PASADENA, Calif. — Perhaps Panini America Vice President of Marketing Jason Howarth said it best during a sun-drenched interview with NFL.com’s Crystina Poncher on the pristine Rose Bowl field Saturday afternoon: “The NFLPA Rookie Premiere is our Super Bowl,” Howarth said. In so many ways, Howarth nailed it.

Indeed, when it comes to the 2013 NFL trading card season, there is no more important event for Panini America than the NFLPA Rookie Premiere. The content captured during this four-day spectacle — photographs, autographs, memorabilia and relationships — will help drive Panini America’s NFL products for the entirety of the 2013 season and well beyond.

During Saturday’s main event, Panini America officials began by rotating 19 of 38 rookies through four different stations: Two studio photography stations in the tunnel leading to the field, one massive action photography station on the field, and the always entertaining marketing station in the corner of the end zone.

(Notre Dame’s Tyler Eifert and Manti Te’o were put through the same paces Friday morning so they could get back to South Bend in time for yesterday’s gradutation.)

While the three photography stations produced several thousand compelling images that will grace Panini America NFL card sets for the rest of the season, the marketing station delivered one highlight after another as players took turns being interviewed on camera, hijacking the Panini America Twitter account, creating true works of art on Panini America sketch cards and signing a few promotional autographs.

The following gallery provides a scene-setting assortment of great moments from Saturday’s events.

Enjoy the gallery and stay tuned to The Knight’s Lance for additional unprecedented coverage of the football card industry’s marquee event in the coming days, including tons more images, exclusive video content and a contest or two to win some unique collectibles from the 2013 NFLPA Rookie Premiere.

PASADENA, Calif. — Panini America is on location inside the historic Rose Bowl providing budget-busting coverage of the 2013 NFLPA Rookie Premiere. Follow us on Twitter and the #ScoreRookie hash tag so you don’t miss any of the action.

LOS ANGELES — At one table, Denard Robinson played “MC Shoelace” and Quinton Patton spun the wheels of steel in a signing room they came to call “Club Panini.” At another, Matt Barkley discussed wedding plans across the room from Knile Davis and Tavon Austin, who quietly signed autographs while rapt in their new Panini America Skullcandy Crushers. Minutes later, Manti Te’o free-handed a colorful Chargers lightning bolt, Cordarrelle Patterson wielded an NFLPA photographer’s camera and Eddie Lacy was nice enough to show a stranger his most impressive necklace.

To be sure, Friday inside the Panini America player lounge at the 2013 NFLPA Rookie Premiere provided another day full of scintillating highs, as many laughs as autographs and enough feel-good memories to last a lifetime.

The day ended well past the scheduled 5:30 p.m. close as EJ Manuel returned after hours — as promised — to finish signing what was left of his autographs. While he was there, Manuel took the time to appear as Panini America’s mystery guest on the company’s weekly “This Week in Panini” segment on Cardboard Connection radio. It was a fitting conclusion to the player-rotation portion of the 2013 NFLPA Rookie Premiere for a class of rookies that has proven to exceed positive expectations every step of the way.

We hope the following comprehensive gallery of Friday highlights truly tells the story of an exceptional Friday for this exceptional crop of young NFL stars. Saturday, they finally get to slip on their NFL uniforms and take the pristine Rose Bowl field for a full day of photographs, interviews and fun.

We’ll have complete coverage of Saturday’s festivities right here on The Knight’s Lance. And be sure to follow all of the day’s action on the Panini America Twitter account and the #ScoreRookie hash tag. But before then, enjoy one lasting look back at a Friday none of us at Panini America will soon forget.

In an effort to keep collectors updated on the status of those Panini America redemption cards that are currently being processed, we’ll post a list every week, like the one included in the attachments below, detailing the most recent cards being fulfilled this week.

The following list is intended to inform collectors about which redemption cards from which products are being processed this week. We’ll update this list every Friday afternoon, so stay tuned next week if you don’t see your card here.

These weekly reports often include “rebatched” redemptions — cards from widely broken products that have been previously redeemed but required subsequent shipments due to high volume. In some cases, the cards listed have been fulfilled with replacement cards.

If you have specific redemption questions, you can contact the Panini America Customer Service department via email at hobby@paniniamerica.net and the Panini America Customer Service Manager via Twitter.

Here’s this week’s report in Excel format: May 17 Redemption Update

Here’s this week’s report in PDF format: May 17 Redemption Update

For additional recent updates, click on the following links:

Panini America’s Weekly Redemption Card Update: Football, Hoops and Hockey
Panini America’s Weekly Redemption Card Update: Our Biggest Report to Date
Panini America’s Weekly Redemption Card Update: Luck, Griffey, Landeskog & More
Panini America’s Weekly Redemption Card Update: Basketball XRCs Headline List
Panini America’s Weekly Redemption Card Update: Football Rookies, Pete Rose, More

LOS ANGELES — On Thursday during the 2013 NFLPA Rookie Premiere, Panini America officials once again delivered an action-packed experience from beginning to end, highlighted by some fresh rookie faces in the the Panini America player lounge for autograph signings and executing two major player appearances simultaneously.

While a diligent few stayed back at the host hotel to engage a steady stream of incoming rookies for signing sessions, two separate Panini America teams ventured out across Southern California to pull off two huge events.

One team took Tavon Austin, EJ Manuel, Marcus Lattimore, Denard Robinson and Mike Glennon for a whirlwind media tour that included appearances on ESPN’s SportsCenter, SportsNation, NFL 32, Mint Condition, Sirius XM, Fox Sports Radio and more. Another team made the 40-mile trek to Anaheim with Manti Te’o, DeAndre Hopkins, Robert Woods and Giovani Bernard for an informal Q&A and autograph session at the GTS Distribution open house.

