 The first entire set of cards to focus on American football players was printed by the Mayo Cut Plug Tobacco Company, which released a 35-card set in 1894, featuring players from the schools that became the Ivy League.In the early 1900s, trading cards were printed in mixed sport sets, and the football players were generally from college football.They were used to promote other items in addition to tobacco products such as Spalding's sporting goods, breakfast cereal, ice cream, doughnuts and gum.