Cool card!
You have about the same chances of a fabricated player returning a panini redemption as you do of receiving a panini Julio Jones redemption.
Awesome! Not excited about this year’s draft class, but Leon is a definite hit! Will hit Score just for Leon. Autographed Leon cards will be awesome.
card not available in hobby packs or score????? Way
to look out for Brick and mortars
Both Sandcastle’s Prestige cards and Prestige autographs will be hobby-only.
Cant wait to find one in packs!