By Susan Lulgjuraj | Beckett Football Editor

When thinking of the Baltimore Ravens receiving corps, Jacoby Jones’ name doesn’t immediately come to mind. The speedster makes more noise returning kickoffs or punts.

That’s where he shined against the San Francisco 49ers.

The 2007 draft pick gave football fans the most electrifying play of Super Bowl XLVII when he returned the opening kickoff of the second half 108 yards for a touchdown.

Jacoby Jones – now you will remember it.

That was Jones’ second touchdown of the game. Even though he didn’t catch as many passes during the regular season – just 30 for 406 yards – as his many of his teammates, Jones was an early target for Joe Flacco in the Super Bowl.

Flacco hit Jones down the middle for a 56-yard touchdown that put the Ravens up 21-3 in the second quarter.

Jones had one of the greatest games of his career on the biggest stage.

Collectors noticed the New Orleans native as well. His card prices jumped overnight with rare cards selling for hundreds of dollars, and his 2007 Exquisite Collection autographed Rookie Card selling for more than the high book value of $30. The average price of the card sold on Sunday was $51.14.

A week ago, that same Exquisite card could be had for around $10.

Two touchdowns in the Super Bowl can do that.

Key Jacoby Jones Rookie Cards (Click here for a complete OPG and checklist)
- 2007 Exquisite Collection #76 AU RC /150
- 2007 Playoff Contenders #160 AU /435
- 2007 Topps Triple Threads #141 JSY AU RC /99
- 2007 Leaf Limited #321 AU RC /99
- 2007 Playoff National Treasures #145 AU RC /299

Susan Lulgjuraj is an editor of Beckett Football. You can email her here with questions, comments or ideas. Follow her on Twitter here. Follow Beckett Media on Facebook.

By Susan Lulgjuraj | Beckett Football Editor

After a long night and a postseason for the record books, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco emerged as Super Bowl XLVII MVP.

Flacco had three touchdowns in the first half against the San Francisco 49ers for an impressive 11-touchdown, zero-interception playoff performance. Flacco finished 22-for-33 for 287 in Sunday’s 34-31 win over the 49ers.

As the New Jersey native stood at the podium hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy, it must have felt like justice for many Ravens fans. Flacco never gained the type of respect many quarterbacks around him received – even though he had been to the playoffs every year he has been in the league.

But the Ravens always lost to powerhouses, including a Peyton Manning-led Indianapolis team, the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

This time, Flacco led the Ravens past Indianapolis; Manning’s new team, the Denver Broncos; and the New England Patriots. Then in the Super Bowl, when most of the attention was focused on emerging 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, Flacco played better – hitting his targets and leading the Ravens’ offensive attack.

Flacco has never been more celebrated. His card values should follow suit, with the underrated quarterback now a champion.

Key Joe Flacco Rookie Cards
2008 Exquisite Collection #170 JSY AU /99
2008 Playoff National Treasures #112 JSY AU /99
2008 Playoff Contenders #151 AU /220
2008 SP Authentic #295 /999
2008 Leaf Rookies and Stars #230 /99

Susan Lulgjuraj is an editor of Beckett Football. You can email her here with questions, comments or ideas. Follow her on Twitter here. Follow Beckett Media on Facebook.

By Susan Lulgjuraj | Beckett Football Editor

Colin Kaepernick’s status has risen with football fans and collectors in San Francisco. But there is still one place where Kaepernick’s cards remain more popular than the hometown – eBay.

The San Francisco 49ers quarterback has emerged as the NFL’s hottest player as his team heads to the Super Bowl against the Baltimore Ravens.

Bay-Area card shops no longer have his cards in stock, so collectors have turned to the few outlets where they can find them.

“Interest has increased, but we sold out of his stuff,” said Stephen Tarantino, owner of Collector’s Cave in San Francisco. “It’s difficult to get them at a reasonable price, especially if we’re trying to get them off eBay. It just wouldn’t work.”

