Teaser Gallery: Panini America Cracks First Box of 2013 Rookies & Stars Football

One of the longest-running football brands in collecting history is kicking off its 16th NFL season this week — and when Panini America’s 2013 Rookies & Stars Football releases on Wednesday, it will do so packing many of the comfortable niceties that have made the product such a football staple for so many years. But the one that’s likely to stand out most in 2013 is the same one that stood out most in 1998: Crusade.

The vibrant, rainbow-holofoil effects. The mesmerizing colors. The deep, decadent etching. The undeniable appeal. It all returns in 2013 Rookies & Stars Football. But the newest rendition of the venerable favorite is about may more than a collecting Crusade. It’s about a Rookie Card in every pack. It’s about Longevity parallels, bright designs, spot-on photography and autograph or memorabilia cards that fall four per box on average.

To help give you a better understanding of what 2013 Rookies & Stars Football will deliver when it releases on Wednesday, we grabbed the first 24-pack box we could get our hands on and ripped it open. The following gallery will take you pack-by-pack through the experience.

Enjoy.