The Essential Primer: Panini America at the 2013 NFLPA Rookie Premiere (Gallery)

One of the most important four-day stretches on Panini America's 2013 calendar kicks off tomorrow in Los Angeles at the 2013 NFLPA Rookie Premiere. One of the sports card hobby's marquee events, the actual 2013 NFLPA Rookie Premiere takes place Saturday inside the historic Rose Bowl. But the three days prior to that are filled with meaningful activities, too.

Rookie_Premiere

One of the most important four-day stretches on Panini America’s 2013 calendar kicks off tomorrow in Los Angeles at the 2013 NFLPA Rookie Premiere. One of the sports card hobby’s marquee events, the actual 2013 NFLPA Rookie Premiere takes place Saturday inside the historic Rose Bowl. But the three days prior to that are filled with meaningful activities, too.

A small contingent of Panini America officials are hitting the ground in Southern California today. The rest of us will arrive tomorrow as 40 of this season’s top rookies begin making their way through the Panini America player lounge to sign the autographs, take the pictures and conduct the interviews that will drive virtually every NFL trading card product Panini America produces in 2013.

And on Saturday, the 40 rookies will gear up in their full NFL uniforms for the first time and take the historic Rose Bowl field for more photographs, more interviews, perhaps a few more autographs and, above all else, an entertaining experience with their fellow classmates.

Once again this year, Panini America officials are bringing with them several on-card-autograph options, including 2013 Prestige Football NFL Draft Tickets and NFL Passport, 2013 Elite Football Rookie Inscriptions acetate cards and the always-popular, multi-signed Pen Pals cards. (You can get a sneak peek at some of these gems in their unsigned state in the gallery below.)

Also below is the list of participating players.

Be sure to follow Panini America on Twitter and keep up with the #ScoreRookie hash tag all week long so you don’t miss any of the action. As usual, you can expect more than a few surprises from us, so you’ll want to stay tuned.

After you’ve checked out the following preview gallery, stick around for the list of the 40 players who will attend the 2013 NFLPA Rookie Premiere.

Here’s the list of participating players: 2013 NFLPA Rookie Premiere Roster

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18 Replies to “The Essential Primer: Panini America at the 2013 NFLPA Rookie Premiere (Gallery)”

  1. I am so excited and as always looking for the Mr. Hackler one on one questions with the rookies.
    Panini 2013 football cannot come fast enough!

  2. Wouldn’t it be beneficial to push the Rookie Premiere back like two weeks so that all the players have jersey numbers assigned. This 00 stuff really makes the early releases unappealing to me.

  3. Your killing me, GB Packers Pen Pals…nice….can’t wait for football to start! Wish they played all year round! Only sport I collect, thank god or I’d be living in a van down by the river..$$$

  4. There was nothing you guys could do about the 00 numbers? As someone else mentioned, even pushing back the premiere a few weeks (with the cooperation of everyone else) so you have every players # correct.

    1. Unfortunately that’s not at the card companies’ discretion. The NFLPA puts it on this weekend because it’s in between minicamps and OTAs and doesn’t take the players off the field. There was actually a push to get jersey numbers out quicker but some teams didn’t comply.

  5. Looks like it’s going to be a lean year for me buying product, no Colts? Have fun anyway Tracy!

  6. Do you guys know if any of the 49ers draftees, I suppose mainly Eric Reid or perhaps later round picks like Quinton Patton and Marcus Lattimore would be staples of products throughout the upcoming football and football card season? Thanks. Would love to be able to collect a few of those guys if they will be in Elite and Prestige, etc.

  7. I see only 2 defensive players on the list, yet the first 2-3 rounds were almost all defensive picks. Where’s Ziggy from BYU? (#5 overall pick) That guy has an awesome story from never knowing what football is 5 years ago living in Africa, and just soaked in everything. He’s gonna be a popular rookie, and the dude is a stud.

    After 2012, it seems like the RPS class in 2013 is mostly the JV squad.

  8. Extremely disappointing. I figured the bright spot of having a horrible year in K.C. is that at least my team might get a little love in the sports card world having the #1 Draft pick.

    Instead I’m supposed to get excited to collect 4th Round pick QBs who will be lucky if they ever even start a game in the NFL.

    Nope, Eric Fisher with a great out of nowhere story for the #1 pick doesn’t even get invited, but #3 pick Dion Jordon (who also isn’t a skill position player), does.

    This is shrinking my excitement for this year’s releases.

    (Oh, and if you were going to pick a Chiefs player from the 3rd round to invite as a token Chiefs player, at least make it the TE Kelce who might actually become a starter, over “If fumbling is cool, call me Knile(s) Davis!”)

    1. I agree here, I would have much rather seen Eric Fisher, Luke Joeckel and Lane Johson than some of the late round skill position bums we are getting. Barkevious Mingo? Ziggy Ansah? Both would also have been much better choices than Landry Jones or Tyler Wilson

  9. I agree with the 2 guys above..the 1st 2 rounds were mostly lineman and D-men but once again we have players like Tampa Bays back up who will never see the field. Why would we want to collect him? I don’t get why u guys continue to do this. We asked for defenseman and u ignored us again..There’s a reason they were drafted where they were..But we get more I. Peads, LaMichael James (never saw the field), and Chandler Harnishes (unbelievable). This was the year to do it guys. I don’t get it

  10. Can fans go to this? I’m a WVU alum in Los Angeles and love to see/meet Geno, Tavon and Stedman at the Rose Bowl.

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