For card dealers who didn’t have a stack of Kaepernick cards in the backup box, it’s going to be tough to get cards now. It’s not cost effective with his autograph cards selling for hundreds – maybe even thousands of dollars.

Those looking for Kaepernick cards have turned to sites such as eBay and Check Out My Cards.

But good luck at finding them at a decent price. A few months ago, collectors could have gotten his cards for a couple of dollars as Alex Smith led the 49ers at the quarterback position.

Some sellers are kicking themselves right now as they sold Kaepernick cards too early – although not many could have predicted what happened in San Francisco.

Sellers are not complaining though.

“I already sold more Kaepernick than I ever did Alex Smith combined since his rookie year,” said Jordan Lee of What’s on Second in San Mateo, Calif. “There were some years I didn’t even sell Alex Smith. If I had to quantify it, I would probably say I’ve sold Kaepernick 10 to 1 compared to Smith.”

Kaepernick’s card values spiked in Beckett’s Online Price Guide. For example, his 2011 Exquisite Collection #146 (numbered to 135) had a high book value of $500 during his hot regular season run. Now, the same card has a high book value of $800 (To see Kaepernick’s full OPG, click here).

San Francisco-area card shops only wish they had these cards in stock.

Niners fan Steve Morrell from Norwalk, Conn., obtained many of Kaepernick’s Rookie Cards leading up to his successful run. He has 57 Rookie Cards with autographs and patch cards, which he got through card show finds and trades on the Beckett forums.

Morrell prepared for this moment.

“I expected him to one day take over for Alex Smith and be the great player that he was at Nevada,” Morrell said. “I may sell a few to recoup some of what I spent, but I plan to hold onto them to give to my kids one day. It’s a little harder to let go of cards from a team and player you root for.”

However, Morrell doesn’t know how many more Kaepernick cards he is going to be able to add to his collection.

Kaepernick’s prices have jumped so much making many of his cards out of reach.

“(It’s) nearly impossible!” Morrell said. “The prices have gone up basically 1000 percent from what I bought them for before he even started playing.”

Top Kaepernick cards
2011 Playoff National Treasures Rookie Signature Material Black #327 /25
2011 Playoff National Treasures Rookie Signature Material Gold #327 /25
2011 Topps Chrome Rookie Autographs Black Refractors #25 /49
2011 Exquisite Collection #146 JSY AU /135
2011 Playoff National Treasures #327 JSY AU RC /99
2011 Topps Chrome Rookie Autographs Patch #CK /25
2011 SP Authentic Autographs Gold #72 /15
2011 Topps Chrome Rookie Autographs Crystal Atomic Refractors #25 /50
2011 Topps Chrome Rookie Autographs Refractors #25 /99
2011 SPx Jersey Autographs Gold #46 /30
2011 Playoff National Treasures NFL Gear Combos Signatures Prime #10 /25
2011 Playoff National Treasures NFL Gear Combos Laundry Tag Signatures #10 /25

Susan Lulgjuraj is an editor of Beckett Football. You can email her here with questions, comments or ideas. Follow her on Twitter here. Follow Beckett Media on Facebook.

By Susan Lulgjuraj | Beckett Football Editor

Football fans and collectors going to New Orleans for this year’s Super Bowl will get a chance to get exclusive promo cards of the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers.

Panini America is producing is 26-card set filled with Super Bowl XLVII’s top stars such as Colin Kaepernick, Joe Flacco and Ray Lewis, with eight cards dedicated to the hometown team New Orleans Saints.

Panini also produced two limited edition patch cards for the big game – one dedicated to the Super Bowl and the other to New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees.

The only way to get these cards is at the Panini booth at the NFL Experience area at the Super Bowl. Of course, there’s always eBay the next day.

Susan Lulgjuraj is an editor of Beckett Football. You can email her here with questions, comments or ideas. Follow her on Twitter here. Follow Beckett Media on Facebook.

By Susan Lulgjuraj | Beckett Football Editor

The Baltimore Ravens tasted Super Bowl glory in 2000 – the only year the franchise in its current form won the big game.