It made for another spectacular day with a spectacular class of rookies, thanks to a spectacular assist from the NFLPA.

We’ll have exclusive video footage of all of Thursday’s activities in the coming days right here on The Knight’s Lance. But for now, check out our gallery of highlights from yesterday’s activities.

The last two days of Panini America’s month-long #PaniniPylon promotion promise to provide a thrilling, high-octane ending end to the festivities as arguably the two most in-demand cards in the 300-card set — one-of-a-kind, pylon-orange RCs of Robert Griffin III and Andrew Luck — hit the Panini Authentic auction block.

Griffin’s card began its 24-hour run today and already has been bid up to $700. Luck’s card hits the block tomorrow. The current #PaniniPylon high-water mark belongs to Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson, whose card sold earlier today for $727.

Stay tuned to The Knight’s Lance in the coming days for a complete recap of the month-long #PaniniPylon promotion.

LOS ANGELES — Full of the pomp, circumstance and fun that has come to earmark one of the sports card industry’s most important events, the entertaining spectacle that is the 2013 NFLPA Rookie Premiere kicked off with a bang Wednesday afternoon inside the Panini America Player Lounge. In all, 18 of the 40 top NFL rookies assembled at this year’s event made their through the Panini America room, signing on-card autographs for upcoming products such as 2013 Prestige Football and 2013 Elite Football.

Headlining Wednesday’s guest list: New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith, St. Louis Rams receivers Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey, San Diego Chargers linebacker Manti Te’o, Denver Broncos running back Montee Ball and San Francicso 49ers teammates Marcus Lattimore and Quinton Patton.

During a highly productive three-hour stint Wednesday afternoon, the rookies filled the Panini America room with a healthy buzz, casual conversation, an abundance of laughs and an air of unmistakable stardom.

One of my favorite moments from Day One: Seattle Seahawks running back Christine Michael suggesting that he sign some of his 2013 Prestige Football NFL Passport autographs with the team-color green Staedtler pen initially reserved for his Elite Inscriptions. The result was an overly attractive green-ink version that will be limited to just 33 cards.

The following gallery provides some unique behind-the-scenes flavor to Wednesday’s proceedings. Stay tuned to The Knight’s Lance all week long for continued coverage of the 2013 NFLPA Rookie Premiere, including a complete recap of Thursday’s big events.

LOS ANGELES — Tomorrow, during Friday’s final round of player autograph rotations prior to Saturday’s 2013 NFLPA Rookie Premiere at the Rose Bowl, Panini America officials will treat the 40 rookies in attendance to one sweet parting gift: A swag bag full of goodies that will likely be every bit as exciting and memorable as the players’ first Panini America Rookie Cards.

So, what will the players score in their Panini America bags this year? Well, for starters, there’s the always-stylish, always-in-demand Rated Rookie T-shirt and a limited allotment of their “Personal Edition” Elite Inscriptions cards. But the special gift in that bag likely to make the most noise with the rookies this season? Their special white Skullcandy Crusher headphones — the same ones worn by Panini-exclusive athlete Kevin Durant.

“The Crusher has amazing bass; it’s literally like having two sub-woofers in your ears,” said Jason Howarth, Vice President of Marketing for Panini. “Whether the guys are using them to get into their zone before the game or just relaxing on the plane, we wanted them to keep Panini top of mind. The Skullcandy Crusher ensures Panini will come across the way we like it: Loud!”

Their own trading cards, an iconic T-shirt and Skullcandy Crushers. It’s called #PaniniSwag.

Stay tuned to The Knight’s Lance for continued coverage of the 2013 NFLPA Rookie Premiere and follow along on Twitter @PaniniAmerica #ScoreRookie.

On Thursday, May 16 from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. EST, Panini America will be partnering with the NFLPA to bring you an exclusive digital Score Rookie Card signing on Google+ Hangout with NFL rookies Montee Ball of the Denver Broncos and Matt Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles during the 19th annual NFLPA Rookie Premiere.

Several lucky fans will be given a one-of-a-kind opportunity to meet one of these rookies in a Google+ Hangout during a live digital autograph session. Winners will be able to ask the players a few questions and will also receive a digital copy of a special Panini America #ScoreRookie card to keep after the Hangout.

How to Participate:
For your chance to join the Hangout, please fill out this short form. Anyone can watch the Hangout by tuning in right here beginning tomorrow at 4 p.m. EST. Be sure to RSVP “Yes” to bookmark this special event!

In this special episode of Panini Unwrapped, we present an unprecedented triple feature starring the out-today 2012-13 Momentum Basketball, with special cameo appearances by the recently released 2012-13 Preferred Basketball and 2012-13 Past & Present Basketball. It’s safe to say that Panini America’s Tracy Hackler and Keith Hower are making up for lost time with this must-see mashup of collecting excellence.

After the video, we’re going to give you a chance to win some of the hits from these three breaks, so stick around to find out how you can win.

Now that you’ve watched the madness, we want to reward you. To be eligible to win some of the hits from this video, we humbly ask that you do two things:

1) Simply tell us, candidly but respectfully in the comments section below, what you liked the most about the three products in this video and what you liked the least.

2) Be sure to subscribe to The Knight’s by clicking the “Sign me up!” button in the top right corner of the page. If you’re already a subscriber, thank you.

Good luck and thanks in advance for your participation.