The Quality Control Gallery: 24 Must-See Images from 2011 Donruss Elite Football

I stumbled into Panini America NFL Brand Manager Carlos Torrez in the hall yesterday as he attempted to sneak to his desk lugging an unopened case of 2011 Donruss Elite Football under his right arm.

Nothing gets past me. 

Turns out Torrez and Joe White from Acquisitions were just minutes away from ripping that case open in the name of quality control, checking to ensure that all the hits were dropping as planned before Elite — on the press as we speak — ships next week.

This particular QC check involved two different cases; the first one was inspected at the printing facility on Monday. What follows are some of the sweetest hits from those two cases, including a Throwback Threads gem that constitutes the first booklet card in Panini America history and autographs from top rookies such as Cam Newton and Mark Ingram.

Enjoy.