Card: Absolute Memorabilia 2011
Acquired: TTM 2011, C/o The Green Bay Packers
Sent: 12/22/11   Received: 1/17/12    (26 days)

Very quietly since being taken in 2006, Greg Jennings has established himself as the best receiver and arguably the best offensive player in that draft. Greg’s college career was solid and his statistics showed it, with 3 seasons tallying over 1,000 yards receiving playing for the Western Michigan University Broncos squad. The Packers would nab him with the 52nd pick of the second round, of a draft that included names such as: Mario Williams, Vince Young, Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, Santonio Holmes, Jay Cutler, and Vernon Davis.
With his rookie season out of the way, starting in 11 games, Jennings caught 45 balls for 632 yards and 3 TDs, from gunslinger Brett Favre. In 2007, Jennings tallied an even stronger Sophomore campaign, lodging 920 yards on 53 receptions. Even more impressive was his redzone number of 12 touchdown catches.
As Favre left Green Bay for greener pastures with the Jets in 2008, Greg would establish immediate rapport with quarterback Aaron Rodgers and not miss a beat, hauling in a career high 80 catches, for 1292 yards and 9 touchdowns that season. In 2009, Greg had another 1000+ yard season, before his  2010 watershed season  with 76 receptions, 1265 yards and another 12 tds. While 2011 proved to be a slightly off season with the emergence of Jordy Nelson, Jennings still managed to help take his team to the playoffs with a 15-1 record.

Among his accomplishments are being named to the rookie AP team in 2006, the ProBowl for 2010 and 2011, and winning SuperBowl XLV in 2010 making 2 td grabs in the contest. At 5′ 11″, 198, Jennings has velcro like hands and has developed into one of the most dangerous and complete receivers to emerge over the last 5 seasons. He’d also be a member my fantasy football team, the Pasadena Riders, (that had a good component of receivers from the NFC North) as my team qualified for the playoffs in 2010.

I typically do not send for very many current players, but make some exceptions- Jennings among them. “Do not wait until the iron is hot, but make it hot by striking,”* is the strategy I use for some players, as I’d rather get their autograph while they are signing now, than wait until they are no longer doing so, or are receiving too much fan mail to consider doing so. At this time Jennings is assaulting the Packers’ record books and will easily pass by Sterling Sharpe in the near future on the team career receiving carts.

I must say though, I really liked Absolute’s approach in 2011. Wonderful tint job, and nice gold lining to the simple design, however I am not keen on the fade, which seems all the rage with the card designers at the moment. The back of the card is standard enough, but there’s the boring strategy of repeating the photo again from the front, however I do like the more personal bio lines. Overall Panini’s 2011 Absolute Memorabilia is a strong card that absorbs autographs well.

*-W.B. Yeats