The Ravens haven’t been around very long, they moved from Cleveland in 1995. However, Baltimore is enjoying its success with a core group of young stars and leadership of its tantalizing veterans.

Here’s a look at Baltimore Ravens on cards as they head to the Super Bowl.

Joe Flacco

The Ravens quarterback faced questions early this season as some wondered if Baltimore could win it all with him. The Ravens closed out the regular season with a 1-4 record. But during the playoffs, Flacco has been great.

He completed 3,817 yards had 22 touchdowns and 10 interceptions during the regular season. In the playoffs, he has thrown eight interceptions and no picks.

Key Joe Flacco Rookie Cards
2008 Exquisite Collection #170 JSY AU /99
2008 Playoff National Treasures #112 JSY AU /99
2008 Playoff Contenders #151 AU /220
2008 SP Authentic #295 /999
2008 Leaf Rookies and Stars #230 /99

Ray Rice

The Rutgers graduate is Baltimore’s top running back. He had 1,143 yards and nine touchdowns during the regular season. In the playoffs, he’s added 247 yard and two TDs in two games.

Key Ray Rice Rookie Cards
2008 Exquisite Collection #162 JSY AU /199
2008 Exquisite Collection #162 JSY AU /199
2008 SP Authentic #285 JSY AU /999
2008 Donruss Threads #263 AU /100
2008 SP Rookie Threads #RR8 AU /252

Anquan Boldin

The longtime veteran has been a good presence in the receiving corps for Baltimore. He led the Ravens with 921 receiving yards and added four touchdowns in the regular season. In two postseason games, Boldin has 276 yards and three touchdowns.

Key Anquan Boldin Rookie Cards
2003 Leaf Limited #147 AU
2003 Playoff Contenders #146 AU /524
2003 SPx #191 JSY AU /1100
2003 SkyBox LE #118 /99
2003 Ultimate Collection #81 /250

Ray Lewis

The unequivocal leader of the Ravens missed a good portion of the regular season with a triceps tears and was unsure if he would come back. Not only is Lewis back for the final playoff run of his career, but he leads Baltimore with 44 tackles on defense in the postseason.

Key Ray Lewis Rookie Cards
1996 Bowman’s Best #164
1996 Stadium Club #351
1996 Pro Line Memorabilia #59
1996 Fleer #165
1996 Score Board Lasers #99

Torrey Smith

Smith was an emotional leader this year who had a memorable game after his brother died in an accident. During the regular season, he had 855 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. In the playoffs, he has 198 receiving yards and two scores.

Key Torrey Smith Rookie Cards
2011 Playoff National Treasures #313 JSY AU /99
2011 Topps Five Star #175 JSY AU /75
2011 Panini Playbook #134 /399
2011 Crown Royale #211 /299
2011 Panini Gold Standard #268 JSY AU /525

Ed Reed

Reed provides a veteran presence on defense. The Miami product was Baltimore first-round draft pick in 2002. During the regular season, he had four interceptions.

Key Ed Reed Rookie Cards
2002 Playoff Contenders #129 AU /550
2002 Bowman Chrome #230 AU
2002 Bowman’s Best #133 AU
2002 SP Authentic #195 AU /1150
2002 Donruss Elite #197 /400

Susan Lulgjuraj is an editor of Beckett Football. You can email her here with questions, comments or ideas. Follow her on Twitter here. Follow Beckett Media on Facebook.

By Susan Lulgjuraj | Beckett Football Editor

Are you ready for the Super Bowl?

Looks as though Panini America is getting in gear. The company previewed a couple of Super Bowl cards on its Facebook page with Colin Kaepernick, Frank Gore, Ray Rice and Joe Flacco.

The San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens will meet in Super Bowl XLVII on Feb. 3.

How can you get these cards?

We don’t know yet, but as soon as Panini gives out that information, we’ll let you know.

Susan Lulgjuraj is an editor of Beckett Football. You can email her here with questions, comments or ideas. Follow her on Twitter here. Follow Beckett Media on Facebook.